The Vauxhall Corsa has officially taken over as the UK’s best-selling new car with 40,914 models sold in 2021.

The popular supermini outsold every other model in the UK last year, according to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The latest generation Vauxhall Corsa was launched at the end of 2019 and is available with a fully electric powertrain and a choice of advanced and efficient petrol and diesel engines. This is the first time it has topped the annual new car sales chart in the UK.

The 100 per cent electric Corsa-e was one of the best-selling small electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK last year, accounting for 5,605 of total Corsa registrations. Corsa-e sales increased by 97 per cent last year on 2020.

Paul Willcox, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “The Vauxhall Corsa fully deserves to be at the top of the UK sales charts as the nation’s favourite new car. Alongside its design, innovative technology and affordable pricing, a full choice of powertrain technologies has been very popular – with customers able to choose between the fully-electric Corsa-e or our efficient petrol and diesel engines. We’ve just enhanced the range of the Corsa-e and made it even more attainable so we’re confident that Corsa will continue to prove popular with UK buyers.”

With a total of 125,805 vehicles sold in the UK across 2021, Vauxhall sold more than 91,452 cars throughout the year and accounted for 5.55 per cent of the UK new car market. Vauxhall’s retail market share, sales to private customers, grew at one of the fastest rates in the industry, up 0.6 of a percentage point from 4.76 per cent to 5.36 per cent.

First launched in 1993, there have been five generations of the Vauxhall Corsa since it arrived on UK roads. More than two million Vauxhall Corsa models have been sold in the UK since launch, with over 13.5 million models sold in Europe.

The success of the Corsa comes as Vauxhall continues the expansion of its electrification strategy. Across cars and LCVs, Vauxhall already offers five fully-electric models and, following the launch of all-new Astra, two plug-in hybrid models.