A new study shows that small cars have overtaken SUVs as the top-selling used cars in 2022.
Hatchbacks and city cars were the best-selling used cars of the year, according to AA Cars, while the Ford Fiesta retained the top-selling car title for the eighth year in a row..
The trend towards smaller cars on this year’s bestseller list is flipping the 2021 rankings, in which eight of the top 10 best-selling models were SUVs.
Meanwhile, the BMW 116i, a family hatchback, was the fastest selling car on the AA Cars website overall.
Peugeot 108 was the second best selling car, followed by Kia Ceed and Hyundai i20.
New additions to this year’s top 10 used cars include the Vauxhall Corsa, Mercedes C-Class and Toyota Yaris.
Meanwhile, vans fell out of favor in 2022, with the Ford Transit Van and Volkswagen Transporter dropping out of the top 10 along with the Audi A3.
The growing popularity of smaller, lighter, and more fuel-efficient vehicles comes after a surge in fuel prices.
Fuel prices rose 17.2 percent in the 12 months to the end of November, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Mark Oakley, director of AA Cars, said: “Rising costs of living and fuel will inevitably affect people’s buying decisions.
“Hatchbacks and city cars tend to be cheaper than SUVs, and their smaller size and weight also allow them to be more economical, making them particularly attractive in today’s market.
“As a result, this year’s top 10 best-selling used cars are almost entirely dominated by smaller, more fuel-efficient models, in stark contrast to the 2021 SUV list.”