Best-selling cars in the UK: hybrid cars drive sales in August

The Ford Puma is a former What Car? Car of the Year, and even though its small SUV crown has now been taken by the excellent Lexus LBX, it remains one of the best cars in its class.

The Puma should certainly put a smile on your face, because it's very agile, especially in ST-Line guise, because it comes with sports suspension and well-weighted, engaging steering.

The Puma's interior is well laid out and reasonably plush, too, although rivals such as the Volkswagen T-Roc provide a more upmarket feel. Also, rear visibility isn’t ideal, and the view out of the front can be limited depending on your seating position.

The boot, on the other hand, is large for the class and has a height-adjustable floor with even more storage underneath. Excellent fuel economy and a low CO2 output also help to make the case for the playful Puma being a sensible buy.

Our favourite version 1.0 Ecoboost mHEV 155 ST-Line
List price £29,250
Target price £27,295
Target PCP £318

August sales 2471

Read our in-depth Ford Puma review

The family SUV market is extremely competitive, so a car has to be truly excellent to stand out. And the Kia Sportage absolutely is – in fact, it's our reigning Family SUV of the Year.

Practicality is a particular strength; the boot is spacious and thoughtfully designed, and the interior offers plenty of leg and head room in both the front and the rear. In addition, the Sportage is plush inside – more so than the Hyundai Tucson to which it's closely related.

The entry-level model is very temptingly priced, but upgrading to our recommended 3 trim gives you lots of useful extras, such as heated front seats and keyless start.

Our favourite version 1.6T GDi 157 48V ISG 3
List price £32,890
Target price £30,899
Target PCP £368

August sales 1962

Read our in-depth Kia Sportage review

Our reigning Executive Car of the Year is good to drive and practical enough to suit most familes. It's also fast, with its single electric motor allowing the Model 3 to sprint to 60mph in a rapid 5.8 seconds – quicker than a Hyundai Ioniq 6 can manage.

Range is also a high point, with the RWD model officially able to cover up to 318 miles between charges, and Long Range versions upping that figure to 390 miles. And when you do need to recharge, Tesla's super-fast and reliable Superchargers can replenish the Model 3's batteries quickly.

While your rear-seat passengers will find they have more room to stretch out in the larger VW ID 7, the Model 3 has decent space for six-foooters, and we managed to split an impressive nine carry-on suitcases between its front and rear boots.

Our favourite version RWD
List price £39,990
Target price £39,990
Target PCP £385

August sales 1542

Read our in-depth Tesla Model 3 review

The Volkswagen Polo is a small car with a big car feel to it. It's one of the smoothest-riding small cars you can buy, for example, plus it's surprisingly quiet to drive on the motorway, which can't be said for the closely related Skoda Fabia. The 94bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine is a good match to it, too; while the 0-62mph time of 10.8 seconds isn't that brisk, it pulls strongly from low revs. It makes the 109bhp version seem like an unnecessary expense.

Space inside is very good for a small car. There's more shoulder room in the front than you'll find in a Renault Clio, plus a pair of six-footers will fit comfortably in the back with head and leg room to spare.

To help keep costs down, we think the entry-level Life trim makes the most sense. It includes air conditioning, automatic windscreen wipers, heated and power-folding door mirrors and an 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system as standard.

Our favourite version 1.0 TSI Life
List price £21,915
Target price £20,718
Target PCP £214

August sales 1524

Read our in-depth Volkswagen Polo review

Think of the Tesla Model Y as being a Tesla Model 3 on stilts, distilling everything that's great about that car into a more practical, family friendly package, and you won't be far wrong.

While the Model Y can't match the Model 3's rapid performance because of its extra weight, it still doesn't feel slow. In fact, the Long Range version managed to blast from 0-60mph in 4.8sec in our tests, while the range-topping Performance model dropped that time to 3.5sec – that's faster than any version of the rival Audi Q4 e-tron can manage, and a match for the Kia EV6 GT.

Range is a strength of every Model Y, and our recommended Long Range models can officially take you up to 331 miles according to official figures – that figure fell to a still respectable 277 miles in real-world conditions. Ride comfort could use some work, however, and the Model Y jostles you around in your seat while you're driving along. Road noise is also more noticable than in rival electric SUVs.

The Model Y has the same minimalist interior as the Model 3, and offers lots of room in both the front and rear seats for your family to stretch out. Plus, we managed to fit 10 carry-on suitcases on board the Model Y.

Our favourite version Long Range
List price £52,990
Target price £52,990
Target PCP £486

August sales 1469

Read our in-depth Tesla Model Y review

It's one of the most well-known family cars on the market, but how does the Volkswagen Golf stack up against the competition? For a start, it mixes comfort and practicality very well – it’s about as smooth around town as the pricier Mercedes A-Class, for example, and has space for five carry-on suitcases in its boot.

You also get a good choice of engines with the Golf, including mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid options, as well as a diesel for those covering lots of miles. Our top choice is the mid-range 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol, which can get you up to motorway speeds swiftly, yet should also help keep running costs in check. It's worth noting that though the Golf handles well, the closely related Seat Leon is much more fun to drive quickly.

Our favourite version 1.5 TSI 150 Match
List price £27,350
Target price £26,735
Target PCP £269

August sales 1437

Read our in-depth Volkswagen Golf review

The Volkswagen T-Roc is at its best in entry-level form. The 109bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engines produces 109bhp, which might not sound like much, but it actually provides plenty of low-down shove so it rarely struggles in everyday driving. Fuel economy is good, too; we managed 44.7mpg in our Real MPG test, which is very close to its 47.1mpg official figure.

As you might expect from a Volkswagen – which has a history of building high-quality interiors – the T-Roc has an upmarket feel inside. There are plenty of soft-touch materials and bright coloured trim finishers on the dashboard.

Standard kit is also generous, with entry-level Life trim offering two-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control and digital dials as standard.

Our favourite version 1.0 TSI Life
List price £28,430
Target price £26,790
Target PCP £264

August sales 1297

Read our in-depth Volkswagen T-Roc review

Despite being launched back in 2018, the Volvo XC40 remains one of the best-selling family SUVs. 

In fact, it's popularity is a testament to its talents, because it's a stylish and immensely practical offering, with spacious back seats and a large, square-shaped boot. The interior is smart yet very plush, with a great mix of high-end plastics, leather and metal or wood inlays. Only the similarly priced Genesis GV70 and Range Rover Evoque can match it.

Over the years, Volvo has slimmed down the XC40's engine line-up. As such, we now think the entry-level B3P is the best option for it. It consists of a 161bhp mild hybrid 2.0-litre petrol engine that provides flexible performance, with 0-62mph taking 8.6 seconds. It's noticeably gutsier than the 1.5-litre mild hybrid engine you get in the VW Tiguan.

Our favourite version 2.0 B3P Plus
List price £38,263
Target price £39,810
Target PCP £403

August sales 1202

Read our in-depth Volvo XC40 review

The Hyundai Tucson is among the most practical family SUVs – there’s lots of space in the front and the rear, and the boot is one of the biggest in the class.

Practicality aside, the interior is well laid out and feels solid, but lacks the premium feel you get inside rivals such as the Volvo XC40. More positively, the entry-level Advance trim is very well equipped, and includes a 12.3in digital driver's display, a 12.3in infotainment screen, dual-zone climate control and ambient interior lighting as standard.

If you go for the petrol version you can expect reasonable performance and a competitive price, but ride comfort in all versions of the Tucson could be better, especially considering how comfortable some family SUVs manage to be.

Our favourite version 1.6TGDi Hybrid 230 SE Connect
List price £35,950
Target price £33,193
Target PCP NA

August sales 1198

Read our in-depth Hyundai Tucson review

For many buyers, the Nissan Qashqai exemplifies the family SUV class. After all, it was the car that first popularised the idea of a tall car without the sky-high running costs of a traditional off-roader. The latest version is a fine all-rounder, combining good practicality with some efficient engine options.

Our preferred choice is the entry-level 1.3-litre petrol, which has mild-hybrid technology to help lower your fuel bills.

Meanwhile, there's a good reason why most Qashqai buyers choose N-Connecta trim, because it bundles together lots of desirable kit – including 18in alloy wheels, a fully digital driver display and a leather-wrapped steering wheel – for a reasonable price.

Our favourite version 1.3 DiG-T MH N-Connecta
List price £31,905
Target price £28,509
Target PCP £284

August sales 1170

Read our in-depth Nissan Qashqai review

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