The most popular car models by fuel type revealed

At the start of a new year, it’s always interesting to take a look back at data from the previous 12 months to find trends.

That’s particularly true of the automotive industry, where we can look at what people were buying to get a snapshot of tastes and habits at that time.

With this in mind, online car buying platform Carwow has revealed the most popular cars that were sold through its site in 2020, split up by what fuelled them.

Petrol

1. Volkswagen Polo
2. Volvo XC40
3. Mercedes-Benz A-Class

It’s no surprise to see two smaller cars at the sharp end of the petrol sales, with the fuel typically used by those who travel shorter distances.

The Polo’s place at the top is somewhat surprising, given that it beat the Ford Fiesta, which was Britain’s best-selling car last year.

Diesel

1. Mercedes-Benz GLC
2. Range Rover Evoque
3. Skoda Kodiaq

The GLC has been one of the breakout hits of the past few years, with the SUV proving hugely popular, particularly with diesel drivers. With the A-Class also high on the petrol list, perhaps the German brand is particularly popular with Carwow users.

The Evoque and Kodiaq are also not a surprise for this list, with larger cars typically favouring diesel engines.

Electric

1. Nissan Leaf
2. Renault Zoe
3. Hyundai Ioniq

As one of the original mainstream electric vehicles, the Leaf has established itself as one of the best-selling EVs on sale today. Nissan will be pleased to see it’s retained its popularity even as competition has increased.

Meanwhile, the Zoe’s place in second should be applauded, as Renault has built a pretty little city car with a range that could beat many bigger, more expensive alternatives.