Tesla has shaken up the UK car market to the extent that the Model 3 – its most affordable model – was the third most registered car in August. The electric saloon was listed as ‘Other’ by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ monthly figures, with more than 2,000 Model 3’s registered last month.
To put that into perspective, the Model 3 was outsold only by the Ford Fiesta and VW Golf in August 2019. It beat consistent Top 10 performers such as the Ford Focus, Mercedes Benz A-Class, and Vauxhall Corsa.
Despite being Tesla’s entry-level model, the Model 3 still starts at more than £36,000, comfortably above the starting price of any other model in the Top 10 Best sellers list for August 2019. Low running costs and a lengthy driving range seem to be bringing the customers in however, and it is expected that Tesla will appear in the best sellers lists again in future.
The Model 3 has a range starting at 254 miles on a charge, though still boasts hot-hatch performance of a 5.3 seconds 0-62mph time. A long range model is available with almost 350 miles on a charge possible, and a performance variant drops the sprint time down to 3.2 seconds 0-62mph, despite still having a range of 329 miles.
UK new car best sellers – August 2019
- 1: Ford Fiesta – 3,978
- 2: Volkswagen Golf – 3,439
- 3: Other (Tesla Model 3) – 2,082
- 4: Ford Focus – 1,886
- 5: Mercedes Benz A-Class – 1,880
- 6: Ford Kuga – 1,770
- 7: Volkswagen T-Roc – 1,685
- 8: Volkswagen Tiguan – 1,632
- 9: Vauxhall Corsa – 1,592
- 10: Ford Ecosport – 1,477
