Citroen and Vauxhall are celebrating after the manufacturers topped two very important sales charts for 2023.
The Citroen Berlingo was the most popular compact van last year, with 14,065 vehicles were delivered to customers.
The best-selling van overall was the medium-sized Ford Transit Custom, which notched-up 40,865 new registrations.
Meanwhile Vauxhall led the way when it comes to electric light commercial vehicles, selling more eLCVs than any other manufacturer over the past 12 months.
Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed that during 2023, Citroen’s total LCV sales hit 27,382 vehicles, with the Berlingo accounting for more than half of all the French manufacturer’s registrations.
Berlingo registrations more than doubled 2022's total, while Citroen’s LCV overall sales across all models increased by 38%.
Stellantis, the behemoth behind Citroen, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall, racked up 94,978 LCV registrations throughout the year, increasing its market share to 27.2%. The Vauxhall Vivaro Electric van ended in first place for electric van sales, helping to secure the overall position of Stellantis Pro One — the LCV arm of the manufacturing giant — as the second best-selling group on the market.
The Berlingo van has received a recent update, with improvements to its styling and onboard technology, as well as the driving practicality of the electric variant, to bolster demand in the years ahead.
Greg Taylor, managing director at Citroen UK:
“To see Berlingo Van as the most popular small van in the UK is a great achievement. At Citroen, we aim to make our vehicles as accessible as possible and to see that more people choose Berlingo Van over any other is a huge reward for the hard work of the team and our network. I am confident that our recently upgraded LCV range will continue to be a top performer, especially with the electrified variants we offer across the entire range.”
Vauxhall ended 2023 as the best-selling electric van manufacturer — the third time in succession that the brand has topped the sales chart.
The SMMT stats show that Vauxhall registered almost double the number of new electric vans as its closest rival across the year, with 6,402 vehicles. That accounts for 29.8% — almost one in three — of all electric vans sold during 2023.
Whether electric or diesel-powered, the Vivaro range ended the year as the third best-selling model overall, with 20,477 registrations.
Ford took the top two sales slots, with the Transit hitting 28,280 registrations while lagging just behind the smaller Transit Custom.
Across the Combo, Vivaro and Movano models range, Vauxhall saw 34,632 registrations, falling a little behind Volkswagen with 34,707 and well behind the pack leader Ford with 103,026 registrations.
The entire Vauxhall LCV lineup has recently been updated with new powertrains, improved onboard technology, and significant price reductions for electric models, which will help keep the models competitive in the coming years.
James Taylor, managing director at Vauxhall:
“It’s a fantastic achievement to be the UK’s best-selling e-LCV manufacturer for the third year running, demonstrating our long-standing commitment to electrifying Britain’s businesses. With the award-winning Vivaro Electric continuing to be the leader in electric van sales and Vauxhall accounting for more than one in four electric vans sold in the UK in 2023, it’s clear that we are the brand of choice for van drivers looking to go electric.”
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