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Car Insurance Groups Explained — Complete Guide for New Drivers
Updated October 2025 · 8 min read · Sources: ABI, Thatcham Research, Parkers
Every car sold in the UK is assigned an insurance group between 1 and 50. Group 1 is the cheapest to insure. Group 50 is the most expensive. For a new driver, the difference between choosing a Group 1 car and a Group 15 car can easily be £800–£1,200 per year in insurance premiums.
Understanding this system is one of the most valuable things you can do before buying your first car.
How insurance groups work
Insurance groups are set by Thatcham Research, a not-for-profit automotive research centre funded by UK insurers. They assess every new car model that goes on sale in the UK and assign it a group rating based on several factors:
- Repair costs: How expensive is it to fix after an accident? Parts availability, labour time, and panel complexity all count.
- New car price: More expensive cars cost more to replace, raising their group.
- Performance: Top speed and 0–60 acceleration. Faster cars are statistically more likely to be involved in serious accidents.
- Security features: Cars with better immobilisers, alarms, and tracking systems get lower ratings.
- Safety equipment: Autonomous emergency braking, lane assist, and other safety tech that reduces accident severity can lower the group.
- Bumper compatibility: Whether the bumper height matches other common cars (reducing repair costs in low-speed bumps).
From August 2024, brand new model ranges are assessed under a new system called the Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR), which also incorporates real-world claims data. But all cars sold before that date — which covers the vast majority of used cars you'll be looking at — still use the traditional group 1–50 system.
What each group costs to insure
These are approximate annual premiums for a 19-year-old, no NCB, suburban location. Source: Quotezone/MoneySuperMarket 2025 data, Group 1–50 multipliers from ABI panel.
Groups 1–5~£900–£1,200
Aygo, Picanto, i10
Groups 6–10~£1,200–£1,600
Polo 1.0, Fiesta 1.25
Groups 11–20~£1,600–£2,400
MINI, Fiesta ST-Line
Groups 21–30~£2,400–£3,200
Golf 1.4, Audi A1
Groups 31–50~£3,200–£5,000+
BMW 3 Series, performance cars
These are rough guides for a new driver. An experienced driver with 5 years NCB would pay considerably less across all groups.
Insurance groups for common first cars
| Car | Version | Group | Est. premium (age 19) |
|---|
| Toyota Aygo | 1.0 VVT-i | 1 | ~£900 |
| Kia Picanto | 1.0 MPi | 2 | ~£970 |
| Hyundai i10 | 1.0 MPI | 2 | ~£970 |
| Citroen C1 | 1.0 VTi | 3 | ~£1,040 |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 1.2i (pre-2019) | 4 | ~£1,080 |
| VW Polo | 1.0 MPI | 4 | ~£1,080 |
| Ford Fiesta | 1.25 82ps | 5 | ~£1,120 |
| Ford Fiesta | 1.0 EcoBoost 100ps | 8 | ~£1,270 |
| MINI One | 1.5T | 10 | ~£1,370 |
| Renault Clio | 1.0 TCe | 11 | ~£1,430 |
| Peugeot 208 | 1.2 PureTech | 12 | ~£1,490 |
| VW Golf | 1.4 TSI | 17 | ~£1,870 |
| BMW 1 Series | 116d | 22 | ~£2,310 |
| Ford Focus ST | 2.3 EcoBoost | 36 | ~£3,300+ |
Premiums estimated using Quotezone/MoneySuperMarket 2025 data for a 19-year-old, suburban, no NCB, standard policy. Actual quotes will vary.
How to find a car's insurance group
There are several free ways:
- On StarterMotors: Every listing shows the insurance group on the car card. We pull this from the vehicle's registration.
- Parkers.co.uk: Free insurance group lookup — enter make, model and year.
- Thatcham Research website: thatcham.org has a free group checker.
- MoneySuperMarket: Has a registration-based group checker.
- Ask the seller: A reputable seller will know, or be able to find out.
Important: Insurance groups apply to the model variant, not just the model. A VW Polo 1.0 MPI (Group 4) and a VW Polo 1.8 GTI (Group 28) are very different insurance propositions. Always check the specific engine and trim level.
FAQs
Can modifying a car change its insurance group?
Modifications don't technically change the official Thatcham group rating, but insurers treat modified cars differently and will typically quote higher premiums or exclude cover for the modification. You must declare any modifications — failure to do so invalidates your policy.
What happens to insurance groups after August 2024?
Brand new model ranges from August 2024 onwards receive both a traditional group rating (1–50) and a new Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR), which is based on real-world claims data and updates more regularly. For used cars, the traditional group system still applies and will do for years to come.
Is a lower group always better?
For a new driver, yes — the insurance saving almost always outweighs other factors. But consider the whole picture: a Group 1 car that's unreliable and needs constant repairs may cost more to own than a Group 4 car that never breaks down. Group matters most in the first 2–3 years. After that, your NCB accumulation becomes more important.
Do electric cars have lower insurance groups?
Not necessarily, and often higher. Electric cars tend to have expensive batteries (costly to replace) and more complex electronics. Many EVs sit in group 15–30+. The running cost savings in fuel can offset the higher insurance, but it varies significantly by model.
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Data sources: Insurance group data from ABI/Thatcham Research panel ratings (October 2025). Premium estimates based on Quotezone Q3 2025 data for a 19-year-old, suburban, no NCB, Group 4 car baseline, scaled by ABI group multipliers. Actual premiums will differ based on individual circumstances.