How Many Car Insurance Groups Are There in the UK?

Car insurance groups run from 1 to 50 in the UK, with group 1 the cheapest to insure and group 50 the most expensive. Every car registered before August 2024 sits in one of these 50 groups, set by the Group Rating Panel using research from Thatcham Research on behalf of the Association of British Insurers.

The picture changed for newer cars. Since 1 August 2024, cars are also scored under a separate Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR) system, which grades vehicles from 1 to 99 across five risk areas. So the honest answer to “how many groups are there” is now two numbers: 50 traditional groups for most cars on the road, and 1-99 VRR for the newest models.

Your car’s group is only one part of your premium. At Free Price Compare we compare quotes from a panel of over 130 insurers, and we regularly see two cars in the same group priced very differently once age, address and history are factored in.

Last updated: September 2026

Written by the Free Price Compare editorial team | Reviewed September 2026

The 50-group scale, and the newer 1-99 rating

There are 50 car insurance groups in the UK, numbered 1 to 50, with group 1 the cheapest to insure and group 50 the most expensive. This scale covers the vast majority of cars on British roads and applies permanently to any vehicle registered before August 2024.

The system started smaller. It was introduced in 1970 with just 20 groups, and expanded to 50 in 2009 so that each model could be banded alongside cars with similar characteristics. A finer scale lets insurers price more accurately, which matters as cars have grown more complex and more expensive to repair.

For cars registered from 1 August 2024, Thatcham Research launched the Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR) on 24 September 2024, scoring vehicles from 1 (lowest risk) to 99 (highest risk). VRR was built over an 18-month study analysing more than 1,300 data points across 25,000 vehicle models, according to Thatcham Research. Both systems will run in parallel during a dual-rating period until early 2027, after which VRR becomes the sole reference standard for new cars.

If you drive a used car, the 1-50 scale remains fully relevant for years to come. Most buyers going through Free Price Compare are quoting on established models, so the traditional group is still the number that shapes their price.

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How do car insurance groups work?

Car insurance groups work by scoring each car model on how much it is likely to cost an insurer, then combining those scores into a single recommended number from 1 to 50. The Group Rating Panel, made up of insurers and drawing on research from Thatcham Research, publishes updated ratings for insurers to use as an advisory guide.

Five main factors decide where a car lands:

• Cost of repairs and replacement parts after a typical accident.
• Performance and engine power, since faster cars tend to be crashed harder.
• The time a repair takes, which drives labour and courtesy-car costs.
• Security and safety equipment fitted as standard.
• The cost of providing a courtesy car while yours is repaired.

A panel of experts meets regularly to assign groups to new models, and updates flow through to insurers on a rolling basis. The rating is a starting point, not a fixed price: insurers layer their own claims data and your personal details on top. Understanding the impact of car insurance groups on premiums helps explain why the group is influential but never the whole story.

What is the cheapest car insurance group in the UK?

Insurance group 1 is the cheapest car insurance group in the UK, and there is no group 0 below it. Cars in group 1 tend to be small, low-powered and inexpensive to repair, which keeps insurer costs down.

Common group 1 examples include the Hyundai i10, Volkswagen up!, SEAT Mii, Skoda Citigo, Fiat Panda 1.2 and Smart ForTwo. Cars this low on the scale can sometimes insure for noticeably less than the UK average premium, depending on the driver and the exact car. For new drivers, a Hyundai i10 is often among the cheaper models to insure on comprehensive cover, although costs still vary widely by age, location and driving history. Treat these composite figures as estimates rather than a quoted price.

The lowest insurance group cars share three traits: modest performance, cheap and widely available parts, and strong standard security. If keeping premiums down is your priority, a car in groups 1 to 5 is a sensible starting shortlist.

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Does a low insurance group guarantee cheap insurance?

A low insurance group does not guarantee cheap insurance, because the group is only one of many factors insurers use to price a policy. Your age, postcode, annual mileage, occupation, no-claims history and the level of cover you choose all pull the final price up or down.

This is why a group 11 car can sometimes cost more to insure than a group 30 one for the same driver: two cars of similar age can price very differently once claims patterns, theft rates for that model and the driver’s own risk are added. A group is an advisory rating for the vehicle, not a promise about your quote.

Cover level matters too. Around 88-89% of car insurance quotes through Free Price Compare are for comprehensive cover (Free Price Compare data, Jan-Jun 2026), and comprehensive is not automatically dearer than third party only. If you want a checklist before you compare, our guide on the questions to ask when comparing car insurance quotes is a useful starting point. The most reliable way to see the real effect of your car’s group is to run quotes on your exact details.

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Why does the same car appear in different groups?

The same car model can appear in different groups because the group is set per trim and specification, not per badge. A base engine hatchback and a high-performance version of the same nameplate can sit many groups apart, because power, parts and repair costs differ.

For example, a Skoda Fabia can span roughly group 2 up to group 12 depending on engine and trim, while a warm hatch version of a small car climbs higher again. You may also see the group differ between a car listing site and your actual insurer quote. That gap usually reflects the insurer applying the latest published rating and matching your car’s exact variant and security spec, rather than a rounded or older figure shown elsewhere.

What do the letters after the group number mean?

The letter after a group number is a security suffix showing how the car’s security compares to what Thatcham Research expects for a vehicle of that type. So a rating like 15E, 10A or 8D combines the group with a security adjustment.

• A – Acceptable: security meets the expected standard, no change.
• E – Exceeds: better security than expected, so the car moves down a group (cheaper).
• D – Doesn’t meet: security falls short, so it moves up a group (dearer).
• U – Unacceptable: security is well below requirement; some insurers may want an upgrade before cover.

A rating of 15E means the car was assessed at group 15 but earned a move down thanks to strong security, while 15D means it was nudged up. Fitting an approved alarm or immobiliser to an older car can help, though it will not transform a high group into a low one.

Are electric cars in a higher insurance group?

Electric cars often sit in higher insurance groups than equivalent petrol or diesel models, mainly because of repair costs. Battery packs are expensive, EV bodyshops and parts supply are still maturing, and quicker acceleration can raise the performance score in a car’s rating.

That does not mean every EV is costly to insure. The Vehicle Risk Rating system was partly designed to assess emerging risks in newer vehicles, including EV-specific repair and safety factors, more precisely than a single 1-50 number could. As battery repair networks widen and parts prices settle, the gap between electric and combustion cars in insurance terms is expected to narrow. As always, the group is a guide; comparing quotes on the specific model tells you the real cost.

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How to find your car’s insurance group

You can find your car’s insurance group using a free online group checker, your vehicle handbook, or by entering your registration on a comparison journey. The rating is tied to your exact make, model, trim and engine, so use your registration or full specification rather than just the model name for an accurate result.

If you are weighing up a car to buy, checking the group first can save an unwelcome surprise later. Modifications matter too: changes to power, security or bodywork can shift how insurers view the car, which our guide on modifications that affect your premium explains. Vans use a separate scheme, covered in our van insurance groups guide.

Once you know the group, the practical step is to compare. Insurers weight the same rating differently, and switching or shopping around at renewal is one of the few reliably effective ways to cut the price. For low-mileage drivers, it is also worth checking whether pay-by-mile cover or a telematics black box could reduce your quote further.

• Cosmetic Car Insurance Comparison-Free Price Compare UK
• Van Insurance Groups UK Explained – Check Your Van Group
• The impact of car insurance groups on premiums
• 10 Questions for Comparing Car Insurance Quotes | FreePrice
• Questions Car Insurance Companies Ask | FreePriceCompare

Information correct as of 13 September 2026. Prices, tariffs, policy details and providers change frequently, so please check the latest details before making a decision. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice. Free Price Compare is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).