How Many Car Insurance Groups Are There in the UK?

Car insurance groups run from 1 to 50 in the UK, so there are 50 groups in total. Group 1 covers cars that are usually cheapest to insure, and group 50 covers those that are typically the most expensive. Every make and model is assigned to one of these 50 groups based on how much it is likely to cost an insurer.

The system is set by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) together with Thatcham Research, through the Group Rating Panel. A car’s group is only one ingredient in your quote, though, which is why two people can pay very different prices for the same model. Free Price Compare draws on ABI and Thatcham data alongside quotes from a panel of 130+ insurers to show how the group rating feeds into the price you actually pay.

Last updated: September 2026

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

What car insurance groups actually mean

A car insurance group is a rating from 1 to 50 that shows how expensive a particular make and model is likely to be for an insurer to cover. The rating reflects the car itself, not the driver, so it lets insurers compare the underlying risk of different vehicles on a like-for-like basis before adding your personal details.

There are 50 groups because the current scale was extended from the old 20-group system in 2009 to give finer distinctions between cars. Group 1 sits at the low-cost end, and group 50 at the high-cost end. The Group Rating Panel, run by the ABI and Thatcham Research, reviews new and existing models and assigns each one a group based on standardised data.

The rating is advisory. Insurers use it as a starting point, then apply their own pricing, so the group tells you the relative risk of the car but never the exact price you will be quoted.

How many car insurance groups are there in the UK, and who sets them?

There are 50 car insurance groups in the UK, numbered 1 to 50, and they are set by the Group Rating Panel administered by the ABI with technical data from Thatcham Research. The panel meets regularly to place every new car into a group and to review existing ratings when repair costs, parts prices or security features change.

Thatcham Research supplies the crash-test, repair and security data, including its New Vehicle Security Assessment, while the panel applies a consistent method across all models. This is why the same car carries the same recommended group whichever insurer you approach, even though the final premium varies from one insurer to the next.

The FCA regulates how insurers sell and price policies but does not set the group ratings themselves. According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), pricing rules require insurers to treat renewing and new customers fairly, but the group system remains an industry standard run through the ABI and Thatcham.

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What factors decide a car’s insurance group?

A car’s insurance group is decided mainly by how much it costs to repair, how it performs, and how easy it is to steal, assessed by Thatcham Research for the Group Rating Panel. Cheaper, safer, slower and more secure cars land in lower groups; fast, expensive-to-fix or easily stolen cars land higher.

• Repair and parts costs: how expensive replacement panels, bumpers and components are, plus how long repairs take.
• Performance: top speed and acceleration, since faster cars are statistically involved in more and costlier claims.
• New car price and parts availability: the cost of the vehicle when new and how readily parts can be sourced.
• Safety and security: features like autonomous emergency braking, alarms and immobilisers, measured through Thatcham’s security assessments.
• Bumper alignment: whether bumpers line up in low-speed impacts, which affects minor-collision repair bills.

Repair cost pressure is a big reason premiums have not fallen faster. The ABI noted that motor premiums remained stable in Q1 2026 partly because repair costs stayed high, which also keeps some models in higher groups than their sticker price alone would suggest.

What do the letters after the group number mean?

The letter after a car insurance group number is a security rating that shows how the vehicle’s built-in security compares with the standard expected for its group. You will see letters such as A, E, D, P, G and U, and they refine the pure numeric group.

• A (Acceptable): security meets the standard expected, so the numeric group stands.
• E (Exceeds): security is better than expected, which can support a lower group.
• D (Doesn’t meet): security falls short, which can push the rating up a group.
• P (Provisional): a temporary rating while full security data is confirmed.
• G (Grey import) and U (Unacceptable): non-standard or missing security, treated with caution.

So a listing like “group 23E” means the car sits in group 23 with security that exceeds the panel’s expectation for that group. The letter is why two versions of a similar car can carry the same number but a different suffix, reflecting differences in factory-fitted security.

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See how the group rating feeds into real premiums, not just the number.

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Does a low insurance group guarantee a cheap premium?

No, a low insurance group does not guarantee a cheap premium, because your quote is shaped by your own risk profile as much as the car. A group 11 car can easily cost more to insure than a group 30 car for a particular driver, depending on age, postcode, mileage, no-claims history and the insurer’s own pricing.

The group tells you the relative risk of the vehicle with all else being equal, but all else is rarely equal. A younger driver in a high-theft postcode may pay more for a modest, low-group hatchback than an experienced driver with a long no-claims record pays for a higher-group car. This is why running full quotes always beats judging a car on its group alone.

The personal side matters a great deal at Free Price Compare, where the average buyer is aged around 47 to 50 and has held a licence for over two decades. By contrast, roughly a third of quotes come from drivers with no no-claims bonus, and that gap in claims history moves prices far more than a few groups up or down. It is worth asking the right questions when comparing quotes so you compare on a genuine like-for-like basis.

Which are the cheapest and lowest insurance group cars?

The cheapest cars to insure sit in groups 1 to 5, and these lowest insurance group cars are typically small, low-powered city cars and superminis with strong security. Popular examples over the years have included smaller engine versions of cars like the Volkswagen up!, Skoda Citigo, Hyundai i10, Fiat Panda and entry-level Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa trims.

Insurance groups can vary widely within a single model range depending on engine size and trim. A basic Skoda Fabia can sit as low as group 2, while a sportier trim of the same car climbs into the teens, and a Peugeot 208 GT Line or a MINI Cooper sits higher again. The specific version, not just the badge, decides the group.

A low group is a helpful shortlist filter if you want cheaper cover, especially for a new or younger driver, but it is not the whole story. Free Price Compare’s own quote data shows Ford is the most-quoted make at around 12%, followed by Vauxhall at around 10% and Volkswagen at around 8 to 9%, and many of these appear in low and mid groups depending on spec. Before buying, run test quotes on the exact trim rather than assuming the lowest group is always the cheapest to insure.

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Are electric cars in cheaper insurance groups?

Electric cars are not automatically in cheaper insurance groups, and many sit in higher groups than comparable petrol models. Their group ratings reflect higher purchase prices, expensive battery and drivetrain components, and repair processes that fewer bodyshops are certified to carry out.

Instant torque and strong acceleration on some EVs also count towards performance in the rating, which can lift the group. That said, EV insurance pricing is changing as more insurers gain experience with battery cars and repair networks expand, so the gap can narrow over time. As with any car, the group is a guide, and running a quote on the specific model gives you the real figure.

How do I check what group my car is in?

You can check your car’s insurance group for free using an online car insurance group checker, entering your registration or your make, model and trim. Most checkers return the numeric group and often the security letter, using data drawn from Thatcham Research and the Group Rating Panel.

• Use a group checker tool: type in the registration or exact trim to see the rating in seconds.
• Check the V5C and specification: your logbook confirms the precise variant, which matters because engine and trim change the group.
• Run an actual quote: the only way to see the real price is to compare quotes with your own details, since the group alone never gives the premium.

If a checker and an insurer disagree on the group, it is usually because the checker read a slightly different trim or the insurer applied its own internal band. When that happens, confirm the exact variant on your V5C before assuming an error. For a related worked example on how ratings map across vehicle types, our van insurance groups explainer covers the same logic for vans.

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How groups fit into the wider cost of cover

The insurance group sets a baseline for the car, but the total cost of your policy depends on the cover level, your excess, add-ons and your personal risk. Comprehensive cover is the most common choice, making up around 88 to 89% of Free Price Compare car insurance quotes, versus roughly 6% third party only and around 5% third party fire and theft.

The UK average comprehensive motor premium was £560 in Q1 2026, according to the ABI Motor Insurance Premium Tracker, a rise of about £1 on the previous quarter and £20 lower than a year earlier. That figure covers all cars and drivers across the market, so a low-group car does not mean you will pay well under it, and a higher-group car does not always mean far above it.

Modifications, low mileage and telematics can all shift the price independently of the group. Adding performance parts can raise your quote regardless of the base group, so it helps to understand which modifications affect your premium. Low-mileage drivers may find pay-by-mile cover works out cheaper than a standard policy on a low-group car, and careful drivers can look at whether a telematics black box could reduce the premium.

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Information correct as of 9 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).