UK Car Insurance Groups
Car Insurance Groups Explained
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How to check your car’s insurance group
Every UK car sits in one of 50 insurance groups (1 to 50), set by the Group Rating Panel administered by Thatcham Research on behalf of the Association of British Insurers (Thatcham Research, Insurance Group Rating). The lower the group, the cheaper the car typically is to insure. Quotezone’s quote form looks up your car’s group automatically when you enter your registration — but you can also check it manually using the four methods below.
Use the Quotezone reg-based quote form (fastest)
Enter your registration on the form above and Quotezone returns your car’s insurance group along with quotes from over 130 UK providers. No log-in or sign-up needed for the group lookup.
Check your V5C (vehicle log book)
Most V5C log books issued by the DVLA list the insurance group on the registration document. If yours doesn’t, the V5C still gives you the make, model, and trim — enough to confirm the group with the lookup methods below (GOV.UK, Vehicle log book V5C).
Use the ABI Group Rating panel directly
The Association of British Insurers publishes the official Group Rating data quarterly. Insurer panels and motor brokers use the same source (ABI Group Rating).
Ask your insurer or use askMID
Your current insurer will confirm the group on request, and askMID (the Motor Insurance Database) will tell you whether the car is currently insured (Motor Insurance Database, askMID). The MID does not show the group itself, but does confirm cover.
The full UK car insurance groups list (1–50)
The 50 insurance groups in the UK are split into five bands. Cars in the lowest bands (1–10) are typically the cheapest to insure; cars in the highest bands (41–50) cover high-performance and luxury models. Below is a summary of each band with example cars.
Groups 1–10 — small city cars and superminis
Typical examples include the Volkswagen up!, Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto, Citroën C1 and Toyota Aygo. These small-engine cars cost less to repair, are widely available as parts, and tend to carry the lowest premiums for new and young drivers.
Groups 11–20 — mid-size hatchbacks and small saloons
Examples include the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia. Slightly larger engines and more standard equipment push these models a few groups higher than entry-level superminis.
Groups 21–30 — family hatchbacks, estates, small SUVs
Examples include the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Qashqai and Honda Civic. The most popular UK family cars sit in this band — premiums depend more on driver factors than the car itself at this level.
Groups 31–40 — larger SUVs, executive saloons, performance hatchbacks
Examples include the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Volkswagen Golf GTI and Land Rover Discovery Sport. Higher repair costs, more expensive parts and stronger performance push insurance groups up.
Groups 41–50 — luxury, sports and high-performance cars
Examples include the BMW M3, Porsche 911, Audi RS6, Range Rover and Tesla Model S. Cars in groups 41–50 carry the highest premiums and often need specialist policies, particularly for younger or newly-licensed drivers.
Low insurance group cars: which groups are cheapest
Cars in groups 1-10 typically carry the cheapest premiums in the UK. They tend to be small petrol superminis with engines under 1.2 litres, low repair costs, and good safety ratings (Thatcham Research). For the full list of low-insurance-group cars by group with example models, see Quotezone’s low insurance group cars page.
How are insurance groups calculated?
Every car sold in the UK is assessed by the Group Rating Panel — a joint group of insurer representatives administered by Thatcham Research on behalf of the ABI (ABI, Setting the price of motor insurance). The panel publishes a recommended insurance group quarterly. Insurers can deviate from the recommendation, but most use it as the starting point. Five core factors decide which group a car falls into.
Cost of repair and replacement parts
The biggest factor. Cars with cheap, widely available parts (Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa) sit in lower groups. Cars with specialist or expensive parts (Audi, Porsche, Tesla) sit higher.
Performance — engine size, power, and 0–60 time
Faster cars are statistically more likely to be involved in serious claims. A 1.0-litre supermini will sit far below a 3.0-litre saloon with the same body shape.
Repair time after a typical claim
The Group Rating Panel measures how long a model takes to repair after a standard prang — a rear-end shunt, for example. Longer repair times mean more loan-car days and higher claim costs.
Safety and security features
Standard-fit alarms, immobilisers, autonomous emergency braking and lane-keep assist all reduce a car’s group. Aftermarket security can sometimes shift a car down a group, but only if the kit meets Thatcham category standards.
What the group letters mean (E, A, P, U, G, R)
Some groups have a suffix letter. E means the security meets the expected standard; A means it falls short. P, U, G and R refer to provisional, unacceptable, guaranteed, and revised ratings — relevant for newer or recently re-tested models. A car listed as group 14E simply means group 14 with security at the expected level.
Why group 1 isn’t always the cheapest
The insurance group is one factor among many. A 17-year-old in a group 1 city car will pay more than a 50-year-old in a group 15 family hatchback. Five non-car factors typically have a bigger impact on the final premium than the car’s group itself.
Driver age and experience
Drivers under 25 and over 70 typically pay the highest premiums regardless of car group. Statistically, claim frequency is highest in these age bands (ABI, Motor insurance premium tracker).
Postcode
Where you park overnight is a major rating factor. A car kept on a city-centre street will typically cost more to insure than the same car kept on a private driveway in a rural area.
Annual mileage and use
Higher mileage means more time on the road and a higher chance of a claim. Business use, commuting, and any work-related driving will push the premium up compared with social/domestic-only cover.
No-claims discount and claim history
Years of claim-free driving can reduce a premium by 50% or more on most policies. A recent fault claim can push it up by a similar amount.
Modifications and non-standard equipment
Any modification — performance, cosmetic, or functional — must be declared. Even a low-group car with declared modifications can cost more to insure than a group 20 car in standard trim.
How to use insurance groups when buying a car
Checking a car’s insurance group before you buy can save hundreds of pounds a year, especially for new and young drivers. Use this four-step framework to factor insurance into the buying decision rather than treating it as a surprise on the day you collect.
Set a maximum group number for your shortlist
If insurance is a major budget concern, cap your shortlist at group 15 or below. For young drivers under 25, capping at group 10 is a reasonable rule of thumb — premiums climb sharply above this point.
Get a real quote on each shortlisted car before you buy
Two cars in the same group can quote significantly different premiums, depending on rebuild cost, claim history of that exact model, and trim level. Use Quotezone to get an actual quote on each car you’re considering before signing anything.
Mind the trim level — same model, different group
A Ford Fiesta 1.0 Trend can sit several groups lower than a Fiesta 1.5 ST-Line. The model name on the badge isn’t enough — the engine, trim, and year all change the group.
Consider future-proofing — modifications and add-ons
If you plan to add alloy wheels, performance parts, or aftermarket security, expect the premium to rise even on a low-group car. Lower-group cars give you headroom; higher-group cars often don’t.
Insurance group vs car insurance category vs insurance band
Insurance group, insurance band, and car insurance category are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are three separate things. Confusing them can lead to costly mistakes when buying a written-off car or a non-standard policy.
Insurance group (1 to 50) — about the car itself
The Group Rating Panel’s 1–50 group covers repair cost, performance, security, and safety of the car. Every UK-registered car has a group. This is what most people mean when they say insurance group.
Insurance band — usually means the same as insurance group
Band is informal shorthand for group. Some insurers and comparison sites use the word band, but the underlying scale is the same: the 1–50 Group Rating Panel scale (ABI Group Rating).
Car insurance category (Cat A, B, S, N) — about written-off cars only
Category usually refers to the four UK write-off categories: Cat A (unsafe to repair, must be scrapped), Cat B (parts can be salvaged but the body is destroyed), Cat S (structural damage, repairable), and Cat N (non-structural damage, repairable). A category only applies to a car that has been declared a total loss by an insurer (ABI, Salvage code of practice). It has nothing to do with the 1–50 group rating of an undamaged car.
Car insurance groups: frequently asked questions
What factors does Thatcham use to calculate insurance groups?
What’s the cheapest car insurance group?
Are lower insurance groups always cheaper to insure?
How do I check my car’s insurance group by registration?
What’s the difference between insurance group 1E and 1?
Do insurance groups apply the same way across all UK insurers?
Can an insurance group change over time?
What are insurance bands and how do they relate to groups?
Are electric car insurance groups lower than petrol or diesel cars?
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Reviewed by: Greg Wilson
Founder & Insurance Expert
Written by: Katie Gawley
Insurance Content Writer
Fact-checked by: Quotezone Editorial Team
This content follows our Editorial Guidelines
Last Updated: 23 April 2026
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