Driving
4 min read
In the UK, all cars are assigned an insurance group in order to quickly and easily rank how expensive they are to insure. Cars in Group 1 are the cheapest to insure, while those in Group 50 are the most expensive.
As you would probably expect, Group 50 is filled with exotic and powerful supercars, while Group 1 is mostly small hatchbacks. But there's also lots of oddities sprinkled throughout the groupings, from cars you wouldn't expect to be so expensive to insure to those you wouldn't realise could be so cheap.
Of course, the following lists should be taken with a grain of salt given that insurance groupings depend heavily on the specifics of each model and that things like driver history can affect the overall cost of insurance just as much as the car itself. But all the same, here's the top five most surprisingly expensive cars to insure and the top five most surprisingly cheap!
BMW 2 Series - Group 46
BMWs typically never tend to be cheap, but the 2 Series sits in the range as one of the German brand's more affordable entry-level cars.
That doesn't stop the 2 Series Coupe appearing as high as Group 46. Strangely enough, the Convertible version is actually one group below despite the fact you might think having no roof would be riskier!
Volvo XC90 - Group 45
Another potentially surprisingly high entry is the Volvo XC90, given that the car comes packed with all kinds of advanced safety kit and that Volvo has long been regarded as one of the most safety-focused car manufacturers out there.
However, the fact that the XC90 T8 - a 400 horsepower hybrid that's the world's fastest seven-seater SUV - exists probably goes some way towards explaining it...
Citroen DS 3 - Group 39
The smart styling and fun nature of the Citroen DS 3 makes it an extremely popular car, particularly among younger buyers. But anyone concerned about their insurance costs might want to look away now.
Depending on which specific model you're looking at, you can find the DS 3 as high as insurance Group 39, putting it in the same category as the likes of the Range Rover and the Porsche Macan!
MINI Convertible - Group 36
Another car which is particularly popular with younger drivers, but which can also be notoriously expensive to insure, is the MINI.
Like the DS 3, you can find it surprisingly high up in the insurance ranks depending on which model you go for. Sitting in Group 36, the MINI Convertible is in the same group as the Audi Q7, Mercedes E-Class and Volkswagen's V6-engined Golf R32.
SEAT Alhambra - Group 34
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the lot, it's not often someone will take a look at the SEAT Alhambra and be left thinking "Dang, that's sporty!".
But despite being one of the most iconic and enduring dad-mobiles on the road, you can find the Alhambra in the same insurance group as the Toyota GT86 sports car and the mega-quick Honda Civic Type R.
Fiat 500X - Group 5
On the flipside, you'd be surprised at how low some car's insurance groupings are, particularly the likes of the Fiat 500X.
While the dinky little Fiat 500 is affordable enough to insure, the 500X is a totally different beast. Big, tall, chunky and designed for off-roading, it's somewhat unexpected to see it as low as Group 5 when most SUVs are in groups far, far higher.
Kia Pro'Ceed GT - Group 8
Hot hatches are usually expensive things to insure given the fact that they're fast and their (usually young) drivers often have a fairly unfortunate habit of both modifying and crashing them.
With more than 200 horsepower, you might expect Kia's Pro'Ceed GT to be the same. But despite the fact that it rivals cars like the Ford Focus ST and Peugeot 308 GTi, the Kia is ridiculously low in the insurance rankings in comparison.
Mercedes-Benz A-Class - Group 9
Mercedes-Benz is practically a byword for luxury, and indeed the top echelons of the insurance groups can be found stuffed with all kinds of Merc-badged machinery.
But believe it or not, you can find the A-Class as low as Group 9. Again, this depends on the specific model you want, but it just goes to show that premium cars don't always demand premium insurance prices.
Vauxhall Grandland X - Group 12
Another high-riding SUV that's surprisingly low in the insurance rankings is Vauxhall's Grandland X, despite the fact that it's the physically largest and most overtly off-roady car Vauxhall makes.
Not only that, it also comes with all sorts of advanced and expensive kit like an in-car Wi-Fi hotspot, but in Group 12 it's on par with cars like the Citroen C1 and Fiat Punto!
Ford Focus RS - Group 19
Now here's the real shocker! It's certainly a distinctive car and you'll probably have seen the Mk2 RS before, more than likely stalking the confines of your local Tesco car park or thumping its way up your local B-road.
With muscled wheel arches, that nuclear-green hue and 300 horsepower it bears more than a passing resemblance to The Incredible Hulk, but more incredibly still it's listed in insurance Group 19 - the same inhabited by pensioners' favourite the Honda Jazz!
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