If you’re in the market for a new car, you probably have an idea of the make and model you want. But it’s also worth considering that the type of car you go for will have a direct effect on the premium you end up paying.
Here, we discuss what car insurance groups are, how they work, and what the cheapest car insurance groups are.
What are car insurance groups?
Car insurance groups are a way to categorise cars so insurers can easily decide how much your car insurance policy should cost. Groups are set by The Group Rating Panel and administered by Thatcham Research.
Every car belongs to an insurance group, which is defined by the Group Rating Panel. There are 50 insurance groups your car could fall into. The lower the insurance group your car is in, the lower the cost of your car insurance premium is likely to be.
Generally, you’ll find more expensive, high-performance cars in the higher groups, and smaller, less powerful cars in the lower groups. For example, a fast sports car will tend to have a higher insurance group than a family hatchback, so it will cost more to insure.
How do the insurance groups work?
As mentioned, there are several different factors that come into play when the panel is deciding which cars sit where.
These factors include:
- The car’s value — How much the car would cost to replace on a like-for-like basis.
- The cost to repair the car — As well as the car’s value, repair costs and the time it takes to successfully repair the vehicle varies by make and model. This includes the cost of replacement parts: the rarer they are, the higher your car’s insurance group will be.
- The car’s performance — High-performance cars that can accelerate quickly to high speeds are considered a greater risk, so will end up in a higher car insurance group. Your car’s engine size is one of the key factors that insurers will assess.
- The car’s safety and security — If your car has advanced safety and security features, it makes it more difficult to steal or tamper with, resulting in a cheaper insurance group.
As the Group Rating Panel meets monthly, it’s worth noting that car insurance groups can change quite frequently.
What insurance group is my car in?
Here are some examples of where popular cars sit within the car insurance groups – just be aware that any modifications or special features may put your car outside of its typical group:
| Insurance group | Car manufacturer and model |
|---|---|
| 1-15 |
|
| 16-30 |
|
| 31-45 |
|
| 46-50 |
|
Is my insurance group the only thing insurers will consider?
Your car’s insurance group is only part of the picture: Insurers also take into account a number of ‘risk factors’ when calculating your car insurance premium, including:
- Where you live
- Your insurance claims history
- Where your car is stored overnight
- External factors, such as fraud
Read more about why car insurance premiums can go up.
What insurance group do electric cars fall into?
In the past, electric vehicles were fairly uncommon in the UK and as such were considered to be specialist vehicles. This meant repairs were more expensive and therefore more expensive for an insurer to cover. As such, electric cars were only found in higher-tier groups.
However, electric cars today can be found in almost any group. That’s because they’re getting cheaper than ever to produce, and the growing number of repairs specialists has increased competition and lowered rates.
Get car insurance that suits you
Whatever insurance group your car belongs to, make sure it’s fully insured with a suitable policy. At Swinton, we have over 65 years' experience in finding the right car insurance for our customers. We offer a range of comprehensive policies with windscreen cover included as standard.
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