The Nissan Qashqai has taken the top spot as the nation’s best-selling car of the last 12 months.

Nissan has celebrated its landmark moment by creating an exclusive gold-wrapped Qashqai

It’s the first time a British-built model has topped the annual sales charts since 1998 and comes after a total of 42,704 new Qashqais were driven off dealership forecourts across the UK in 2022.

That includes an impressive 3,506 units in December, according to the official figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders.

Nissan has celebrated its achievement by creating an exclusive gold-wrapped Qashqai to mark its 7,000 employees from around the UK that have contributed to its success.

First launched in 2007, the best-selling Qashqai is credited with founding the crossover segment and is now in its third generation. But it’s the first time it’s been the year’s best-selling car overall, and the first time a Nissan has topped the annual sales charts.

Andrew Humberstone, managing director of Nissan Motor (GB), said: “This is a landmark moment for a landmark car and it’s great to see how the latest-generation Qashqai has struck a chord with car buyers here in the UK.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to see this car’s increasing success over the last 16 years, and it’s a fitting tribute to the skills and talents of Nissan’s excellent design, engineering, production and sales teams all around the UK.”

Following the Qashqai as the secnd-best selling car for 2022 was the Vauxhall Corsa (35,910 units), Tesla Model Y (35,551), Ford Puma (35,088) and Mini (32,387). The rest of the top 10 is made up of the Kia Sportage (29,655), Hyundai Tucson (27,839), Volkswagen Golf (26,558), Ford Kuga (26,549) and Ford Fiesta (25,070).

The SMMT has also published its top 10 best sellers for battery electric vehicles, topped by the Tesla Model Y (35,551) and Model 3 (19,071), followed by the Kia e-Niro (11,197), Volkswagen ID.3 (9,832), Nissan Leaf (9,178), Mini (7,425), Polestar 2 (7,345), MG 5 (7,030), BMW i4 (6,699) and Audi Q4 e-tron (6,594).