Car insurance group 9

Insurance group 9 vehicles are among the cheaper ones to insure.

Cars in this insurance group score well in factors used to determine the group ratings, such as being inexpensive to repair and possessing less powerful engines.

Car insurance groups explained

All vehicles are assigned a car insurance group from 1 (cheapest) to 50 (most expensive), and this helps to determine the cost of your premium.

The insurance group that your particular vehicle fits into is mostly determined by its value, performance, safety, security features and the cost of replacing parts.

There are several different factors that insurers take into account when calculating your premium. However, car insurance groups play a key role.

Car makes and models in insurance group 9

There’s a number of popular cars in insurance group 9. After all, cheaper cars are among the most commonly bought.

Insurance group	Car make/model	Details
9	Audi A1 Hatchback	The Audi A1 scooped the top honour at the What Car? Awards in 2011, and was described that it “comes across as every inch a bespoke premium product” and “oozes quality everywhere you look and from everything you touch – you won’t find better at this price”.
9	Dacia Sandero Stepway	The Sandero triumphed at the What Car? awards for the seventh consecutive year, winning Best Small Car for less than £12,000.
9	Renault Captur	Used Car of the Year 2020 for Best Small SUV presented by What Car?.
9	Skoda Fabia	The Skoda Fabia won the What Car? “Overall Best Car of the Year” award in 2015. Before that, it won three consecutive small car of the year awards.
9	Vauxhall Astra Hatchback	The Vauxhall Astra won the Best Used Car award and also the Best Automatic Car by Carbuyer Best Cars 2018.
9	Citroen C4 Cactus	The New Citroën C4 Cactus has received the “Comfort Award” at the carwow “Car of the Year” Awards 2018 and also won the World Car Design of the Year Award.
9	Smart Forfour	The Smart Forfour was announced as City Car of the Year in the 2016 UK.
9	Hyundai i10	The Hyundai i10 wins “Most highly rated car of the year” at the 2018 Honest John Awards with drivers particularly impressed with its comfort, reliability and fuel economy.

Cars in insurance group 9 and the average cost by driver’s age

Using the table below, you can spot the make and model of your car, and calculate how much you’re likely to pay for your car insurance premium based on your age.

• How we got these rates

  These rates are based on the average cost of cover for cars in the insurance groups shown, for drivers of different ages with a Newcastle (NE1) postcode, which our research suggests represents an average for insurance rates in the UK. Updated: June 2024 (source: Confused).

Insurance group 9 categories

• 9E: Surpasses the security requirements for this type of car, leading to a lower insurance group rating.
• 9A: Meets the standard security requirements for this type of car.
• 9D: Falls short of security requirements for this type of car, resulting in a higher insurance group rating.
• 9U: Security standard is unacceptable. The insurer might require upgraded aftermarket security before providing coverage.
• 9P: Provisional status. Insufficient data is available at launch for classification. This will likely be updated once Thatcham can evaluate the new car.
• 9G: Grey import. Thatcham tests only officially sold UK cars, so imports are evaluated based on the insurer’s pricing.

Average insurance group 9e cost

To provide you with an idea of how much it may cost you to insure your insurance group 9 car, we ran several quotes to find an average figure. Based on our results, on average, you could insure your car with a comprehensive policy for the monthly price of £52.16, or an annual sum of £532.

• How we calculated this price

  We generated these quotes using the following assumptions about the vehicle and the driver.

  The vehicle is/has:

  • Insurance group 9 model
  • Factory fitted alarm system
  • Not modified
  • Used for social, domestic and commuting purposes
  • 10,000 mileage per year
  • Parked in a work car park during the day
  • Parked on a driveway at night

  The driver is/has:

  • A 30-year-old, single teacher from London
  • A homeowner
  • Five years no-claims discount
  • No driving or other convictions in the last 5 years

Why are cars in group 9 one of the cheapest?

Here are some of the main reasons why cars in insurance group 9 are among the cheapest to insure:

• Good security
• A lot of safety features
• Parts that are inexpensive to source and repair
• Low market value
• Fast repair times
• Smaller engine size

What other factors affect the cost of your car insurance?

It’s not just your car’s insurance group which affects your car insurance premium. Below are three factors that also have a notable impact.

• Engine type and capacity. If you have a big powerful engine, you’re likely to pay more for insurance. These cost more to repair or replace, so they’re seen as a bigger risk to insurers.
• Your location. If your car is usually parked on the street, you’ll pay more than if it’s parked on a driveway or in a garage, because there’s a bigger risk of it being damaged there. Also, if you live in an area with a lot of car thefts or damage, you’ll pay more. A 30-year-old in central London will pay £935 for insurance for a Citroen C3 1.0 VTi VTR+ 5d, while the same 30-year-old in Newcastle may only pay £537.
• Driver age. Your age plays a big role in determining the cost of your insurance premium too. The average 20-year-old driver in London could pay £2,533 for the Ford Fiesta 1.4 Style 5d Auto, while the average 40-year-old Londoner will only pay £767.

It gets more complicated. Here are some other factors that are used to calculate your premium.

• The model and age of your car
• Your driving history
• Your driving activity
• How many years no-claim discount you have
• Your perceived likelihood of the car being stolen
• Your marital status
• Your job
• Your credit history

How can I save on my car insurance premium?

Choosing a car in insurance group 9 or lower is a good start. Here are some more ideas:

• Drive safely. A telematics box can reduce your premium because it provides evidence of your safe driving. A Pass Plus certificate will do the same. Avoid driving convictions, as these will make your premium more expensive.
• Reduce your mileage. The less often cars are driven, the lower the risk of them getting involved in an accident. That’s why you’ll often reduce your premium by listing a lower annual mileage. So, make sure to report your mileage accurately. Consider opting for public transport or walking when you can to reduce it.
• Pay annually rather than monthly. Some insurers will charge you interest if you pay your premium in monthly instalments. Avoid this charge by paying annually.
• Install extra safety precautions. The more safety features, the lower your premium will be. As such, extra safety features can ultimately pay for themselves.
• Shop around for the best renewal quote. It’s rare that the renewal quote offered by your existing insurer is the best deal. Shop around and don’t hesitate to switch providers.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the lowest insurance group?

  Car insurance group 1 is the lowest, in that it has the cheapest cars to insure. Car insurance group 9 is the ninth lowest.

• Does a lower insurance group mean cheaper car insurance?

  In theory, yes, but there are several other factors that determine the cost of your car insurance.

• Are cars in insurance group 9 good for younger drivers?

  Yes, because cars in insurance group 9 are one of the cheapest groups to insure. Younger drivers typically face the highest insurance costs, and they often earn less than older motorists. Driving a car in insurance group 9 is an effective solution to this problem.

• What does Thatcham Research analyse?

  Thatcham Research analyses a number of criteria to calculate a car’s group rating. One of its key tests is a 15km/h crash impact assessment, based on an internationally recognised insurance standard. Following the crash, Thatcham’s engineers work out the cost of the time and parts to return the car to its pre-accident condition. The group rating also takes into account new car values, car performance (including top speed and acceleration time), parts pricing, safety and security features, and the alignment and structure of a car’s bumpers.

• What do the letters mean in insurance groups?

  On a particular vehicle, the insurance group is listed as a number and a letter. The letters refer to the security features fitted as standard.

• How many car insurance groups are there in the UK?

  There are 50 car insurance groups in the UK, with group 1 featuring the cheapest cars and group 50 including the most expensive.

The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products we can track; we don't cover every product on the market...yet. Unless we've indicated otherwise, products are shown in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations), aren't product ratings, although we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it; this is subject to our terms of use. When making a big financial decision, it's wise to consider getting independent financial advice, and always consider your own financial circumstances when comparing products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.

*Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (July ’24). 51% of car insurance customers could save £523.17