What are car insurance groups? What cars are in insurance groups 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on? And what about vans?
Car insurance groups are pretty easy to understand. In short, the lower your car insurance group, the less you’ll pay for your car insurance.
But what determines a car’s insurance group? And what insurance group is your car in?
What Are Insurance Groups?
To properly explain what car insurance groups are, first we need to talk about the ABI Group Rating Panel. They decide which car belongs in which insurance group.
The Group Rating Panel is made up of members of a few other organisations, including The Association of British Insurers, the Lloyds Market Association, and Thatcham Research. They thoroughly assess every vehicle sold in the UK, to determine:
- The car’s level of security.
- How easy the car would be to repair, and how long repairs would take.
- How much replacement parts would cost.
They also assess the price of the new car, along with the various trim levels. In this way, they can estimate how much it would cost insurers to cover a total loss.
Finally, they assess the car’s relative safety levels through looking at certain performance aspects, such as the car’s top speed and the time it takes to accelerate from 0-60 mph.
With all this information to hand, the Group Rating Panel can determine which insurance group a car belongs in.
But What is a Car Insurance Group?
The lower an insurance group, the less it would cost insurers to pay-out for repairs and replacements.
So to look at it another way, cars in low insurance groups are relatively safe and reliable. On the other hand, cars in higher insurance groups are relatively expensive high-performance vehicles. As they’re faster, insurers believe they’re more likely to be involved in an accident. And if they are involved in an accident, the repairs will cost more than they would for a lower-spec car. Finally, as these cars are generally expensive and desirable, they’re more likely to be targeted by thieves.
It’s all about risk. Inexpensive low-specification models with smaller engines are at less risk of collisions or theft. So it’s less likely that insurers will have to make a pay-out, and you’ll pay less for your insurance as a result.
Yet the opposite is true for expensive high-specification models with larger engines. There’s a greater risk of collisions or theft, so it’s more likely that insurers will have to make a pay-out. And if they do have to make a pay-out, it’s going to be a lot. So you’ll pay more for your insurance as a result.
What Insurance Group is My Car In?
So to save money on your car insurance, it makes sense to choose a car from a lower insurance group.
But what cars are in insurance groups 1, 2, 3, and 4?
There are a large number of different car insurance groups. As a guide, you can find a table detailing some car insurance groups here, with examples of cars that fall into the groups shown. But for quick reference:
- Car Insurance Group 1: Includes the Chevrolet Spark, the Citroen C1, the Fiat Panda and the Vauxhall Corsa.
- Car Insurance Group 2: Includes the Fiat Qubo, the Nissan Pixo, the Peugeot Partner and the Skoda Fabia.
- Car Insurance Group 3: Includes the Citroen C2, the Fiat Fiorino, the Ford KA and the Peugeot 1007.
- Car Insurance Group 4: Includes the Citroen Berlingo, the Fiat Doblo, the Smart Fortwo, and the Toyota Aygo.
Please Note: There are many different trims available for almost every car model. Different trims of the same model may be in different insurance groups, so make sure you consult the full table to get a full idea.
Alternatively, you can use the Money Supermarket car insurance group checker tool. Just enter any car’s registration number and it’ll tell you what insurance group that car’s in.
What About Van Insurance Groups?
Van insurance groups are different to car insurance groups, though they work on a similar system: Vans in lower insurance groups cost less to insure, while vans in higher insurance groups cost more.
We have a complete guide to van insurance groups that explains how they work, with some tips on choosing a van that’s cheaper to insure. Find it here.
How to Save Money on Your Car Insurance
So if you want to save money on your car insurance, start by choosing a car from a lower car insurance group. Though there are other things you can do to reduce the price of your car insurance. For instance, you can save money in the long-term by building up a no-claims discount. But in the short-term, you can choose an insurer that specialises in great value insurance.
At Insure 2 Drive, we’re proud to insure careful drivers for less. We offer comprehensive car insurance at a price you can afford. Head here to get an online quote in minutes.
