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Insurance Groups

Car Insurance Group 19: Cars & Cost (UK 2026)

A car in insurance group 19 typically costs a mid-range driver around £600–£800 a year for comprehensive cover in 2026 — group 19 covers affordable family hatchbacks and small SUVs like the Audi A1, Kia Sportage and Peugeot 308.

What car insurance group 19 means

Every car sold in the UK is placed into an insurance group from 1 to 50, where group 1 is cheapest to insure and group 50 is dearest. The groups are set by Thatcham Research and the Association of British Insurers (ABI), based on five main factors: the cost of parts, how long repairs take, performance, the car's new and used value, and its security features. (Cars first registered from August 2024 are also given a newer 1–99 Vehicle Risk Rating, but the 1–50 group is still the number most quote engines use.)

Group 19 sits just under the middle of the 1–50 scale. Cars here are generally sensible, mainstream family vehicles — roomy hatchbacks, compact SUVs and premium superminis — that are safe and cheap-ish to repair, but a little more powerful, valuable or badge-heavy than the true budget runabouts in groups 1–10. As a rough guide, a group 19 car is one insurers see as low-to-medium risk: not the cheapest premium you can get, but a long way from the sports and executive models that fill groups 35–50.

Remember that the group is only one ingredient in your price. Your age, postcode, mileage, claims history and no-claims discount usually move the premium far more than the group number itself. For the wider picture, see our UK car insurance cost index.

How much does a group 19 car cost to insure?

Because the driver matters more than the car, the same group 19 model can be cheap for a settled 45-year-old and eye-watering for a 19-year-old. The table below gives an indicative annual comprehensive premium for a typical group 19 car by driver age band. These are illustrative planning figures for 2026, not quotes — always compare your own price.

Driver age bandIndicative annual premium (comprehensive)Notes
17–24£1,500–£2,600Highest risk band; a black-box/telematics policy can cut this sharply
25–34£750–£1,100Falls quickly as experience and no-claims discount build
35–64£500–£750Cheapest band; close to the UK average of ~£600
65+£550–£850Edges up again with age but stays affordable

Sources: indicative figures modelled by Car Insurance Expert against the ABI Motor Insurance Premium Tracker (average paid comprehensive premium ~£560, Q1 2026) and the Confused.com Price Index (~£719 average quote, Q1 2026); group definitions from Thatcham Research and the ABI. Figures are illustrative for a typical group 19 car and not a quote.

Cars often rated around group 19

Insurance groups vary by exact trim, engine and model year, so the same nameplate can span several groups. The cars below are examples often rated in or around group 19 in the UK — always check the specific version you are buying with an insurance group checker before you rely on it.

  • Audi A1 — a premium supermini; higher-trim versions frequently land near group 19.
  • Kia Sportage — popular family SUV, with several trims rated around this level.
  • Peugeot 308 — mainstream family hatchback, mid-range engines sit close to group 19.
  • Mercedes-Benz A-Class — entry-level premium hatch; base versions hover around this band.
  • Honda Jazz Crosstar Hybrid — practical hybrid crossover rated near group 19.
  • BMW 1 Series — premium hatchback; lower-powered diesels and petrols can fall in this area.

You will also find popular family SUVs such as the Ford Kuga and Volkswagen Tiguan in specific trims rated around this level. For make-and-model detail, browse cover by vehicle.

How to pay less in group 19

  • Compare and haggle at renewal — loyalty rarely pays; the cheapest quote is often a new insurer.
  • Build and protect your no-claims discount — this is usually the single biggest lever on price.
  • Pay annually rather than monthly — monthly instalments add interest, often 20–30% APR.
  • Consider telematics (black box) — especially valuable for 17–24 drivers, where it can cut premiums substantially.
  • Raise your voluntary excess sensibly — a higher excess lowers the premium, but keep it affordable if you claim.
  • Add a named experienced driver — a low-risk second driver can reduce the price (never "front" a policy — that is fraud).
  • Improve security and mileage accuracy — a garage, an approved alarm and a realistic annual mileage all help.

Group 19 car insurance: common questions

Group 19 is moderate — it sits just below the middle of the 1–50 scale, so it is more expensive than budget groups 1–10 but far cheaper than performance and executive cars in groups 35–50. For a settled mid-range driver a group 19 car often costs around £600–£800 a year, close to the UK average.
The insurance group is only one factor. Your age, postcode, annual mileage, claims history, no-claims discount, chosen excess and how you pay (annual vs monthly) usually affect the premium more than the group number itself.
Enter your registration or exact make, model, trim and year into a free insurance group checker (MoneySuperMarket, Confused.com and Quotezone all offer one). The group is set by Thatcham Research and the ABI and can differ between trims of the same car, so check the precise version.
If you want a lower premium, look at cars in the teens or single digits — for example a similar family hatchback in group 18 or lower. Smaller engines and entry trims of the same model usually drop the group. Compare adjacent bands before you decide.
No — a single group step is usually only a small difference. Moving to group 20 typically adds a few percent to the group-driven part of the price, which your age, postcode and no-claims discount can easily outweigh either way.
No. The group is a useful comparison tool between cars, but insurers combine it with dozens of personal rating factors. Two drivers in the same group 19 car can be quoted very different prices, so always compare quotes on your own details rather than relying on the group number.

Sources & methodology

  • Thatcham Research and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) — car insurance group (1–50) definitions and rating factors.
  • ABI Motor Insurance Premium Tracker — average paid comprehensive premium (~£560, Q1 2026).
  • Confused.com Price Index — average quoted comprehensive premium (~£719, Q1 2026).
  • Example car groupings cross-checked against public insurance-group checkers (MoneySuperMarket, CarInsuranceGroups.co.uk).

Premium figures are indicative planning estimates for a typical group 19 car in 2026, not quotes. See all insurance groups and our UK car insurance cost index.

Reviewed by the Car Insurance Expert editorial team.

Last updated: 2026-07-06