Q1 2026 UK Premium Index live · refreshed quarterly Independent · Editorial · FCA introducer disclosures in footer
Compare car insurance quotes from leading UK insurers in minutes — free & impartial Compare quotes →
Insurance Groups

Car Insurance Group 27: Cars & Cost (2026)

A group 27 car costs a typical driver roughly £800–£1,100 a year for comprehensive cover in 2026 — mid-range models like the Audi A3, BMW 3 Series and Ford Kuga sit in and around this band.

What car insurance group 27 means

Every car sold in the UK is placed in an insurance group from 1 to 50, where group 1 is the cheapest to insure and group 50 the most expensive. Group 27 sits just above the middle of that scale, so cars here are a little dearer to cover than average but well short of the high-performance and luxury models that fill groups 40 and up.

The groups are set by Thatcham Research and the Association of British Insurers (ABI), who score each model on the cost of parts, how long a typical repair takes, engine power and performance, the car's value, and how good its security is. A group 27 car usually means a larger family hatchback, an estate, a mid-size SUV or a premium-badged compact — something with slightly pricier parts or a bit more power than a group 10 city car.

The group is only one ingredient in your quote. Your age, postcode, annual mileage, no-claims history and job all move the price more than the group number alone. As a rough guide, a group 27 car typically costs a mid-range driver around £800–£1,100 a year comprehensive in 2026, against a UK average of roughly £600 (ABI) to £719 (Confused.com Price Index, Q2 2026) across all cars.

See the full list of all insurance groups, compare with group 26 and group 28, or browse cars by model in our car insurance by vehicle hub.

Indicative group 27 premiums in 2026

The table below shows indicative annual comprehensive premiums for a typical group 27 car by driver age band. These are illustrative estimates for comparison only — your own quote depends heavily on postcode, mileage, no-claims bonus and claims history.

Driver age bandIndicative annual premium (group 27)Notes
17–24£2,600–£5,200Young drivers pay a large premium regardless of group; a black box can cut this sharply.
25–34£950–£1,300Falls quickly as experience and no-claims bonus build.
35–64£780–£1,050The cheapest band for most group 27 cars.
65+£820–£1,150Ticks up slightly as insurers price in age-related risk.

Sources: indicative estimates by the Car Insurance Expert editorial team, benchmarked against the Confused.com Car Insurance Price Index (Q2 2026, average £719), ABI average paid premium (£560, Q1 2026) and published group 27 sample quotes (Finder). Figures are illustrative, not quotes.

Cars often rated around group 27

Insurance groups vary by exact trim, engine and model year, and cars registered from August 2024 use the newer 1–99 Vehicle Risk Rating instead. So rather than claim any single car is "exactly group 27", the models below are ones that commonly fall in or close to group 27 across popular versions. Always check the specific registration with your insurer or Thatcham's checker.

Cars often rated around group 27 include:

  • Audi A3 — higher-power petrol and diesel trims of this premium compact frequently land in the mid-to-high 20s.
  • BMW 3 Series — mainstream petrol/diesel saloon and Touring versions sit around here, with sportier variants higher.
  • Ford Kuga — the popular family SUV appears in and around group 27 on several engine choices.
  • Volkswagen Tiguan — mid-size SUV trims are commonly grouped in the mid-20s.
  • Mercedes-Benz A-Class — premium-badged hatchback versions often rate around this band.
  • Volvo XC40 / Skoda Superb — larger family and premium estates/SUVs regularly land near group 27.

These are representative examples, not a definitive list — a diesel automatic in a high trim can sit two or three groups above the same car's base petrol manual.

How to pay less in group 27

  • Compare quotes early. Buying around 20–26 days before renewal is consistently cheaper than the day cover starts.
  • Build and protect your no-claims bonus. Several years of no-claims is one of the biggest discounts available.
  • Increase your voluntary excess — sensibly. A higher excess lowers the premium, but only pledge what you could actually afford to pay on a claim.
  • Pay annually if you can. Monthly instalments carry interest, typically adding 20–30% over the year.
  • Add a named experienced driver and keep the car garaged or on a driveway overnight to improve the risk profile.
  • Consider telematics (a black box) if you are a younger or lower-mileage driver — it can undercut a standard group 27 quote significantly.
  • Check the group before you buy. A lower trim or smaller engine of the same model can drop you into a cheaper group entirely.

Group 27 car insurance: common questions

Group 27 is mid-range — a little more expensive than average, but far cheaper than the high groups. On a 1–50 scale it sits just above the middle, so premiums are moderate. A typical driver might pay roughly £800–£1,100 a year comprehensive in 2026, versus a UK average nearer £600–£719.

The group reflects parts cost, repair time, performance, value and security. But your quote is driven more by your age, postcode, annual mileage, no-claims bonus, claims history, occupation and how the car is parked overnight. Two drivers in the same group 27 car can pay very different prices.

Enter your registration or exact model, engine and trim into a group checker — Thatcham Research's tool or comparison sites like Confused.com show the group. It is set per specific version, so the same model name can span several groups depending on engine and spec. Cars registered from August 2024 use the newer 1–99 Vehicle Risk Rating instead.

Yes. Choosing a smaller engine or lower trim of the same model, or stepping down to a car in group 26 or lower, reduces the group-driven part of your premium. City cars and superminis in single-digit and teen groups are the cheapest to insure overall. Browse the full insurance groups list to compare.

No. The group is one factor among many. Insurers combine it with your personal risk profile — age, location, mileage, no-claims and history — so the group number is a useful guide to relative cost between cars, not a fixed price. A careful driver in a group 27 car can pay less than a higher-risk driver in a group 15 car.

They are adjacent mid-range bands, so real-world cost differences are small — often only a few pounds a year from the group alone. Group 26 is marginally cheaper and group 28 marginally dearer to insure than group 27, reflecting slightly different parts costs, performance or security ratings.

Sources & editorial

Reviewed by the Car Insurance Expert editorial team.

Last updated: 2026-07-06