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As ever-stricter emissions regulations loom, automakers face an immense amount of pressure to make lighter, more efficient cars.
There’s a big catch: they have to achieve this difficult endeavor without removing content, compromising performance or cutting corners when it comes to safety.
Though cars are losing weight, the UK’s lightest models still tend to be small, economy-oriented hatchbacks with little in the way of creature comforts. And, the heaviest cars on the market remain burly SUVs with large-displacement engines. There are a few notable exceptions to the rule, though.
Using exclusively kerb weight data provided by manufacturers, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 lightest and the 10 heaviest new cars for sale in the UK. Note the figures listed in this story do not include the 75kg ballast sometimes added to a car’s specifications sheet to represent the weight of a driver and cargo.
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Renault Twingo – 865kg
The original Renault Twingo weighed 790kg when it made its debut at the 1992 Paris motor show. The current, third-generation model has grown an extra set of doors and put on a little bit of weight. It weighs 865kg when ordered with the 70hp engine and about 1000kg with the top-spec 110hp engine.
The Twingo share its basic platform and most of its mechanical component with the Smart Forfour, which weighs 900kg when equipped with the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine as the entry-level Twingo and a five-speed manual transmission.
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Fiat 500 – 865kg
The lightest variant of the Fiat 500 is not, as you might reasonably expect, the one with the smallest engine. The retro-chic hatchback weighs 865kg when equipped with the 1.2-litre four-cylinder versus 930kg with the 0.9-litre two-cylinder Twin Air. These figures only apply to the hardtop; the quasi-convertible 500C weighs 40kg more across the board.
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Vauxhall Viva – 864kg
The Viva stands out as the lightest member of the Vauxhall line-up. At 864kg, it’s about 150kg lighter than the comparably-sized Adam. It weighs almost exactly as much as the heaviest variant of the Nova from the early 1980s, which has morphed into the modern-day Corsa.
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Kia Picanto – 860kg
The Kia Picanto weighs 860kg before buyers begin piling on ritzy features like 16in alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights and the body kit that comes with the GT Line trim. It’s much lighter than a majority of new cars in the UK but it’s heavier than many of its competitors.
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Volkswagen Up – 851kg
The Volkswagen Up’s weight varies from version to version. The most basic two-door model with 60hp under the bonnet weighs 851kg. Near the opposite end of the spectrum lies the 115hp Up GTI (pictured) which weighs 995kg. It’s about 180kg heavier than the original Golf GTI introduced in 1976. The heaviest Up is, predictably, the 1185kg battery-powered model.
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Mitsubishi Mirage – 845kg
The Mitsubishi Mirage is the lightest new car in America, where cars tend to be bigger and correspondingly heavier. It’s only the fifth-lightest model in the UK. Interestingly, the UK-spec model’s 845kg kerb weight makes it lighter than the US-spec model, which weighs in at 915kg in its lightest configuration. Both variants come with the same 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine.
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Peugeot 108/Toyota Aygo – 840kg
Peugeot’s lightest 108, the two-door model with a five-speed manual transmission, weighs 840kg. To add perspective, it’s about 100kgs heavier than a 205 Junior from 1988.
The Toyota Aygo weighs the same as the 108 in its most basic configuration but, interestingly, the Citroen C1 starts at 855kg. All three cars are identical under the sheet metal.
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Smart Fortwo – 815kg
The Smart Fortwo is the shortest car sold new in the UK but it’s not quite the lightest. The fixed-roof model weighs 815kg when ordered with a five-speed manual transmission and 860kg with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic. That’s with a petrol engine. The electric model’s lithium-ion battery pack bumps the Fortwo’s weight up to 1010kg.
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Suzuki Celerio – 805kg
The Celerio benefits from the decades of experience Suzuki has in making small, cleverly-packaged cars. At 805kg in its lightest configuration, it stands out as the lightest new four-door car sold on the British market. It’s one of the smallest and cheapest cars, too, yet Autocar praised its surprisingly accommodating interior when we tested it.
Most of Suzuki’s other models are lightweights, too. The Ignis weighs 810kg in its lightest configuration. It's a Hummer compared to the lightest new car in the UK, though.
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Caterham Seven 160 – 490kg
The lightest new car in the UK is the Caterham Seven 160. It tips the scale at an impossibly low 490kg thanks to its basic, open body and a tiny three-cylinder Suzuki engine originally designed to power kei cars in Japan. While 80hp doesn’t sound like much on paper, keep in mind the Seven 160 weighs about 110kg less than a Citroen 2CV.
Even the heaviest Seven, the 310bhp 620S, barely breaks the 600kg mark.
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And the 10 heaviest cars…
For the most part, the 10 lightest cars in the UK are entry-level econoboxes for buyers on a tight budget. Some pure, enthusiast-approved machines missed the cut-off, like Mazda’s 975kg MX-5 Miata and the 940kg Alfa Romeo 4C Spider.
The 10 heaviest cars are predictably less diverse – and none are as driver-focused as a Caterham – but a few unexpected surprises weaselled themselves into the lot.
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Mitsubishi Shogun – 2110kg
Mitsubishi has an entry on both ends of the weight spectrum. The two-door Shogun weighs 2110kg while its four-door sibling swells to 2300kg. That figure makes the long-wheelbase SUV nearly three times heavier than the tiny Mirage.
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Jaguar I-Pace – 2133kg
The Jaguar I-Pace acutely illustrates the pros and cons of electrification. It’s spacious inside because its electric motors take up less space than a petrol engine, and it offers drivers the benefit of instant torque. It also weighs 2133kg, a figure that makes it heavier than most comparably-sized SUVs.
In comparison, the Porsche Macan has almost exactly the same footprint as the I-Pace yet the lightest version weighs under 1850kg. The much bigger Range Rover Sport is only 1kg heavier than the I-Pace when ordered with the turbodiesel V6 engine.
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Lamborghini Urus – 2197kg
The Urus took Lamborghini into a new segment of the market. It’s the brand’s first SUV since the Hummer-esque LM002 of the 1980s and it marks the first time a Lamborghini leaves the factory with a turbocharged engine. And, at about 2200kg, it’s also the firm’s heaviest current model, though it pales in comparison to the 2700kg LM002.
Lamborghini has gone to significant lengths to offset the Urus’ weight. After driving it in and around Rome, Autocar concluded it’s competent on a circuit, amenable on the road and capable of shrugging off-road lumps aside.
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Range Rover – 2249kg
The Range Rover’s weight depends largely on how it’s configured. On one hand, the short-wheelbase model with a 3.0-litre diesel starts at 2249kg before buyers begin piling on options. On the other hand, a fully-loaded, long-wheelbase model with the 565hp supercharged V8 checks in at 2606kg.
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Mercedes-Maybach S650 – 2285kg
Mercedes-Maybach developed the S650 with Bentley’s Flying Spur in mind. It certainly got the weight part right. The German firm’s biggest, most luxurious saloon weighs 2285kg, an increase of about 100kg over the V12-powered Mercedes-AMG S65 and 390kg surplus compared to the lightest S-Class.
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Jeep Grand Cherokee – 2328kg
In the UK, the Jeep Grand Cherokee serves as a blunt reminder that cars tend to be bigger and heavier in America. It weighs 2328kg with a 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6. Surprisingly, selecting the 6.4-litre Hemi V8 only adds 15kg – and, of course, 214hp.
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Tesla Model X – 2407kg
The Tesla Model X weighs over twice as much as a small hatchback like the Citroen C3. SUVs are rarely light to begin with, but the Model X is heavier than comparably-sized petrol models due to its bulky battery pack. The 75D model weighs 2407kg while opting for the P100D adds an extra 100kg. And yet, it takes just 2.9sec to reach 60mph from a stop.
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Mercedes-AMG G63 – 2485kg
At 2485kg, the new G-Class is the heaviest member of the Mercedes-Benz line-up. That figure corresponds AMG’s V8-powered G63 model. It’s about 100kg heavier than a GLS equipped with a V6 engine. The G is smaller than the GLS but its body-on-frame construction contributes to its not-insignificant weight.
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Rolls-Royce Phantom – 2560kg
Rolls-Royce’s aluminium spaceframe helped the new 2018 Phantom lose a little bit of weight. The short-wheelbase model weighs 2560kg while the long-wheelbase, full-fat model sees 2610kg on the scale. Its predecessor weighed 2580kg in its smallest configuration.
Rolls-Royce evidently doesn’t do light. The Wraith weighs 2440kg while the new Cullinan tips the scale at 2660kg.
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Bentley Mulsanne – 2685kg
Coming in at 2685kg, the Bentley Mulsanne is the heaviest car sold new in the UK. It makes up for its great tonnage with a 6.75-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine that channels 505hp to the rear wheels. That’s just the standard Mulsanne, too. Bentley also offers a 530hp Mulsanne Speed, which weighs the same as the regular saloon, and an extended-wheelbase limousine that tips the scale at 2730kg.
Bentley’s other models are heavyweights, too. The W12 in the Flying Spur moves around 2475kg while the lightest Bentayga weighs 2388kg as a four-seater.
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