Car Insurance Group Checker
Your car insurance group can have a big effect on your price. Find out yours for free.
What is a car insurance group?
Every new car sold in the UK is placed into an ABI insurance group, a number from 1 to 50 set by the Group Rating Panel, an industry body advised by Thatcham Research. The group reflects how much a car is likely to cost an insurer to cover, so it's one of the first things that shapes your premium.
As a rule of thumb, group 1 is the cheapest to insure and group 50 is the most expensive. A small city car with a modest engine usually sits low down the scale, while a fast, high-value or expensive-to-repair car sits near the top.
How insurance groups are decided
The Group Rating Panel weighs up several factors when it assigns a group. The main ones are:
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Repair cost & times
Cheaper, quicker repairs mean a lower group.
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New car price
More expensive cars cost more to replace or write off.
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Performance
Higher top speed and acceleration push the group up.
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Parts prices
A standard basket of parts is compared across cars.
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Security
Better alarms and immobilisers can lower the group.
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Safety (AEB etc.)
Autonomous emergency braking can reduce the group.
Insurance groups at a glance
The group is one of the biggest levers on a premium: as a rough guide, cars in the lowest groups can cost around half as much to insure as cars in the highest. The figures below are indicative bands to show the shape of the effect.
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Groups 1-10
This car is among the lowest insurance groups, which should be good news for your price.
Groups 11-20
This car is among the lower insurance groups, so it should be cheaper than most to insure.
Groups 21-30
This car is mid-range for insurance groups, so expect fairly average costs.
Groups 31-40
This car is among the higher insurance groups, so it typically costs more to insure.
Groups 41-50
This car is among the highest insurance groups, so expect insurance to cost more.
Insurance groups vs Vehicle Risk Rating
From 1 August 2024, brand-new model ranges launched in the UK are assessed under a newer system called the Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR), developed by Thatcham Research. If your car is a new model from that date onwards, the checker may show a VRR instead of, or alongside, an ABI group during the phase-in.
The two systems work differently:
| ABI Insurance Group | Vehicle Risk Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | 1 to 50 | 1 to 99 |
| Applies to | Models before Aug 2024 (and their variants) | Brand-new model ranges from Aug 2024 |
| Based on | Repair cost, price, performance, security at launch | Real-world claims and repair data |
| Updates | Fixed at launch, never changes | Reviewed and updated over time |
Frequently asked questions
What insurance group is my car?
Enter your number plate or pick your make and model above. Every UK car has an ABI insurance group from 1 to 50, and the tool shows yours and what it means. Lower groups are generally cheaper to insure.
What does the “E” stand for in car insurance groups?
The “E” means the car exceeds the security standard expected for its group, which earns it a lower rating. A car that would normally sit in group 5 might show as 4E. You may also see A (acceptable), D (doesn’t meet the standard), P (provisional) or U (ungraded).
What is the cheapest car insurance group?
Group 1 is the cheapest to insure. It’s home to small, low-value, economical cars with modest engines, a common choice for new and young drivers keeping costs down.
What is the highest car insurance group in the UK?
Group 50 is the highest ABI insurance group. Under the newer Vehicle Risk Rating system, the scale runs from 1 to 99.
Do insurance groups change over time?
An ABI insurance group is fixed when a car launches and doesn’t change afterwards. The newer Vehicle Risk Rating is different: it’s based on real claims data and is reviewed and updated over time.
What insurance group are electric and hybrid cars in?
EVs and hybrids are rated the same way as petrol and diesel cars, so they appear across the full range of groups. Some small electric cars sit in low groups, but EVs can be costlier to repair, so many land higher.
Does a lower insurance group mean a cheaper premium?
Usually, but not always. The group is a strong signal, but your premium also depends on your age, address, driving history, mileage and how you use the car. With a Zego Sense telematics policy, driving well can lower your price at renewal too.
Where does the data come from?
Insurance groups are set by the ABI Group Rating Panel, advised by Thatcham Research. The Vehicle Risk Rating is Thatcham’s newer system. This tool looks the rating up from the vehicle’s registration.
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