Is it the end of the road for convertibles in Britain? Sales tumble as SUV popularity takes over the market

The days of open-top driving seem to be behind us as the number of new convertible cars sold in the UK has almost halved in the last 25 years.

Although Blighty isn't famed for its good weather, that hasn't stopped it being the European capital for convertible car sales over the years, with Britons buying more soft top models than motorists in much hotter continental countries.

But those wind in your hair heydays are no more because there are now just 16 new convertible models to buy from the UK’s top 30 car makers, CarGurus latest annual Convertibles Report reveals.

This compares to 31 in 2000.

For enthusiasts, this marks a sad 20-year low after convertible offerings peaked in 2005.

In fact, as of 2025, nearly 70 per cent of the top 30 automotive brands on sale to UK drivers do not make a drop-top motor.

While convertibles have often been called ‘toys and not tools’ due to the fun drive they offer but little in the way of practicality, it's a new trend over the last couple of decades that's the real reason these top-down cars are coming a cropper: the rise of the SUV.

The height of convertible shopping was in 2005 when there were 23 models on the market.

The extra blow to convertibles has been delivered in the last five years, with a decline of 45 per cent from the 29 options available in 2020 to the 16 options available today, the data shows.

In the past 12 months alone, the body style has experienced an almost 28 per cent decline from a choice of 22 cars to today’s 16.

Audi is one of the car makers to cull its convertible model in this timeframe, axing both the TT and R8 Spyder. It now offers no convertibles as part of its range.

Only 10 manufacturers still sell top-down options as part of their model ranges; German luxury drivers' brands BMW, Porsche and Mercedes, fun options from Ford, MG, Mazda, Mini and Fiat, and the ever dependable Jeep and Volkswagen.

And just five car brands have consistently offered a soft top to customers over the last 25 years – BMW, Mazda, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen.

BMW's ‘Z’ range of cars, which dates back to the 1989 Z, and has consistently offered a convertible since the unveiling of the Z3 in 1995.

While Porsche is synonymous with the convertible, its 911 Cabriolet and Boxster models have had an enduring presence in recent years.

The Mazda MX-5 is the longest-standing affordable convertible still on sale in Britain, with the two-seat roadster on sale since 1990.

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And it seems few are considering convertibles for the future.

Just two manufacturers out of the UK's top 30 (by sale volumes) have electric roof-down offerings - the MG Cyberster and the Fiat 500e.

Chris Knapman, CarGurus UK editorial director, said: 'Thankfully, the new models that are still available in soft top form are of a very high calibre and cover a fairly broad range, from the electric Fiat 500e C city car through to more traditional sports cars such as the Porsche 911 Cabriolet.

'Plus, of course, the used car market remains a rich ground for soft top motoring, with our top picks such as the Mazda MX-5 starting from less than £5,000.'

And yet there's no denying that the convertible market is drying up and there's one big place to lay the blame: at the wheels of SUVs.

Knapman commented: 'Our latest annual Convertibles Report highlights more than just a drop in new car model selection. It reflects a wider shift in the automotive landscape towards SUVs.

'As evidence of this, note that while the number of new convertibles on sale has fallen by 45 per cent since 2020, the number of new SUVs and crossovers has grown by a staggering 543 per cent.'

This is Money has well documented the rapid rise of the SUV – from the sports utility vehicle origins of the Jeep Cherokee in 1974 to the Sloaney Range Rovers of the '80s and '90s, and most recently the Nissan Qashqai inspired crossovers that are everywhere.

Earlier this year, CarGurus found that more than half the new car options in showrooms are SUVs, with 193 different SUV and crossovers on sale across the 35 most popular car brands in the UK.

SUVs have become a luxury symbol and the car body shape everyone wants over the last couple of decades: Sales exceeded one million in 2023, with registrations of the bulky vehicles increasing by around a fifth between 2022 and 2023 - to the point where one in three motors are now sports utility vehicles.

Knapman said in May: 'Features like the high driving position, flexible interior space, big boot, and potential off-road capability make SUVs an appealing body style to consumers, so it's no surprise that manufacturers have been racing to meet this demand with an increasingly varied supply of new models.

'This increase in appetite for SUVs has meant there's been less demand for other types of cars, with the choice of MPVs in particular having dwindled on the new car market.'

Panoramic sunroofs have become a hot feature, especially in the EV market.

They offer lighter interiors, an airy feeling of space, and a connection with the outdoors. They enhance the driving experience and have huge aesthetic appeal. And as a result the panoramic sunroof is becoming big business.

According to a report by Custom Market Insights, the Global Automotive Panoramic Sunroof Market was valued at approximately $16.39billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $18.05bn in 2025.

That's expected to surge to $48.78bn in the next decade - a compound annual growth rate of 11.7 per cent between 2025 and 2034.

At the same time the number of cars with panoramic roofs has exploded in recent years - the Tesla Model S arriving in 2012 had a lot to do with this making the feature a must have in new electric cars - the number of convertibles has reduced.

With electric cars especially, panoramic roofs make much more sense aerodynamically than convertibles.

When a convertible has its roof down the airflow is disrupted over the car, creating more drag whereas a panoramic roof can maintain a smoother airflow even though it adds weight and affects aerodynamics when open.

Top of the market models such as the Mercedes EQS and BMW iX to affordable models including the MG ZS EV, Kia Niro EV and budget Chinese LeapMotor T03 city car all have panoramic roofs. The Renault Scenic even has a 'solarbay' panoramic roof that darkens and lightens on voice controlled demand.

With noise cancelling, sun dimming, thermal insulation just a few of panoramic roof features, traditional convertibles are starting to look less appealing.