Car Insurance Groups: Why Different Trim Levels of the Same Model Can be in Different Groups

When it comes to car insurance in the United Kingdom, one of the biggest factors that affects rates is car insurance groups. Cars are grouped together based on how they rank on several factors such as safety, performance ability, cost to repair, rate of theft, etc. Insurance companies use these groups as a guide when determining what to charge for insurance premiums. For example, a MINI Cooper would be ranked in a lower group than a Bentley Continental because of stark differences in cost to repair the two cars as well as performance differences, among other factors.

What many drivers do not realize is that sometimes the same car model can land in more than one insurance group. If you think about it, the different trim levels for various models can make significant changes to the vehicle, or at least significant enough to impact insurance rates.

The ranking of different cars is determined by a Panel of Insurers. This Panel uses data collected by research centre Thatcham. Data that is collected includes such specific tests as simulated low speed front and rear end damage to cars and the cost of labor and parts to fix the cars. The research centre also tests for simulated high-speed accidents in the front and rear of cars. The cost to replace a car’s grille, bumpers, lights, trim pieces and even the shell are taken into account. Some cars require more highly trained workers to repair or more time to fix, increasing the cost of making repairs and increasing the insurance group the car lands in.

Another difference that can crop up between different car models’ trim levels is safety features. Safety features naturally include any technologies such as safety cages, airbags and crumple zones in the front and rear of the car that decrease the likelihood that someone inside the car will be injured as a result of the accident. Thatcham also looks at security measures that are meant to prevent criminals from breaking into a car and either taking items out of it or taking the car itself. This includes alarm systems and engine immobilizers. Sometimes automakers do not offer these safety systems on lower trim levels as a way to give car buyers a discounted price on the car.

Some cars outfit different trim levels with more expensive equipment that might be included in such damage tests. For example, a stripped-down trim level of a specific model might not come with many technological gadgets that need to be replaced in a front or rear end accident. But a trim level that does come with extra equipment like a rearview camera, LED lights, infrared sensors, parking distance sensors and even more expensive exterior trim pieces. Because of these extra features found on the upper trim levels of some models, the same model car can have trim levels that land in very different insurance groups.

A great example of the subtle differences between car model trim levels impacting insurance group rankings comes with the Hyundai i20 Classic 1.2 and i20 Style 1.2. The two trim levels of Hyundai’s popular city car come with the exact same engine, transmission, fuel economy estimates and all-around performance figures. The i20 Classic 1.2 is less expensive to insure and so land in group four. The i20 Style comes with more equipment on it and so lands in group five, meaning it will cost more to insure the car. Not having some safety features might lower the price of a car, but they can also cause the car to be thrown into a higher insurance group.

When automakers produce the same model car with trim levels that are starkly different when it comes to performance, the separation between insurance groups can widen even further. For example, Ford produces several trim levels of its compact Focus. One of these trim levels is the Focus ST, which is a turbocharged, high-performance variant of the car. Because the Focus ST can accelerate much quicker and can reach a higher top-speed, plus it includes parts that are more expensive to replace, it lands in a much higher insurance group than the other trim levels of the Focus. The Mitsubishi Lancer is another prime example of a stark contrast in a model’s insurance groups, since there is the regular Lancer and the high-performance Lancer Evolution

Sam Jones the author advises readers wanting to know more about car insurance groups to visit uSwitch.com the price comparison website,