Honest John Guides New Cars

Best-selling cars UK 2026: top 10 most popular models ranked

British car buyers' appetite for SUVs continues with eight of them making the top 10 best-sellers for January 2026, headed overall by the Kia Sportage.

After securing second place in the new car sales charts for the last two years, the Kia Sportage has started 2026 strongest — but the Jaecoo 7 is following its wheeltracks very closely according to the most recent official registration figures.

January 2026's new car registrations are the highest first month of the year figures since before the Covid 19 pandemic, with 144,127 models added to the DVLA's databse.

Top of the rankings was the Kia Sportage with 4675 registrations for January, with the Jaecoo 7 continuing to feature among the most popular cars, notching-up 4059 units to secure the runner-up spot. Last year's best-selling Ford Puma begins 2026 with the final podium position — its 3715 registrations were sufficient for a comfortable third place.

That eight of 2026's 10 best-sellers to date were SUVs is no surprise, mirroring the trend from last year and reflecting how in-demand these high-rise models continue to be. Car buyers appreciate their elevated seating positions and additional practicality — whether there's an additional belief that they're more adept at dealing with the nation's pot-holed roads is surely worthy of academic study.

You might also like:

Best selling cars January 2026

1. Kia Sportage

4,675 registered

A distinctive looking, family-sized SUV, the Kia Sportage is arguably less boldly styled than the Hyundai Tucson it shares its underpinnings and engines with. It's no longer a budget buy, with a starting price north of £30,000, but you get masses of kit for your money, backed by Kia's seven-year warranty.

Mild, self-charging and plug-in petrol hybrids are available but there's no diesel alternative these days. The facelifted Kia Sportage has been on sale since summer 2025 — expect to see plenty more of those refreshed models on the road during 2026.

2. Jaecoo 7

4,059 registered

Jaecoo 7 static front three-quarter

If you're surprised to see the Jaecoo 7 in the top 10 best-sellers list then you should have been paying closer attention to its popularity last year.

Despite only reaching UK showrooms at the start of 2025, the Jaecoo 7 spent much of the latter half of the year burrowing its way into the UK's most popular cars.

Naysayers may be keen to dismiss it as the Temu Range Rover, but self-evidently the Jaecoo's pastiche styling and extraordinary value for money are attractions which are difficult to ignore. A little over £30,000 gets you behind the wheel of the petrol-powered 7, while £5k more nets you the fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid alternative — both represent a lot of car and equipment for the money.

As the brand's line-up has already expanded down the pricing scale, don't be surprised if the smaller Jaecoo 5 also appears in the top 10 during 2026.

3. Ford Puma

3,715 registered

It's worth noting that the Ford Puma got off to a disappointing sales campaign last year yet ended up as the best-seller, so this third position won't be ringing too many alarm bells at this stage. It's still kicked off 2026 as the most popular small SUVs so it isn't as though demand has dried-up.

Blessed with excellent handling and a huge boot, the Ford Puma is both fun to drive and practical for younger families. Its range of mild hybrid 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engines perfectly suit the Puma's sportiness, while its comfortable cabin makes it great for urban jaunts and long motorway trips.

It's also available in fully electric guise as the Ford Puma Gen-E — although they appear very similar from the outside they are differentiated by their blanked-off, body-coloured front grilles.

4. Nissan Qashqai

2,995 registered

A 2024 makeover for the best-selling British-built car reinvigorated the Nissan Qashqai, keeping it looking fresh-faced in the company of newer rivals. Further enhancements came along last year, with an uprated version of its clever e-Power self-charging hybrid, which maximises its electric drive potential, making it a cost-effective plug-in hybrid alternative.

Other engine choices for this highly effective family SUV include mild hybrid petrols, but diesels are no longer part of the Qashqai portfolio.

Why has it been a popular choice for so long? The Nissan's highlights include its comfortable, good quality interior which is packed with equipment and peppered with practical touches, complemented by an enormous boot.

5. Vauxhall Corsa

2,902 registered

After enjoying a strong 2025 it's more of the same for the Vauxhall Corsa. Its place as the best-selling non-SUV has been aided and abetted by tempting deals on its Yes specification models, which have seen a surge of buyers tempted to go battery-powered as the Vauxhall Corsa Electric becomes a value for money proposition.

Despite several manufacturers abandoning the small hatchback market, many customers still want new models of similar dimensions to what they're trading in, allowing various Stellantis brands to capitalise on the opportunity. With the Ford Fiesta consigned to the annals of history — for now, at least — the Corsa could be picking up Blue Oval loyalists coming to the end of their PCP deals for a year or two more yet. 

6. BYD Seal U

2,550 registered

BYD Seal U dynamic front three-quarters

Although the BYD Seal U didn't chalk-up as many registrations as its Jaecoo 7 rival at the start of 2026, that it's the second car to make the top 10 list from a Chinese-origin brand is an impressive feat. 

There's an argument that it's even more dramatic given the BYD starts from a higher £33,340 price point, in part because all Seal U models have a version of the firm's DM-i plug-in hybrid drive system. For those who like the idea of the package but don't fancy an SUV, the BYD Seal 6 DM-i saloon and Touring estate are available for even less money.

Rather than a solitary petrol-electric package, the Seal U DM-i offers three combinations allowing customers to choose between all-round economy, a long 78-mile zero-emission driving range or 5.9-second 0-62mph performance. Each packed to the rafters with high levels of standard equipment.

7. Nissan Juke

2,517 registered

An evergreen top 10 fixture, the Nissan Juke is built alongside the Nissan Qashqai at the company's plant in the northeast of England plant. Its styling remains distinctive but isn't as divisive as the original's, broadening its appeal to the benefit of sales volumes.

The Juke was freshened-up inside and out during 2024 although the engine range — shared with its Renault Captur cousin — remained essentially unchanged  with a choice of petrol-only and self-charging hybrids. Nissan has announced that an all-new electric-only Juke will go on sale during this sitting below the latest-generation Nissan Leaf SUV in its line-up. Will it prove as popular?

8. Volkswagen Tiguan

2,425 registered

British buyers have a long-standing fondness for the Volkswagen Tiguan which appears to have continued with this third-generation model. In fact, demand is so strong that it's started this year as the brand's best-selling model, outstripping the VW Golf in the process.

Spacious, well-equipped and built to a high standard, the Tiguan's a family focused SUV which can prove inexpensive to run, with a choice of efficient petrols and diesels as well as eHybrid PHEV options.

Note that the old seven-seater VW Tiguan Allspace was replaced in 2025 by the Volkswagen Tayron, so its sales figures aren't included here.

9. Volkswagen Golf

2,072 registered

Comfort, solidity and fine handling are long-standing Volkswagen Golf hallmarks, qualities amplified further thanks to its 2024 facelift, which introduced a suite of interior improvements that have largely banished our previous gripes about this VW.

Available with a wide range of petrol and diesel engines, in addition to mild and plug-in hybrid options, VW's most popular model is now only available as a hatchback — UK sales of the even roomier Volkswagen Golf Estate ended during 2025.

Underneath its bodywork, the Golf continues to share hardware with the better-value SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia as well as the pricier Audi A3 and Cupra Leon.

10. MG HS

2,035 registered

MG HS

Following a positive jump in sales from the middle of 2025, the second-generation MG HS has continued to win buyers over with its combination of excellent value for money and high levels of standard equipment. So far it's also out-selling its similarly sized electric MG S5 EV sibling.

Like its predecessor, the MG HS is available in petrol-only and fuel-sipping plug-in hybrid guises, the latter appealing to those who don't yet feel ready to go fully electric. Further expansion of the line-up last year saw the choice broadening with the arrival of the self-charging hybrid version.

UK car sales insights

Total car registrations for January 2026 paint a bright picture overall, although sales of fully electric models will have fallen short of manufacturers' hopes according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 

While the first month of any year is rarely a reliable yardstick from which to predict the year ahead, achieving the government-mandated 33% of all registrations being for EVs by the year-end is going to be a tall order.  Don't be surprised if the Electric Car Grant (ECG) is made more generous during 2026 to persuade more new car buyers to make the switch. 

  • So far in 2026 some 144,127 cars have been registered, representing a positive 3.4% increase over 2025's tally of 139,345 for the same period.
  • Petrol-engined cars continue to dominate with 47.7% of 2026's year-to-date sales although the 68,757 total represents a 1.9% decline over 2025's equivalent figures.
  • Electric cars have a 20.6% market share in so far in 2026 with 29,654 sales representing a tiny 0.1% increase compared with this time last year.
  • Self-charging hybrids have captured a 13.4% slice of the market so far with 19,297 registrations — a  chunky 4.8% rise over 2025.
  • Plug-in hybrids represented the largest market growth are in 2025 and that looks set to continue judging by 2026's numbers to date as they enjoy a 47.3% increase over last year, totting-up 18,557 sales for a 12.8% stake of the market.
  • Diesel's decline continues in the UK with an 8.8% fall in sales compared with the same period in 2025, taking just 5.5% of 2026's registrations to this point. That still represents 7,862 cars, making diesels worthwhile for those manufacturers which continue to offer them.

Which are the UK's best-selling car brands in 2026?

Volkswagen has started off 2026 in the same manner it enjoyed last year, by being the most popular car brand for the year to date and the only one to surpass the 10,000 registrations mark so far. There's a significant gulf between its top-ranking sales tally and Kia in second place, which has already put some distance between itself and BMW in third.

With just one month counted, the tallies are inevitably close at this point with fewer than 1600 registrations difference between Ford in fourth position and Nissan in tenth. Filling the gap between them are Audi, Vauxhall, Mercedes, Peigeot and Skoda.

Of the recently launched Chinese-origin brands, Jaecoo has leapt ahead of BYD so far in 15th and 17th places respectively for the year to date. Jaecoo is from Chery's suite of marques, with its own-brand models outranking those of its Omoda nameplate for the first time. Chery has already announced that a fourth brand — Lepas — will be launched in the UK during 2026.

There's less happy reading at the bottom of the chart — neither Maxus or XPeng registered a single new car in January 2026, while Chevrolet sold a single Corvette. 

Ranking Brand Manufacturing Group  2026 Registrations to end of January
1 Volkswagen Volkswagen Group 12,539
2 Kia Hyundai Motor Company 9,983
3 BMW BMW Group 8,099
4 Ford Ford Motor Company 7,540
5 Audi Volkswagen Group 7,534
6 Vauxhall Stellantis 7,218
7 Mercedes Mercedes-Benz Group 6,787
8 Peugeot Stellantis 6,538
9 Skoda Volkswagen Group 5,949
10 Nissan Nissan Motor Corporation* 5,942
11 Hyundai Hyundai Motor Company 5,812
12 Land Rover Tata Motors 5,299
13 Toyota Toyota Motor Corporation 5,087
14 MG SAIC Motor Corporation 5,079
15 Jaecoo Chery Automobile Co. 4,850
16 Renault Renault Group* 4,437
17 BYD BYD Company 4,021
18 Volvo Zhejiang Geely Holding Group 3,751
19 MINI BMW Group 2,983
20 Cupra Volkswagen Group 2,723
21 Citroen Stellantis 2,480
22 Mazda Mazda Motor Corporation^ 2,458
23 Chery Chery Automobile Co. 2,127
24 Dacia Renault Group* 1,928
25 Omoda Chery Automobile Co. 1,846
26 Suzuki Suzuki Motor Corporation^ 1,685
27 SEAT Volkswagen Group 1,299
28 Porsche Volkswagen Group 1,216
29 Polestar Zhejiang Geely Holding Group 1,070
30 Lexus Toyota Motor Corporation 930
31 Honda Honda Motor Co. 882
32 Leapmotor Zhejiang Leapmotor# 766
33 Tesla Tesla Inc. 718
34 Jeep Stellantis 600
35 Other British   279
36 Fiat Stellantis 257
37 Alfa Romeo Stellantis 211
38 Alpine Renault Group* 170
39 KGM KG Group 168
40 Subaru Subaru Corporation^ 167
41 Changan China Changan Automobile Group 153
42 Other Imports   124
43 Genesis Hyundai Motor Company 96
44 Geely Zhejiang Geely Holding Group 86
45 Smart Mercedes-Benz and Zhejiang Geely 79
46 Lotus Zhejiang Geely Holding Group 43
47 Maserati Stellantis 30
48 Ineos Ineos Automotive 26
49 Abarth Stellantis 22
50 DS Stellantis 19
51 GWM Great Wall Motor Company 8
=52 Jaguar Tata Motors 6
=52 Skywell Skyworth Group 6
54 Chevrolet General Motors 1
=55 Maxus SAIC Motor Corporation 0
=55 XPeng Guangzhou Xiaopeng Motors 0

*Strategic partnership within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance

^Shareholding owned by the Toyota Motor Corporation

#Shareholding owned by Stellantis

Which were the UK's best-selling cars in December 2025?

December 2025's top 10 best-sellers were more diverse than the pattern for the year as a whole, including five models not in the overall year's most registered cars.

Statistics fans should note that this was the Jaecoo 7's fifth consecutive month among the top 10 best-sellers — not at all bad from a brand that was new to the UK at the start of the year less than a year ago. It will be interesting to see if that continues in 2026, a year in which at least one car from a Chinese-origin brand is likely to make the overall top 10 ranking.

  1. Ford Puma — 4680 registrations
  2. Tesla Model Y — 3737 registrations
  3. Volvo XC40 — 3319 registrations
  4. MG ZS — 3294 registrations
  5. Nissan Qashqai — 2887 registrations
  6. Jaecoo 7 — 2863 registrations
  7. MG HS — 2803 registrations
  8. MINI Cooper — 2581 registrations
  9. Tesla Model 3 — 2549 registrations
  10. Nissan Juke — 2326 registrations

Which were the UK's best-selling cars in 2025?

December's top 10 best-sellers were more diverse than the pattern for 2025 as a whole, including five models not in the overall year's most registered cars.

Statistics fans should note that this is the Jaecoo 7's fifth consecutive month among the top 10 best-sellers — not at all bad from a brand that was new to the UK less than a year ago. It will be interesting to see if that continues in 2026, a year in which at least one car from a Chinese-origin brand is likely to make the overall top 10 ranking.

  1. Ford Puma — 4680 registrations
  2. Tesla Model Y — 3737 registrations
  3. Volvo XC40 — 3319 registrations
  4. MG ZS — 3294 registrations
  5. Nissan Qashqai — 2887 registrations
  6. Jaecoo 7 — 2863 registrations
  7. MG HS — 2803 registrations
  8. MINI Cooper — 2581 registrations
  9. Tesla Model 3 — 2549 registrations
  10. Nissan Juke — 2326 registrations

What are the UK's best-selling cars over the last 50 years?

Over the past 50 years the variety of brands, models, shapes and sizes of cars to have been the UK's annual-best-seller is extraordinary. Which of these cars have played a part in your motoring history?

What is the UK's best-selling car of all time?

With 4,132,294 sales to its name, the Ford Fiesta is the most popular car ever sold in the UK. Of course, that's the total number of cars badged Fiesta over seven generations across six different decades: