Best-selling cars in the UK 2025
British car buyers' appetite for SUVs continues in 2025 with an octet of them making the top 10 best-sellers list for the first eight months of the year, headed overall by the Ford Puma.
Last year's best-selling car, the Ford Puma, has retained its position at the top of the sales charts so far in 2025 according to the latest official registration figures supplied by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Although the Kia Sportage ran the Puma very close during 2024, the Puma remains the year-to-date best-seller overall. It chalked-up a further 2457 registrations in August 2025 to claim first place for the month with the Sportage second on 1785 sales.
That eight of 2025's 10 best-sellers so far are SUVs should surprise nobody given how in-demand these high-rise models have been for years. 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 an academic study.
For the first eight months of 2025 1,265,281 cars have been registered, representing a positive 2.1% increase over 2024's tally of 1,238,855 over the corresponding period.
While the overall 2025 sales picture is bright, August's registrations tumbled by 2.0%. Many EV buyers have decided to hold on to their cash until more models eligible for the government's Electric Car Grant (ECG) are confirmed, plus it's a traditionally quieter month ahead of the new 75-plate registrations from 1 September.
Petrol-engined cars continue to dominate with 48.1% of 2025's sales although the 608,484 total represents a significant 10.3% decline over 2024's equivalent figures.
Electric cars now have a 21.9% market share so far in 2025 with 276,635 sales representing an enormous 29.5% increase compared with the same period in 2024. The chances of the UK maintaining its status as Europe's largest market for pure EVs looks increasingly likely but at a significant cost with the SMMT's figures indicating that car manufacturers have spent over £6.5billion incentivising electric models in order to meet the government mandates they're still falling short of.
Self-charging hybrids have captured a 13.8% slice of the market with 174,784 registrations — a 5.1% rise over the same months in 2024.
After pure EVs, the largest volume of registrations have gone to plug-in hybrids — these have enjoyed a 33.7% increase over 2024 so far, totting-up 134,331 sales for a 10.6% stake of the market.
Diesel's decline continues in the UK with an 11.3% fall in sales compared with 2024, taking just 5.6% of 2025's registrations so far. That still represents 71,047 cars making it worthwhile for those manufacturers which continue to offer diesel-powered models.
Read on to find out more about 2025's best-selling UK cars — and how we rate them.
1. Ford Puma
33,221 registered
After a disappointing start to 2025's sales campaign, the Ford Puma seized the top spot in March with a very strong showing for the first full month of 74-plate registrations, flip-flopping between first and second positions each month since. With good reason, too — it's one of the very best cars on sale full stop, not just among small SUVs. The Ford Puma is blessed with excellent handling and a huge boot, making it both fun to drive and practical for young 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 now available in fully electric guise as the Ford Puma Gen-E — will that model's introduction help it remain at the top for the rest of 2025?
2. Kia Sportage
29,279 registered
The current Kia Sportage is a distinctive looking, family-sized SUV — although, arguably slightly less bold 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 is now on sale — expect to see plenty of those refreshed models on the road in the latter half of 2025.
3. Nissan Qashqai
25,571 registered
A mid-life makeover for the 2024's best-selling British-built car has reinvigorated the Nissan Qashqai, keeping it looking fresh-faced in the company of newer rivals — so much so it was June 2025's best-seller. It's an effective family SUV with a comfortable, good quality interior peppered with practical touches and complemented by an enormous boot. There's no diesel option as the range consists of mild hybrids and the self-charging variety — the latter, badged e-Power, operates in a way that maximises its its electric drive potential, making it a cost-effective plug-in hybrid alternative.
4. Vauxhall Corsa
23,486 registered
Getting off to a strong start in 2025 is the Vauxhall Corsa, aided and abetted by very attractive deals on its Yes specification models. These have seen a surge of buyers tempted to go battery-powered as the Yes-grade versions of the Vauxhall Corsa Electric are great value for money. 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 now consigned to the annals of history, the Corsa could be picking up Blue Oval loyalists coming to the end of their PCP deals for a year or two more yet.
5. Nissan Juke
22,457 registered
Strong sales have seen the Nissan Juke cement its Top 10 ranking overall for 2025's year-to-date sales. Built alongside the Qashqai in Nissan's northeastern England plant, the Juke's styling remains distinctive but isn't as divisive as the original's, broadening its appeal to the benefit of sales volumes. The Juke received a freshen-up in 2024 inside and out, although the engine range, shared with its Renault Captur cousin, remains essentially as before, with a choice of petrol and self-charging hybrids. Nissan has recently confirmed that an all-new electric-only Juke will go on sale during 2026 sitting below the all-new Leaf SUV in its line-up.
6. Volkswagen Golf
20,016 registered
Comfort, solidity and fine handling are long-standing Volkswagen Golf hallmarks, qualities amplified further thanks to its 2024 facelift, which introduced a swathe of interior improvements that have largely banished our previous gripes about this VW. The best-selling non-SUV of 2024, the Golf's available with a wide range of petrol and diesel engines, in addition to mild and plug-in hybrid options, although the even roomier Volkswagen Golf Estate is no longer available to order. Underneath, 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.
8. Volkswagen Tiguan
19,276 registered
British buyers have a long-standing fondness for the Volkswagen Tiguan which appears to have continued with this third-generation model. A strong start to 2025 has seen the VW vault into the top 10 for the year-to-date as the brand's second best-selling car, with only the Golf ahead of it. Spacious, well-equipped and built to a high standard, the Tiguan's a family focused SUV that 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 Tiguan Allspace has been replaced by the Volkswagen Tayron, so its sales tally isn't counted here.
7. MG HS
18,931 registered
Following a positive jump in sales during June, the MG HS is continuing to win buyers over with its combination of excellent value for money and high levels of standard equipment since this all-new model appeared in summer 2024. Like its predecessor, it's available in petrol-only and fuel-sipping plug-in hybrid guises, the latter appealing to those who don't yet feel ready to go full EV. Further expansion of the line-up during May 2025 also saw the arrival of the first self-charging hybrid-powered MG HS, providing even broader customer choice.
9. Peugeot 2008
18,662 registered
Despite it now being around for five years — albeit aided by a significant facelift — the 2008 compact SUV is Peugeot's best-selling model range in the UK. It's easy to understand why with its sharp styling and generous levels of equipment, with plenty of propulsion choice as combustion-engined versions sell alongside the electric Peugeot E-2008. It will be interesting to see whether the brand follows other Stellantis marques by offering a high-performance version of the E-2008 — in a similar mould to the Abarth 600e and Vauxhall Mokka GSe — to complement the forthcoming Peugeot E-208 GTi hot hatch.
10. Hyundai Tucson
18,382 registered
Sharing its underpinnings and the full suite of mild, self-charging and plug-in hybrid-assisted engines with the Kia Sportage, the Hyundai Tucson is pitched a little further upmarket in terms of price, equipment and interior finish. Other than those factors there's little to separate them aside from which of the pair's styling appeals more and whether the Hyundai's five-year/unlimited mileage warranty would serve you better than the Kia's seven-year/100,000-mile alternative. Either way, the Tucson will provide years of reliable and fuel-efficient service.
Which were the UK's best-selling cars in August 2025?
Some models experience spikes in their sales which see them enter the top 10 for a given month but not for the year overall. Compare August 2025's top 10 below with the registrations for the year so far shown above:
- Ford Puma — 2457 registrations
- Kia Sportage — 1785 registrations
- Tesla Model Y — 1650 registrations
- Tesla Model 3 — 1593 registrations
- Volkswagen Tiguan — 1526 registrations
- Jaecoo 7 — 1367 registrations
- Audi A3 — 1290 registrations
- Vauxhall Corsa — 1290 registrations
- MINI Cooper — 1251 registrations
- MG HS — 1138 registrations
Which were the UK's best-selling cars in July 2025?
It's far from unusual to find cars randomly appearing to record high levels of sales in any given month yet not make an appearance in the year-to-date top 10 picture. Compare July 2025's top 10 below with the registrations for the year so far above and spot the outliers:
- Kia Sportage — 4482 registrations
- Ford Puma — 4409 registrations
- Nissan Juke — 3077 registrations
- MINI Cooper — 2629 registrations
- Volkswagen Tiguan — 2527 registrations
- Nissan Qashqai — 2444 registrations
- Peugeot 2008 — 2434 registrations
- Volkswagen T-Roc — 2258 registrations
- Volkswagen Golf — 2090 registrations
- Audi A3 — 2080 registrations
Which are the UK's best-selling car brands in 2025?
Volkswagen has enjoyed an impressive first eight months of 2025 being the only brand to break 100,000 registrations so far. There's a significant gulf between its top-ranking sales tally and BMW in second place, which in turn has a modest margin over Kia in third.
After dominating the UK market for decades it still seems odd seeing Ford in fourth position ahead of Audi in fifth position. Rounding-out the top 10 — and separated by fewer than 5000 registrations — are Hyundai, Mercedes, Peugeot, Nissan and Toyota. Vauxhall has dropped down to 12th place.
Of the recently launched Chinese brands BYD's sales tally continues to impress as it's broken into the top 20 for the first half of 2025.
Meanwhile, the accumulated registrations of Jaecoo and Omoda, both part of Chery Automobile Company, are extraordinary compared with established names. The Jaecoo 7 entered the top 10 for August sales claiming the title as the best-selling plug-in hybrid. Factor-in that Chery-branded cars also feature for the first time in August — although proper sales commence from September — and their combined sales potential will have many legacy manufacturers deeply concerned.
There's less happy reading at the bottom of the chart for newcomers Skywell with just 16 examples of its BE11 electric SUV registered so far in 2025 and clocked-up no additional sales during August.
| Ranking | Brand | Manufacturing Group | 2025 Registrations (to end of August) |
| 1 | Volkswagen | Volkswagen Group | 115,474 |
| 2 | BMW | BMW Group | 78,987 |
| 3 | Kia | Hyundai Motor Company | 75,142 |
| 4 | Ford | Ford Motor Company | 75,125 |
| 5 | Audi | Volkswagen Group | 67,096 |
| 6 | Hyundai | Hyundai Motor Company | 60,272 |
| 7 | Mercedes | Mercedes-Benz Group | 58,967 |
| 8 | Peugeot | Stellantis | 58,653 |
| 9 | Nissan | Nissan Motor Corporation* | 57,662 |
| 10 | Toyota | Toyota Motor Corporation | 55,313 |
| 11 | Skoda | Volkswagen Group | 54,301 |
| 12 | Vauxhall | Stellantis | 54,295 |
| 13 | MG | SAIC Motor Corporation | 50,817 |
| 14 | Land Rover | Tata Motors | 41,838 |
| 15 | Volvo | Zhejiang Geely Holding Group | 40,269 |
| 16 | Renault | Renault Group* | 39,154 |
| 17 | MINI | BMW Group | 28,677 |
| 18 | Tesla | Tesla Inc. | 26,951 |
| 19 | Cupra | Volkswagen Group | 24,702 |
| 20 | BYD | BYD Company | 24,333 |
| 21 | Mazda | Mazda Motor Corporation^ | 21,344 |
| 22 | Dacia | Renault Group* | 19,438 |
| 23 | Honda | Honda Motor Co. | 15,585 |
| 24 | SEAT | Volkswagen Group | 14,866 |
| 25 | Jaecoo | Chery Automobile Co. | 11,681 |
| 26 | Porsche | Volkswagen Group | 11,516 |
| 27 | Citroen | Stellantis | 11,490 |
| 28 | Suzuki | Suzuki Motor Corporation^ | 13,384 |
| 29 | Lexus | Toyota Motor Corporation | 10,537 |
| 30 | Omoda | Chery Automobile Co. | 9,900 |
| 31 | Polestar | Zhejiang Geely Holding Group | 9,872 |
| 32 | Jeep | Stellantis | 7,810 |
| 33 | Fiat | Stellantis | 6,766 |
| 34 | Other British | 1,969 | |
| 35 | Jaguar | Tata Motors | 1,725 |
| 36 | Alfa Romeo | Stellantis | 1,566 |
| 37 | Subaru | Subaru Corporation^ | 1,403 |
| 38 | Other Imports | 1,203 | |
| 39 | Leapmotor | Zhejiang Leapmotor# | 1,048 |
| 40 | KGM | KG Group | 1,021 |
| 41 | DS | Stellantis | 968 |
| 42 | Smart | Mercedes-Benz and Zhejiang Geely | 917 |
| 43 | Genesis | Hyundai Motor Company | 914 |
| 44 | Bentley | Volkswagen Group | 640 |
| 45 | Alpine | Renault Group* | 531 |
| 46 | XPeng | Guangzhou Xiaopeng Motors | 228 |
| 47 | GWM | Great Wall Motor Company | 224 |
| 48 | Abarth | Stellantis | 220 |
| 49 | Maserati | Stellantis | 217 |
| 50 | Ineos | Ineos Automotive | 182 |
| 51 | Chevrolet | General Motors | 52 |
| 52 | Maxus | SAIC Motor Corporation | 43 |
| 53 | Skywell | Skyworth Group | 16 |
| 54 | Chery | Chery Automobile Co. | 13 |
*Strategic partnership within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
^Shareholding owned by the Toyota Motor Corporation
#Shareholding owned by Stellantis
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?
- 1974-1975 — Ford Cortina Mk3
- 1976 only — Ford Escort Mk2
- 1977-1981 — Ford Cortina Mk4 and Mk5
- 1982-1989 — Ford Escort Mk3
- 1990-1991 — Ford Fiesta Mk3
- 1992-1995 — Ford Escort Mk4
- 1996-1998 — Ford Fiesta Mk4
- 1999-2004 — Ford Focus Mk1
- 2005-2008 — Ford Focus Mk2
- 2009-2012 — Ford Fiesta Mk6
- 2013-2017 — Ford Fiesta Mk6 facelift
- 2018-2020 — Ford Fiesta Mk7
- 2021 only — Vauxhall Corsa Mk5
- 2022 only — Nissan Qashqai Mk3
- 2023-2024 — Ford Puma Mk2
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:
