These were the UK’s best-selling cars in 2025
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Best-selling UK cars 2025
© Ford2025 was another interesting year for new car registrations. The figures are figures are collated by industry body the SMMT. Each month, they provide a fascinating snapshot into the health of the industry and the cars most in demand. Thanks to the ZEV Mandate, there’s an additional focus on the type of fuel customers are choosing – be it petrol, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric.
So, what were the best-selling new cars in the UK in 2025?
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How many cars were sold in 2025?
© Fiat2025 saw more than two million cars registered in the UK, the first time the two million mark had been broken since 2019. 23.4 percent of them were electric cars, equating to more than 473,000 leaving showrooms, although this was still shy of the government’s 28 percent ZEV Mandate target – which this year increases to 33 percent.
But which were the top makes and models in 2025? In at number 10…
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10: Hyundai Tucson
© Hyundai2025 sales: 28,613 cars
Hyundai celebrated a strong year in 2025 with the Tucson making the top 10 best-sellers. Nearly 1 in 3 new Hyundais sold was a Tucson, making it easily the firm’s most important model. It was a good year for Hyundai overall too, which took a 4.6 percent share of the UK new car market – and jumped from ninth to sixth in the overall brand best-sellers league.
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9: Volkswagen Tiguan
© VW2025 sales: 29,857 cars
The Volkswagen Tiguan was all-new in 2024, and deliveries of this sleek-looking version really gathered steam in 2025. It’s an important car for Volkswagen – for the past several years, the Tiguan has globally been the firm’s best-selling car of all.
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8: MG HS
© MG2025 sales: 30,191 cars
The latest MG HS is a big step on from its predecessor. Much more premium and sophisticated, it’s also available in plug-in hybrid guise, which gives a generous range of up to 75 miles, at an affordable price from £29,245. Even the regular petrol-powered car is priced from just £26,245 – making it easy to see why it’s a UK top 10 best-seller.
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7: Volvo XC40
© Volvo2025 sales: 30,404 cars
The evergreen Volvo XC40 is the safe Swedish brand’s hybrid petrol-powered family SUV. There’s also an EX40 electric version, along with a smaller sibling, the Volvo EX30 – yet it’s the XC40 that continues to be a best-seller in the UK. Not bad for a model that was first revealed back in 2017.
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6: Volkswagen Golf
© VW2025 sales: 32,478 cars
The Volkswagen Golf was facelifted in 2024, with much-needed improvements to its infotainment system inside. The larger screen is now far easier to use, while quality improvements elsewhere mean the Golf is now back where it should be – a quality family hatch that does it all.
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5: Nissan Juke
© Nissan2025 sales: 34,773 cars
The Nissan Juke is a British-built small SUV. It too was facelifted in 2024, with styling tweaks and a much-improved interior, complete with extra-large touchscreen. We love the extra-bright yellow paint colour that’s available.
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4: Vauxhall Corsa
© Vauxhall2025 sales: 35,947 cars
The latest Vauxhall Corsa isn’t in the first flush of youth, but is still a strong seller. The fact it is offered with an array of powertrains helps, as does the value for money offered by key models in the range – if you’re spending your own money, be sure to check out the bargain-priced ‘Yes’ range of Corsas, which cost from just £18,725.
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3: Nissan Qashqai
© Nissan2025 sales: 41,141 cars
The Nissan Qashqai, like its smaller Juke sibling, is built in Britain. This ever-popular family SUV was facelifted in 2024, giving new car buyers reason to return to the showrooms. The range is now focused around Nissan’s clever hybrid engine tech, called e-Power, which helps save fuel without going down the full plug-in hybrid route. This was actually updated in 2025, with even smoother performance and better economy.
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2: Kia Sportage
© Kia2025 sales: 47,788 cars
The Kia Sportage was the second best-selling car in 2024, and it started 2025 as the UK’s best-selling car of all. However, a facelift version was introduced during 2025, which did have an impact on deliveries for a few months. Now the range is back to full strength, Kia will be hoping for a strong performance in 2026.
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1: Ford Puma
© Ford2025 sales: 55,488 cars
The Ford Puma was the best-selling car of all in 2024. The rush to get cars out the door in December meant it started 2025 a little more slowly – but by the middle of the year, it was firmly back in first place. It was given an added boost by the arrival of the electric Ford Puma Gen-E, which became the first car to qualify for the full £3750 Electric Car Grant scheme.
