Best-selling cars 2025: The UK's most popular new models of the year

With four months of car registrations data so far in 2025, a picture of the UK’s top ten most popular cars of the year is beginning to emerge.

Jump straight to the list of top 10 best-selling cars

This year, carmakers face toughening quotas on the proportion of electric vehicles they sell, with any brand that shifts more than 2,500 cars or commercial vehicles over the 12 months of 2025 required to ensure that 28 per cent of them are pure electric. That’s up from 22 per cent last year — a target that was beaten by some brands but missed by the industry as a whole, with the total market share reaching just 19.6 per cent in 2024.

The Department for Transport didn’t expect any brand to have to pay the fines for each internal combustion engine (ice) car sold above the quota last year, due to “flexibility” built into the system (based on overall emissions from fleets of cars sold over previous years).

And in April, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer brought forward a response to a consultation on the Zero Emission Vehicle (zev) mandate, and further relaxed the zev rules for 2025 onwards, to ease pressure on an industry beset by headwinds. This is not least due to a global trade war sparked by President Trump imposing 25 per cent tariffs on vehicle imports to America.

Starmer said carmakers in the UK can make up for missed targets in the coming years with increased EV sales in the future, when the market has matured. He has also reduced the fines from £15,000 to £12,000 per combustion car sold above the quota, and confirmed that new hybrid cars can be sold until 2035, five years after pure combustion cars are outlawed.

Keir Starmer eases pressure on carmakers to sell EVs in response to ‘global economic headwinds’

However, the 2030 and 2035 deadlines remain, as do the toughening annual EV quotas, and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which represents the UK car industry, reiterated in May that “while government’s recently proposed amendments to the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate requirements are welcome … the targets remain incredibly challenging and more must be done to stimulate demand.”

Before the government’s announcement on easing zev mandate pressures, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said: “Manufacturers remain committed to the market decarbonisation the country and the environment demands, but we need sustained growth, not a short-term bubble driven by unsustainable manufacturer discounting.”

Of all cars sold in April, which is a traditionally quiet month for vehicle retailers, pure-electric models made up 20.4 per cent (24,558 vehicles). That’s an increase of 8.1 per cent on the same month in 2024, and battery-only power is the second most popular type of fuel (after petrol) but of the top 10 best sellers so far this year, only three are available with pure-electric powertrains, and a third — the Ford Puma — is not getting an electric version until later this spring.

It may mean that carmakers will have to continue to discount electric models heavily, or reduce the supply of petrol and hybrid cars, to get near the zero emission vehicle mandate.

Announcing the April new car registration figures, Hawes said: “Another month of growth for electric vehicle registrations is good news … even if demand remains well below ambition. Recent government adjustments to flexibilities and compliance within the ZEV Mandate are welcome and an important first step in relieving some of the pressure on the market and manufacturers. However, EV uptake is still being heavily and unsustainably subsidised by the industry which is why a compelling package of measures from government is essential if consumers are going to make the switch.”

Electric cars owners will pay VED road tax, chancellor confirms in autumn statement

The UK’s top ten most popular new cars of 2025

But what are the UK’s best-selling new cars so far in 2025? Here are the top ten most popular models of the year to date, according to the SMMT’s registration figures.

1. Ford Puma: 18,241 registrations in 2025 to date

Although it didn’t have a lightning start to 2025, the Ford Puma had a very big month for sales when the new registration plate arrived in March, and shot to the top of the 2025 best-sellers list, and remains the most popular car in the UK after the April figures were announced.

The Puma’s success is arguably no surprise as Ford’s entry-level compact crossover topped the sales charts for both 2023 and 2024, too. It is based on the excellent (but now discontinued) Fiesta, and is therefore one of the best-handling and most practical cars in its class.

In his review of the Puma, Jeremy Clarkson said he loved the washable boot (known as the “megabox”) and noted that the feature seemed to be designed by “an actual person who leads an actual life”.

The Puma’s positive reception by critics and public alike helped convince Ford of Europe to end sales of the less profitable Fiesta — joining on the scrapheap other former sales titans the Mondeo and Focus — and plough ahead with the new pure-electric Puma Gen-E, which arrives this Spring. That car will add to the electric line-up alongside the Mustang Mach-E, new Capri and new Explorer. Quite the changing of the guard.

2. Kia Sportage: 16,380 registrations

Sunday Times family car of the year 2022: Kia Sportage

The current Kia Sportage family SUV was relaunched in 2022, getting a new chassis and engine line-up along with more modern styling. The interior quality is excellent and the combined 12.3in digital displays give the interior a technologically-advanced look.

At the top of the Sportage range is a plug-in hybrid model developing 261bhp through its combination of 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor. A non-plug-in hybrid is available in this generation Sportage, as well as mild-hybrid petrol models and a diesel, so all buyers will be catered for whatever their fuel preference.

It’s up against polished rivals such as its cousin, the Hyundai Tucson, as well as the VW T-Roc, Tesla Model Y, Nissan Qashqai and Ford Kuga, so competition in this sector is fierce, and that makes the fact that it was the second best-selling car of 2024 — and the most popular car of all in January, February and April this year — all the more impressive.

3. Nissan Qashqai: 13,989 registrations

The Nissan Qashqai is enduringly popular: it was the UK’s overall best-selling car in 2022, the second most-bought model in 2023, and the third best-seller in 2024.

The Qashqai helped popularise the crossover genre, having a bigger impact on the types of cars we drive than almost any other car launched this century. SUVs and crossovers now dominate sales, as the top ten most popular cars of 2024 demonstrated.

The current Qashqai launched in 2021 with a hybrid “e-Power” variant, clever technology, a fresher design and more upmarket interior, and we liked it enough to name it our Small SUV / Crossover of the Year. It was refreshed last year, with updated styling and interior tech, plus a new specification called N-Design.

There’s no denying that, whether buying new or used, the Qashqai is a decent and able family car, with good fuel economy, smart looks and lots of tech at an affordable price. Plus it’s built in Sunderland.

Nissan Qashqai e-Power 2024 review: Solid, sensible SUV sustenance

4. Vauxhall Corsa: 13,852 registrations

The Vauxhall Corsa supermini started 2024 strongly but finished the year outside the top 10. The same pattern may occur this year, too, as sales of popular high-riding SUVs gather pace, though Vauxhall continues to make the Corsa attractive with price drops and upgrades.

With Ford ending sales of its hugely popular Fiesta in 2023, it was an opportunity for rivals like the Vauxhall Corsa and Renault Clio, which relaunched last year. The current Corsa, introduced in 2019, has a good shout in the short to medium term with handsome looks and a range of power choices under the bonnet, including a pure-electric variant. Last year the electric version was updated with range boosted to 255 miles per charge.

But now, new, cheap and good-to-drive small electric cars, such as the Renault 5, Hyundai Inster and Fiat Grande Panda, are arriving to steal some of the Corsa’s thunder. All of the above are a little smaller but offer similar range between charges, and are much more affordable than the electric version of the Vauxhall supermini, so the Corsa’s excellent start in 2025 could be shaky long term.

Vauxhall Corsa Electric 2023 review: More power, more range and yes, more money

5. Nissan Juke: 12,373 registrations

2019 Nissan Juke 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show Reveal

We haven’t often seen the Juke — the Qashqai’s smaller sibling — in the top 10 before 2024, so Nissan will be delighted that it had two crossovers in the top four best-selling cars of last year, and that both cars have started 2025 so strongly.

The Juke has been a bit of a Marmite car in the past but the second-generation model is an objectively more attractive proposition and the introduction of a hybrid version has clearly caught the eye of many new car buyers who value fuel economy and low running costs.

Like the Qashqai, the Juke is built in Sunderland and so the “buy local” effect may be a factor in its popularity. But the Juke drives well, appeals to young drivers, has plenty of tech and is competitively priced, which makes the compact crossover an attractive proposition for buyers of all ages.

The replacement model, announced last year and due in 2026, may continue in much the same vein.

2020 Nissan Juke: photos, prices, engines and technology

5. Volkswagen Golf: 12,348 registrations

You might have expected the legendary VW Golf to do be doing even better than fifth in this list, but it goes to show how much crossovers and SUVs are now in vogue, and the current eighth-generation Golf isn’t a darling of the motoring press.

However, its frustrating touchscreen infotainment system has been much improved with the Golf Mk 8.5, launched last year, and it has sharper looks and a new plug-in hybrid option capable of 62 miles on electric power alone (officially). This has given what many still consider to be the benchmark family hatchback a boost in sales.

Look beyond the tech and the Golf has many redeeming features. The ride quality is excellent and the refinement top notch. The handling is pleasing, too, and it comes in many flavours including the sporty GTI and GTI Clubsport, GTE plug-in hybrid, diesel GTD and fire-breathing four-wheel-drive Golf R.

7. MG HS: 11,016 registrations

A visit to the top 10 best-selling cars is unusual for MG, though it could be a sign of things to come. Although a British brand, MG is owned by Chinese state-owned megacorp SAIC, and many can see Chinese companies dominating global vehicle production and sales over the coming years.

Car market fixed by ‘brutal’ China and the West is ‘too scared’ to fight back, says Iain Duncan-Smith

The MG HS is the brand’s rival to the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Kuga and the many others in the crowded mid-sized crossover segment, though with prices starting at £24,995 it’s able to undercut its competitors.

The price reflects its refinement, though, and reviews show the cost savings are apparent inside, in its driving manners and under the bonnet. Still, it’s a smart-looking thing, thanks to a design refresh in 2024, and you can’t argue with its practicality, seven-year warranty or pricetag.

8. Volkswagen Tiguan: 10,664 registrations

VW’s compact SUV was updated for 2024 with a choice of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains, leaving customers who want to go electric to turn their gazes towards the ID. range of models. It seems releasing another Tiguan with combustion power was a smart move, as it’s made the top 10 best sellers in the first three months of 2025.

It’s not the most exciting car in its class to drive, the performance is average rather than thrilling, and with prices starting at £34,060, it’s not the most affordable option out there, either. But what the current Tiguan offers is plenty of luxury and technology, as well as a comfortable ride, making it a grown-up choice.

Volkswagen Tiguan 2024 review: There’s life left in combustion engines for VW’s biggest seller

9. Volvo XC40: 10,612 registrations

The Volvo XC40 crossover jumped into the top 10 after relatively strong sales in April. It’s been available in mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure-electric forms for some time, though in 2024 Volvo separated the latter from the combustion variants and called it the EX40, and removed the plug-in hybrid option.

That leaves the mild hybrid, but there’s still choice for new XC40 buyers, with two fuel-sipping petrol engines available, both assisted by a small electric motor, for 161bhp or 194bhp, and in 2024 a stealthy Black Edition model was introduced with black alloys, a black grille and black paint (pictured).

Regardless of which version buyers choose, the XC40 offers excellent refinement, high end audio systems and competitive practicality for its class.

10. Hyundai Tucson: 10,496 registrations

Hyundai’s compact crossover was refreshed in 2024, with updates to its styling and interior, making it an even more likeable model.

It comes either as a petrol, mild-hybrid (with a choice of two power outputs) or a plug-in hybrid offering an electric-only range of 39 miles (officially), meaning there’s a decent choice for car buyers not looking to go fully electric just yet. Its ride quality, handling and comfort are excellent, and well-suited to pock-marked British roads.

Pricing starts at £33,080, so it’s far from the most affordable car in its class, but that reflects Hyundai’s status these days as a carmaker with some of the best tech out there, and knocking on the door of premium.

Top 10 most popular cars

#	Make & model	Registrations to date
1	Ford Puma	18,241
2	Kia Sportage	16,380
3	Nissan Qashqai	13,989
4	Volkswagen Corsa	13,851
5	Nissan Juke	12,373
6	Volkswagen Golf	12,348
7	MG HS	11,016
8	Volkswagen Tiguan	10,664
9	Volvo XC40	10,612
10	Hyundai Tucson	10,496