Best-selling cars 2025: the year's 10 most popular models
These are officially Britain’s biggest-selling new cars so far this year
March is always a busy month for the car industry and it couldn’t have come any sooner for the UK’s new car market following a challenging start to the year. Year-on-year, new car registrations rose by 12.4 per cent compared to this time last year, marking the best March performance since 2019. In total, 357,103 new cars were registered last month, though, and Britain’s best-selling cars continue to chop and change.
It’s also good news for battery electric vehicle uptake. March saw the highest ever volume of EVs hit the road with over 69,000 units being registered. They accounted for 19.4 per cent market share, although that’s still well below the 28 per cent industry target set by the ZEV mandate.
Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) took a market share of 15.7 per cent, with plug-in hybrids taking 9.5 per cent market share. Pure petrol remains the nation’s favourite fuel type for now, though, with a 49.5 per cent share of the market.
Last year’s best-selling car, the Ford Puma, is still popular, and despite a slow start to the year, 11,132 units were registered in March, launching the small SUV to the top of Britain’s best selling car list in the process. Unsurprisingly, four of the top five best-sellers last month were SUVs, but the Vauxhall Corsa showed there’s still a place for good, small superminis – registering 6,851 units.
While plenty of car buyers adore their SUVs, the family hatchback remains a popular choice as well, with the Volkswagen Golf sitting firmly in the mix, ranking in sixth place in last month’s 10 best-sellers. The year is still young and everything is to play for, so here are the UK’s best-selling cars in 2025 so far.
1. Ford Puma - 14,930
The Ford Puma was the UK’s best-selling car in both 2023 and 2024, and during this time this small SUV has had a facelift and the all-electric Ford Puma Gen-E has made its debut. After a slow start to the year, Ford is currently on track to turn this winning streak into a hat-trick. The Puma is one of the best cars to drive in its class, and it offers pretty good value for money. However, fresh competitors are continuing to arrive at an incredibly steady pace.
2. Kia Sportage - 12,866
The Kia Sportage was a frequent sight in the 2024 best-seller rankings, but it couldn’t quite manage to reach the top of the chart. Things are looking much more promising for this mid-size SUV in 2025, with the Sportage having topped the charts for the first two months of the year. The latest Sportage offers space, tech and comfort in droves, so it’s pretty easy to see why it continues to prove very popular with buyers. That seven-year/100,000-mile warranty is as attractive as ever, too.
3. Nissan Qashqai - 11,792
It’s been 18 years since the original Nissan Qashqai first arrived on our streets, and over this time the car has grown into a household name for plenty of drivers. The latest model is a much bolder offering than its predecessors when it comes to styling, but there’s still an overall sense of familiarity where it matters. While it isn’t quite the top dog in the fiercely competitive mid-size SUV market, the Qashqai clearly still offers enough to appeal to plenty of prospective buyers.
4. Vauxhall Corsa - 11,476
Plenty of UK drivers have experienced at least one generation of Vauxhall Corsa in their lifetime, whether as a passenger, driver or even a learner. Following the demise of the Ford Fiesta, the Corsa is one of the most recognisable names in the supermini market. The latest generation offers plenty of choice when it comes to trim, kit and powertrains (you can even have a fully electric model), and prices start from around £18,000. Time will tell whether this small car can beat back the SUVs to become 2025’s best-seller, but it’s off to an undeniably promising start.
5. Volkswagen Golf - 10,749
Whether you want a family car, hot hatchback or even an estate car, there’s a Volkswagen Golf to suit your needs. While the eighth-generation Golf initially got off to a troublesome start (largely thanks to some irritating tech), the revised Mk8.5 version has set out to right some of these wrongs. And it would appear that Volkswagen's efforts have paid off, too, because the Golf remains a firm British favourite.
6. Nissan Juke - 10,414
It’s been with us since 2019, but the second-generation Nissan Juke continues to be a steady seller for the Japanese brand. A facelift in 2024 has helped this ageing SUV to keep up with its rivals, and its funky looks are still as bold as ever. It would seem that this is enough to keep the Juke in the best-seller charts in 2025 – at least for now.
7. MG HS - 9,738
The MG HS was a common sight in the best-selling cars list in 2024 and it looks like the budget-conscious family SUV is starting 2025 as it means to go on. The HS received an update midway through last year, but the second-generation car follows the same ethos as its predecessor: generous levels of in-car kit as standard, lots of usable space and most importantly, value for money. Opt for the fuel-sipping plug-in hybrid HS and you’ll be able to drive up to 75 miles on pure-electric power, too.
8. Volkswagen Tiguan - 9,140
Many people appreciate a no-nonsense approach, and the Volkswagen Tiguan is pretty good at ticking all of the essential boxes. It’s practical, well built, efficient and feels a bit more premium inside than it actually is. Company car drivers are best catered for by the plug-in hybrid model, however we found this powertrain to be a bit jerky in its power delivery. Other than that, though, the Tiguan is a pretty solid all-rounder.
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9. MG ZS - 9,041
MG is currently going from strength to strength in the UK and the MG ZS is further proof that cars which are well equipped, spacious, economical and good value for money are a winning formula with car buyers. The ZS is currently only available as a hybrid, but this powertrain suits this car well and helps it stand out in a crowded market. This compact SUV comes with a generous amount of kit as standard, easily undercutting its rivals on pricing and is a great, straightforward family car with a long seven-year/80,000-mile warranty.
10. Hyundai Tucson - 8,715
The Hyundai Tucson is a serial winner at the Auto Express New Car Awards and it appears to have impressed plenty of buyers so far in 2025, too. With striking looks, intuitive on-board tech and a premium feeling cabin which wouldn’t be out of place on more expensive and high-end models, the Tuscon recently had a mid-life refresh to help keep it up to speed with its rivals.
Sales vs registrations: inside the numbers
There’s an important distinction to be made where the UK’s monthly and annual ‘car sales’ numbers are concerned. Namely, that they don’t actually count the number of cars sold in the sense that many people might expect. The numbers provided by the SMMT are for car ‘registrations’ rather than being sales figures.
When customers buy a new car, it is registered before it can be driven on the road, but cars are also registered by manufacturers and dealers before they have a customer to go to. This practice of processing pre-registered cars is done for various reasons, but often the goal is to move stock through the supply chain, avoiding bottlenecks or to hit targets. It means that a significant proportion of the cars in the ‘sales’ figures could be pre-registered, and estimates of how many range between 10 and 20 per cent.
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