Best-selling cars 2025: the year's 10 most popular models
These are officially Britain’s biggest-selling new cars so far in 2025
To earn a spot as one of the UK’s best-selling cars 2025, manufacturers have to appeal to a wide variety of buyers, combining practicality, efficiency and affordability into one package.
From family hatchbacks and SUVs to dinky superminis, knowing which models are amongst the best-selling cars in 2025 in 2025 can help indicate which manufacturers are currently on top of their game and the cars you should consider when buying a new car.
Seemingly in the blink of an eye, 2025 is nearing a conclusion. But if you’ve been paying attention to this list over recent months and years, the best-selling models in 2025 won’t come as much of a surprise.
Things have remained fairly static at the top of the table over the past few months. The Ford Puma is on course to be crowned the UK’s best-selling car in 2025, making it three-in-a-row for this small SUV. The Kia Sportage is sitting pretty in second place, but the Nissan Qashqai is hot on its heels.
Further down the best-selling cars chart, it’s still all to play for. It’s not a complete SUV-fest in the top 10, though, with the Vauxhall Corsa and Volkswagen Golf continuing to carry the torch for small cars and family hatchbacks.
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How is the new car market performing?
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) recorded 151,154 new car registrations for the month of November, which represented a decline in the new car market of 1.6 per cent year-on-year.
Electrified vehicles (battery electric cars, hybrid and plug-in hybrids) enjoyed a third consecutive month of over 50 per cent market share, while petrol and diesel dropped to a combined share of 48.5 per cent.
A total of 39,965 EVs hit UK roads with the overall market share rising to 26.4 per cent. Year-to-date, 426,209 EVs have been registered, which is more than in the entirety of 2024 with one month still to go.
In a bid to increase EV uptake, the 2025 Autumn Budget saw the Government announce additional funding to extend the Electric Car Grant through to March 2030, while also uplifting the threshold in which EVs would be subjected to the VED Expensive Car Supplement from £40,000 to £50,000.
Future growth could be hampered, though, as the UK Government is planning on introducing an Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) pay-per-mile scheme which would see EV and plug-in hybrid cars be charged for every mile driven in addition to annual VED road tax from 2028.
Best-selling cars in November
The Ford Puma and Kia Sportage continue to battle it out at the top of the month’s sales table. The Puma came out on top in November with 4,859 units registered to the Sportage’s 3,649.
This means Ford’s small SUV continues to lead the best-selling cars table, having sold over 50,000 units since the start of the year.
New nameplates from China are continuing to be a common sight among the established brands in the best-sellers chart. 2,404 examples of the Jaecoo 7 went to new homes in November, putting it in eighth place for the month and beating top-selling stalwarts like the MINI Cooper and Audi A3.
Why is this Chinese car, amongst others big-sellers like the MG HS, so popular with UK buyers?
Cars like the Jaecoo’s 7 take aim at premium models like the BMW X1 and MINI Countryman. In the case of the 7, it comes well-equipped as standard, and with a starting price of around £30,000 it represents great value-for-money which gives it a significant price advantage over its German rivals.
Top 10 best-selling cars 2025
Without further ado, here are the UK’s official best-selling cars of 2025 so far, according to data from the SMMT.
1. Ford Puma - 50,808
The Ford Puma was the UK’s best-selling car in both 2023 and 2024, and as things stand this small SUV is on course to turn this winning streak into a hat-trick. Ford shouldn’t rest on its laurels though because a lot can happen before the end of the year.
It’s not difficult to see why the Ford Puma is one of the best-selling cars currently on sale. The Puma is one of the best cars to drive in its class, it’s good value for money, and a mid-life facelift and the roll-out of the fully electric Ford Puma Gen-E variant make this small car even more appealing. The Puma has its work cut out if it’s to retain its crown in 2026 and beyond as fresh competitors are continuing to arrive at a steady pace.
2. Kia Sportage - 45,814
The Kia Sportage was a frequent sight in the 2024 best-seller rankings, but it couldn’t quite get to number one.
Things are looking much more promising for this mid-size SUV in 2025, and having topped the charts at various points throughout the year, the Sportage remains well within striking distance of the Ford Puma as things stand.
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 - 38,254
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 lots of buyers.
4. Vauxhall Corsa - 34,214
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 remains one of the most recognisable names in the supermini market.
The latest generation offers loads of choice when it comes to trim, kit and powertrains (you can even have a hybrid, or a fully-electric model), and prices start from just over £20,000.
This small car is unlikely to beat the SUVs above to become 2025’s best-seller, but it’s still an undeniably strong performer and one of the best superminis money can buy.
5. Nissan Juke - 32,447
It’s been with us since 2019, but the second-generation Nissan Juke continues to be a steady seller for the Japanese brand.
A mid-life facelift in 2024 has helped this ageing SUV to keep up with its rivals, and its looks are as bold as ever. It would seem that this is enough to keep the Juke in this year’s best-seller charts for the time being.
6. Volkswagen Golf - 30,526
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 model initially got off to a troublesome start (largely thanks to some irritating tech and haptic buttons), 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 because the Golf remains a firm favourite with new-car buyers and a stalwart in the top-10 best-selling cars list.
7. Volkswagen Tiguan - 27,866
Many people appreciate a no-nonsense approach, and the Volkswagen Tiguan is a pretty solid all-rounder that’s good at ticking many of the essential boxes.
The Volkswagen Tiguan is 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 which, with an all-electric range of up to 77 miles according to VW and low Benefit in Kind tax, which should help keep running costs in check.
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8. MG HS - 27,388
MG is going from strength to strength in the UK and the new MG HS is further proof that cars that are well equipped, spacious, economical and good value for money are a winning formula with buyers. As further evidence, it remains well within the top-10 mix.
The MG HS is available with a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or pure-petrol powertrain, and a competitive starting price of just over £26,000 helps it stand out in a crowded market.
This mid-size SUV also comes with a generous amount of kit as standard and is a straightforward family car with a long seven-year/80,000-mile warranty.
9. Hyundai Tucson - 27,261
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 as well, with sales accelerating since earlier in the year, and bumping the Tucson up the top ten.
Not only does it have 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’s recent mid-life refresh has helped it keep with its rivals.
10. Volvo XC40 - 27,085
For the third month in a row, the Volvo XC40 remains one of the best-selling cars in the UK.
Competitive pricing must be playing a part, as currently a mild hybrid XC40 starts at under £36,000, not just the most affordable model Volvo sells, but also a shade cheaper than other premium small SUVs like the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 – if still more than mainstream alternatives.
The XC40’s also among the more stylish cars in this class, and the interior has an understated aura too, while there’s more space than you might expect given the car’s 4.4-metre length. Throw in a stellar reputation for safety and a range of punchy (if not class-leadingly frugal) engines and it’s not hard to see why the Volvo’s become a hit with the UK carbuying public.
Sales vs registrations: inside the numbers
There’s an important distinction to be made where the UK’s monthly and annual ‘car sales’ figures 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 figures could be pre-registered, and estimates of how many range between 10 and 20 per cent.
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