By ROB HULL, MOTORING EDITOR
New car showrooms last year were the busiest they've been since the pandemic.
More than two million new cars entered the road in 2025 - the first time sales have eclipsed the 2,000,000 mark in a calendar year since 2019 as dealers saw more vehicles out the door.
But some models were purchased in far greater volumes than others.
New data published by the motor trade body has confirmed the ten most in-demand cars of the previous 12 months.
In a clear sign of the recent shift in buyer demand, SUVs and crossovers dominate the best sellers list as Britons continue to choose higher-riding and larger models.
And in a major indicator of the decline in appetite for electric vehicles and Elon Musk, Tesla fails to make an appearance in the top 10 for the first time in four years.
Here's a countdown of the most bought models, with the best seller of all accruing almost 55,000 registrations to take the crown.
Price: from £33,105
Hyundai's Tucson has made it into the top 10 best sellers list yet again, but registrations are on the decline, and it has slipped down the pecking order compared to a year ago...
The Hyundai Tucson is an impressive and capable mid-size SUV that has grown in popularity in recent years to secure its place in the hearts of the nation's family-car buyers.
This Mk4 Tucson was unveiled in 2020 and comes with a unique look that might not be to all tastes - especially the 'face' of the car, with its enormous grille that incorporates the headlight clusters.
Sold with a choice of hybrid - and plug-in hybrid - engines, lots of specification as standard and a tech-rammed interior, we're not surprised to see it in this list.
However, year-on-year sales fell by 11 per cent. In 2025, some 28,613 Tucsons were snapped up by Britons, which is 3,441 fewer than the year previous (32,164).
As such, the Hyundai SUV has slipped from the UK's seventh favourite new car in 2024 to the tenth most popular in 2025.
Price: from £38,900
Volkswagen's Tiguan has re-entered the top 10 UK best sellers list for 2025 with almost 30,000 registrations in the previous calendar year
Since the Tiguan first broke onto the scene in 2007, it has been VW's best-selling global product.
The first two generations achieved more than 7.5million registrations over a 15-year cycle, so it's little surprise to see the latest iteration hit the right note for UK buyers.
The arrival of third-generation Tiguan in 2024 has seen VW's longest-running SUV re-enter the top 10 best sellers list with 29,857 registrations over the previous 12 months.
While the looks have been updated and there's been a big upgrade in cabin tech and quality, there's a new engine option that's making the Tiguan a very good choice for company car drivers.
The new plug-in hybrid not only guarantees low benefit-in-kind tax but provides an electric-only range of 77 miles. With the average Briton covering approximately 23.2 miles per day (based on average annual mileage of 8,460m), that's enough for three days of use without the petrol engine having to kick into action.
1. Volkswagen: 178,607 sales
2. BMW: 122,723 sales
3. Ford: 118,998 sales
4. Kia: 113,436 sales
5. Audi: 111,115 sales
6. Hyundai: 93,124 sales
7. Toyota: 90,126 sales
8. Nissan: 90,102 sales
9. Mercedes-Benz: 89,267 sales
10. MG: 85,155 sales
Source: SMMT
Price: from £26,245
The MG HS for a third consecutive year is Britain's most popular 'budget' SUV - and the best-selling Chinese car
The MG HS is officially the most popular budget-friendly SUV in the UK - and, despite a huge growth in the market, is the still the best-selling Chinese model.
The latter is some achievement, given the influx of new Chinese motors - especially SUVs - that have become available in the last 18 months from brands including BYD, Geely, Jaecoo, Leapmotor and Omoda.
A major upgrade to the HS late in 2023 brought sleeker looks and even more space - though a fractional increase in price.
The new HS is not just bigger but has a comprehensively overhauled cabin and a varied selection of engine options, including a plug-in hybrid drivetrain.
While price is still a strong USP, so too are ultra-competitive lease deals, which is where a lot of registration traction is generated.
And demand has been consistent with the year previous. In fact, the 30,191 sales in 2025 was just 16 units short of its 2024 count.
Price: from £35,840
Few family cars in recent years has picked up the volume of awards as the Volvo XC40. And despite launching some seven years ago, sales show Britons still love it
Volvo's award-winning XC40 amassed 30,404 registrations last year, which is 202 more than the year previous and good enough to sneak into seventh spot in the best-sellers list.
Since arriving on the market in 2018, the Swedish brand's first compact SUV has been a real force.
Having picked up a stash of motoring gongs, it has successfully turned widespread industry praise into significant sales. Today, it is by far the company's most popular model among Britons.
A combination of chunky - but stylish - looks, loads of comfort, a contemporary cabin and high degree of safety [as you'd expect from a Volvo] has put this luxury 4X4 among the array of mainstream SUVs tallying up the largest sales figures.
Price: from £28,895
Among the variety of SUVs and crossovers, the Volkswagen Golf continues to be a volume seller and remains Britain's favourite conventional family hatchback with almost 32,500 sales
Having sensationally dropped out of the top 10 best sellers in 2023 for the first time in decades, the Golf has cemented itself back among the most in-demand motors in the last two years.
With 32,478 sales in 2025, it is firmly back in the league table, retaining its sixth spot from last year to help Volkswagen retain its crown as the nation's most popular car brand.
In 2025, it was Britain's favourite family hatchback, having eclipsed its Audi sibling, the A3, which overtook the evergreen VW in 2023.
The current Mk8 Golf first arrived back in 2020. And while it ticked many boxes for customers it also had major flaws that put plenty of consumers off purchasing one.
The facelifted Golf 'Mk8.5' arrived in time for early 2024 and addresses this issue by rectifying the clunky infotainment setup and over-reliance on voice controls by reintroducing buttons to the dashboard for users to make adjustments on the move with improved ease.
The line-up is available with a choice of petrol, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains as well as six trim levels and a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes. With a GTI version too, there's pretty much a Golf for everyone.
Price: from £24,265
Despite ever stiffer competition in the hotly contested compact crossover segment, the Nissan Juke remains a big favourite in Britain. There a good deals to be had on this Sunderland-made motor
Nissan's Juke continues to be a big hit in Britain, despite the fact it is facing ever stiffer competition from rivals in the hotly contested compact crossover segment.
Showrooms sold 34,733 examples in 2025, which is up on the 34,456 registered the year previous.
This is partly thanks to an extensive upgrade as part of its mid-life facelift in 2023 that was intended to steal a march on Ford's volume-selling Puma.
The second-generation Juke, which has been on sale since 2019 and is built at the Japanese company's Sunderland factory, has been updated with a new interior and bigger touchscreen, more technology and driver assistance systems - and what Nissan says is a big step-up in quality.
But it came at a price, as the move upmarket pushed entry prices £2,000 higher.
Since the original Juke hit the market in 2010, it's been a success story, especially for Britain. Designed at the company's centre in the heart of London, developed at its research department in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, and built at Nissan Sunderland, the Juke's DNA is very much in the heartland of England.
1. Tesla Model Y: 24,298 sales
2. Tesla Model 3: 21,188 sales
3. Audi Q4 e-tron: 14,433 sales
4. Audi Q6 e-tron: 13,148 sales
5. Ford Explorer: 12,237 sales
6. BMW i4: 12,158 sales
7. Skoda Enyaq: 11,940 sales
8. Kia EV3: 11,188 sales
9. Skoda Elroq: 10,713 sales
10. Volvo EX30: 10,289 sales
Source: SMMT
Price: from £18,725
The Corsa dropped out of the top 10 best sellers in 2024 but was back with a vengeance last year with the supermini amassing almost 36,000 sales
Since the demise of the Ford Fiesta in 2023, conventional superminis have found it tough to stay relevant against a growing SUV market. And this includes the perennial favourite from Vauxhall - the Corsa - which has been on our roads since the 1990s.
It dropped out of the top 10 best sellers list entirely last year, which is a huge fall from grace for a model that topped the sales charts in 2021.
Last year, it bounded back up to fourth in the standings with 35,947 sales.
The availability of the Corsa Electric and Corsa Hybrid have also helped bolster registrations, though it is petrol models that are driving the bulk of demand.
A facelifted version of both the conventional and battery-powered supermini emerged in early 2024 and offers sharper looks and more tech than before in a bid to help the Corsa retain its title as the nation's favourite small car.
Price: from £30,615
Nissan's Qashqai continues to be a volume seller in Britain - though is no longer the most popular family SUV in the UK
The nation's favourite car in 2022 has dropped back in the order for 2025 - and is no longer Britain's most-bought family SUV.
The Qashqai totalled 41,141 sales last year, which is almost the same volume in the previous calendar year (42,418).
It is still by far Nissan's most popular car, even despite the ongoing success of the smaller Juke.
While it might have lost its crown as the UK's best-selling family SUV, it has retained its moniker as the most popular domestically built motor, with production of Qashqai located in Sunderland, where the Juke and new Leaf EV are also manufactured.
A mid-life facelift in the last 18 months introduced exterior design tweaks, improved quality interior, revised safety assists and better connectivity thanks to built-in Google. Revisions to the e-Power hybrid drivetrain mean it's more efficient than before too.
But these upgrades have come at a cost, pushing the entry price marginally higher to just over £30k.
Price: from £30,935
Kia's Sportage for a second consecutive year has been Britain's top choice medium-size family SUV option
While the Hyundai Tucson amassed an impressive sales haul to place tenth in this list, its sister model has done even better.
The Kia Sportage - which shares a platform with the Tucson - has sold in such big numbers in 2025 that it has taken second spot in the popularity chart.
For the second successive year, it has gazumped the Nissan Qashqai to become Britain's most popular family-size compact SUV. That's no small feat for the Korean brand; Qashqai had been the nation's top choice in the segment for 17 years since the first-generation model arrived in 2007.
The fifth iteration of Sportage on sale now is proof of how far the manufacturer has come in recent years, with the SUV packed with kit and offering a refined ride. Like the Tucson, it has distinctive styling - especially its boomerang-shaped headlights. Sold with a choice of petrol, conventional hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains, there's plenty of choice for customers, too.
The 47,788 that entered the road last year was a slight improvement on 2024's haul of 47,163 units.
Price: from £26,580
Hat-trick: For the third consecutive year, Ford's Puma is Britain's best-selling new motor. Some 55,500 UK drivers chose to buy one last year
Ford has done it yet again and taken the top spot in the UK charts with a third consecutive year with the Puma outselling all rivals.
Historically, Ford has been a dominant force in the sales charts. In the 55 years that registrations have officially been tracked, a model with the blue oval badge has topped the charts an astonishing 52 times.
Its stretch of having the number one car in the UK dates from the Cortina in 1972 to the Fiesta in 2020. Vauxhall's Corsa (2021) and Nissan's Qashqai (2022) knocked Ford off its perch before the Puma reclaimed the crown in 2023.
With the Fiesta - Britain's most-owned car - now resigned to the history books after Ford culled production in the summer of 2023, the Puma has taken over the mantle as the company's major seller.
Once again, it is the nation's favoured super-compact SUV, outperforming the likes of the Nissan Juke, Skoda Kamiq and Vauxhall Mokka.
The 55,488 sold in 2025 is 7,000 more than Ford dealers shifted the year previous (48,340).
Customers have been drawn to its stylish looks, engaging handling and boost to practicality and elevated driving position over a conventional hatchback.
Its appeal was broadened in 2025 with the all-electric Puma Gen-E version, which starts from £30k.
- 1971 Austin Morris 1100/1300 - 133,527
- 1972 Ford Cortina - 187,159
- 1973 Ford Cortina - 181,607
- 1974 Ford Cortina - 131,234
- 1975 Ford Cortina - 106,787
- 1976 Ford Escort - 133,959
- 1977 Ford Cortina - 120,601*
- 1978 Ford Cortina - 139,204*
- 1979 Ford Cortina - 193,784
- 1980 Ford Cortina - 190,281
- 1981 Ford Cortina - 159,804
- 1982 Ford Escort - 166,942
- 1983 Ford Escort - 174,190
- 1984 Ford Escort - 157,340*
- 1985 Ford Escort - 157,269*
- 1986 Ford Escort - 156,895*
- 1987 Ford Escort - 178,001
- 1988 Ford Escort - 172,706*
- 1989 Ford Escort - 181,218
- 1990 Ford Fiesta - 151,475
- 1991 Ford Fiesta - 117,181
- 1992 Ford Escort - 121,140
- 1993 Ford Escort - 122,002
- 1994 Ford Escort - 144,089
- 1995 Ford Escort - 137,760
- 1996 Ford Fiesta - 139,680
- 1997 Ford Fiesta - 119,478*
- 1998 Ford Fiesta - 116,120
- 1999 Ford Focus - 103.242
- 2000 Ford Focus - 114,529
- 2001 Ford Focus - 137,087
- 2002 Ford Focus - 151,236
- 2003 Ford Focus - 131,701
- 2004 Ford Focus - 141,021
- 2005 Ford Focus - 145,010
- 2006 Ford Focus - 137,694
- 2007 Ford Focus - 126,928
- 2008 Ford Focus - 101,593
- 2009 Ford Fiesta - 117,296
- 2010 Ford Fiesta - 103,013
- 2011 Ford Fiesta - 96,112
- 2012 Ford Fiesta - 109,265
- 2013 Ford Fiesta - 121,929
- 2014 Ford Fiesta - 131,254
- 2015 Ford Fiesta - 133,434
- 2016 Ford Fiesta - 120,525
- 2017 Ford Fiesta - 94,533
- 2018 Ford Fiesta - 95,892
- 2019 Ford Fiesta - 77,833
- 2020 Ford Fiesta - 49,174
- 2021 Vauxhall Corsa - 40,914
- 2022 Nissan Qashqai - 42,704
- 2023 Ford Puma - 49,591
- 2024 Ford Puma - 48, 340
- 2025 Ford Puma - 55,487
*figures not confirmed
