Best-selling cars 2025: The UK's ten most popular models of the year so far
The official top 10 so far
We’re just three months into 2025 but, with official registration data from January and February now available, a picture of the 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 fully 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 said it didn’t expect any brand to have to pay the £15,000 fine for every internal combustion engine (ICE) car sold above the quota (£9,000 for every van) last year, due to “flexibility” built into the system (based on overall emissions from fleets of cars sold over previous years).
However, it means 2025 will be another tough year for vehicle makers as the Zero Emission Vehicle (zev) mandate heat is turned up by the government, and in February the share of electric cars was just 22.8 per cent. That’s an increase from 15.8 per cent in the same month of February 2024, showing progress is being made, but of the top 10 best sellers so far this year, only four are available with pure-electric powertrains, and a fifth — the Ford Puma — is not getting an electric version until later this spring.
It may mean that, once again, carmakers will have to heavily discount electric models, or reduce the supply of petrol and hybrid cars, to meet the zero emission vehicle mandate.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which represents the UK car industry and releases the registration figures, said:
“Although February’s figures show a subdued overall market, the good news is that electric car uptake is increasing, albeit at huge cost to manufacturers in terms of market support. It is always dangerous, however, to draw conclusions from a single month, especially one as small and volatile as February.”
He added that “EV consumers need carrots, not ever more sticks” if the government wants to encourage people into electric cars, highlighting a change in road tax coming in April that will see buyers of new EVs paying VED for the first time, and EVs costing over £40,000 also attracting the expensive car supplement.
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. Kia Sportage: 4,992 registrations in 2025 to date
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 on 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 the first two months of this year — all the more impressive.
- 2022 Kia Sportage: all the info plus how it stacks up against its key rivals
- After reviewing the Kia Sportage Hybrid, has Jeremy Clarkson given up on cars?
2. Nissan Qashqai: 4,948 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.
3. Vauxhall Corsa: 4,625 registrations
The Vauxhall Corsa supermini started 2024 strongly but was knocked off the number one spot in May, and finished the year outside the top 10. The same pattern may occur this year, too, as sales of popular high-riding SUVs gather pace.
With Ford discontinuing its hugely popular Fiesta, the Corsa’s chief rival, in 2023, it was an opportunity for rivals like Vauxhall to capitalise; Renault said as much about the hybrid Clio it launched 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 much more affordable than the electric version of the Vauxhall supermini, so its excellent start in 2025 is looking shaky long term.
4. Volkswagen Golf: 4,302 registrations
You might have expected the legendary VW Golf to do be doing even better than fourth in this list, but it goes to show how much crossovers and SUVs are now in vogue, and the current eighth-generation model 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.
- Read our review of the 2020 Volkswagen Golf Mk8
- Here are details on changes for the 2024 VW Golf Mk8.5
5. Nissan Juke: 3,943 registrations
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 forthcoming replacement model, announced last year, may continue in much the same vein.
6. Peugeot 3008: 3,851 registrations
The Peugeot 3008 is the first of two models from the French brand in the top seven for the first two months of 2025. The carmaker puts this down to some excellent offers — across employer salary sacrifice and Motability schemes, as well as retail (private sales) — in the last part of 2024 gaining traction into 2025.
Peugeot is also being smart in offering its cars with a “multi-energy” policy, which means you can get many of its products in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric forms, and the 3008 crossover is no exception.
Its success is all the more impressive, though, given it has excellent rivals such as the Hyundai Tucson, Ford Puma, Škoda Karoq and Kia Sportage. Customers like the Peugeot’s good looks, commanding driving position and high quality, stylish interior. The electric model offers up to 435 miles of range, too.
It’s not the most exciting car to drive in its segment, nor the cheapest (prices start at £35,660), and many note its slightly cramped rear seats, but the 3008 in all its guises is a solid choice and can make a lot of sense with the right monthly payment deal.
7. Peugeot 2008: 3,826 registrations
The Peugeot 2008 is the 3008’s little brother, and so comes in at a more affordable price (starting at £28,830) but with the same sharp looks and multi-energy powertrain choice… though this time in petrol, hybrid and electric forms (there’s no plug-in hybrid here).
It’s a refined car to drive, with decent interior space and performance, and the e-2008’s range between charges of 251 miles (officially) is perfectly good for most people’s day-to-day needs. Its i-Cockpit cabin won’t be to everyone’s tastes but it’s certainly eye-catching, and the 2008 is a car most people will be pleased to see sitting outside their house.
8. Mini Cooper: 3,802 registrations
Mini’s hatchback is now known as the Mini Cooper, regardless of what powertrain it comes with. There’s a petrol with three or five doors, as well as an electric model. And while the design, refreshed for late 2024, are shared, the combustion and electric models are built around different underpinnings, making them all the more dissimilar in driving feel. For now, the electric models are built in China, too, despite talk of potentially retooling the factory in Oxford to also build them alongside the petrol models.
Regardless, the more bulbous looks are likely to still resonate with buyers, the interior is even cooler, and the electric Cooper can now go up to 250 miles per charge, depending on the version (a big improvement on the car it replaces). In fact, the Mini Cooper was the UK’s best selling car overall in February.
9. Ford Puma: 3,798 registrations
Although it hasn’t had a lightning start to 2025, the Ford Puma topped the sales charts for both 2023 and 2024, and we can expect it to climb up this list throughout the year.
The Puma’s success is arguably no surprise as Ford’s entry-level crossover SUV is based on the excellent Fiesta, and 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 discontinue the Fiesta and plough ahead with the new pure-electric Puma Gen-E, to add to the electric line-up alongside the Mustang Mach-E, new Capri and new Explorer. Quite the changing of the guard.
- Read our review of the 2020 Ford Puma here
- And take a look at the forthcoming pure-electric Ford Puma Gen-E
10. Volkswagen Tiguan: 3,676 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 two 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 grown-up choice.
Top 10 most popular cars
| # | Make & model | Registrations to date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kia Sportage | 4,992 |
| 2 | Nissan Qashqai | 4,948 |
| 3 | Volkswagen Corsa | 4,625 |
| 4 | Volkswagen Golf | 4,302 |
| 5 | Nissan Juke | 3,943 |
| 6 | Peugeot 3008 | 3,851 |
| 7 | Peugeot 2008 | 3,826 |
| 8 | MINI Cooper | 3,802 |
| 9 | Ford Puma | 3,798 |
| 10 | Volkswagen Tiguan | 3,676 |
Related articles
- After reading about the UK’s most popular cars for 2025, you might be interested to look back at the best-selling cars of 2024
- Also check out the best five electric cars for under £25,000 to buy in 2025
- And here is our list of the five best ‘self-charging’ hybrid cars to buy in 2025
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