2026 (Q1): New passenger vehicle registrations in Britain increased by 6.6% with Volkswagen, Kia, and BMW the best-selling car brands.
The British new car market expanded to over 600,000 units during the first quarter of 2026. March 2026 sales were at the highest level since 2019. Battery-electric vehicles took a record 22% share of new car sales in the United Kingdom. The best-selling brands were VW, Kia, and BMW, while the Ford Puma was again the top-selling car model in Britain in 2026 (Q1).
Latest British Car Sales Data: 2026 (Q1): Brands, Models; 2025: Market Overview, Brands, Models, Electric, Car Parc; 2024-2008.
British New Car Market in 2026 (Q1)
New passenger vehicle registrations in the United Kingdom increased by 5.9% to 614,854 cars in the first quarter of 2026.
The British new car market expanded by 6.6% to 380,627 cars in March 2026. These were the highest sales in March since 2019. March is traditionally the most important month for the British new car market due to a change in the number plate numbers.
Car Sales by Fuel Type in Britain in 2026 (Q1)
New car sales by power source or fuel type in Britain in 2026 (Q1), according to the SMMT, were as follows:
| Fuel Type | Sales 2026 (Q1) | Sales 2025 (Q1) | % Change | % Share 2026 | % Share 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 30,513 | 33,833 | -9.8% | 5.0% | 5.8% |
| Petrol | 276,689 | 286,787 | -3.5% | 45.0% | 49.4% |
| BEV | 137,614 | 120,191 | 14.5% | 22.4% | 20.7% |
| PHEV | 78,666 | 53,686 | 46.5% | 12.8% | 9.2% |
| HEV | 91,372 | 86,005 | 6.2% | 14.9% | 14.8% |
| TOTAL | 614,854 | 580,502 | 5.9% |
NOTE: BEV – Battery Electric Vehicle; PHEV – Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle; HEV – Hybrid Electric Vehicle Diesel and Petrol figures include Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV)
Battery-electric cars reached their highest share ever in Britain, but the 22.4% is still way off the government mandated 33% required for the full year 2026. In the other two large European markets, where an all-electric share is not yet compulsory, higher market penetration was reached: 22.8% in Germany and 27.9% in France.
Top 50 Best-Selling Car Brands in Britain in 2026 (Q1)
The 50 top-selling car brands in Britain in 2026 (Q1), according to the SMMT, were:
| R | Marque | Sales 2026 (Q1) | Sales 2025 (Q1) | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volkswagen | 46,994 | 53,156 | -11.59 |
| 2 | Kia | 34,616 | 35,063 | -1.27 |
| 3 | BMW | 33,907 | 35,559 | -4.65 |
| 4 | Ford | 32,774 | 34,703 | -5.56 |
| 5 | Audi | 30,043 | 27,806 | 8.05 |
| 6 | Mercedes | 28,296 | 27,415 | 3.21 |
| 7 | Vauxhall | 27,840 | 27,371 | 1.71 |
| 8 | Toyota | 25,408 | 26,144 | -2.82 |
| 9 | Peugeot | 25,018 | 28,536 | -12.33 |
| 10 | Skoda | 24,431 | 22,572 | 8.24 |
| 11 | Nissan | 24,310 | 27,855 | -12.73 |
| 12 | Hyundai | 24,201 | 24,886 | -2.75 |
| 13 | MG | 23,878 | 24,641 | -3.10 |
| 14 | Land Rover | 21,479 | 21,145 | 1.58 |
| 15 | BYD | 21,337 | 9,271 | 130.15 |
| 16 | Volvo | 19,125 | 18,967 | 0.83 |
| 17 | Jaecoo | 18,912 | 3,235 | 484.61 |
| 18 | Renault | 18,844 | 17,693 | 6.51 |
| 19 | Mini | 14,040 | 13,049 | 7.59 |
| 20 | Cupra | 11,799 | 10,032 | 17.61 |
| 21 | Tesla | 11,739 | 12,474 | -5.89 |
| 22 | Mazda | 10,543 | 10,996 | -4.12 |
| 23 | Citroen | 9,584 | 4,389 | 118.36 |
| 24 | Omoda | 9,049 | 3,194 | 183.31 |
| 25 | Suzuki | 8,588 | 5,925 | 44.95 |
| 26 | Dacia | 8,452 | 9,261 | -8.74 |
| 27 | Chery | 8,077 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 28 | Honda | 7,351 | 8,902 | -17.42 |
| 29 | Seat | 4,830 | 6,953 | -30.53 |
| 30 | Porsche | 4,481 | 5,331 | -15.94 |
| 31 | Polestar | 4,151 | 3,695 | 12.34 |
| 32 | Lexus | 4,064 | 4,404 | -7.72 |
| 33 | Jeep | 3,771 | 4,085 | -7.69 |
| 34 | Leapmotor | 3,096 | 193 | 1,504.15 |
| 35 | Fiat | 1,612 | 4,084 | -60.53 |
| 36 | Geely | 1,595 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 37 | Changan | 753 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 38 | Alfa Romeo | 739 | 741 | -0.27 |
| 39 | Alpine | 712 | 42 | 1,595.24 |
| 40 | Subaru | 657 | 825 | -20.36 |
| 41 | Smart | 583 | 487 | 19.71 |
| 42 | KGM | 578 | 513 | 12.67 |
| 43 | Xpeng | 353 | 36 | 880.56 |
| 44 | Genesis | 292 | 419 | -30.31 |
| 45 | Lotus | 235 | 644 | -63.51 |
| 46 | GWM | 109 | 86 | 26.74 |
| 47 | Maserati | 104 | 102 | 1.96 |
| 48 | Abarth | 91 | 134 | -32.09 |
| 49 | Ineos | 83 | 55 | 50.91 |
| 50 | DS | 46 | 198 | -76.77 |
| Total | 614,854 | 580,502 | 5.92 | |
| Source: SMMT |
Top Car Brands in Britain in 2026 (Q1)
Volkswagen remained the leading car brand in Britain during the first quarter of 2026 despite VW sales contracting by 12%. Of the top 20 brands, only Peugeot and Nissan performed worse in the UK.
Kia moved into second place in the UK for the first time ever, while BMW slipped down one position. Ford, for decades the largest car brand in Britain, maintained its fourth place.
Most of Britain’s top brands saw weaker sales. Of the top 15 brands in Britain, only three gained market share during 2026 (Q1): Audi (+8%), Skoda (+8%), and BYD (+130%).
Nissan dropped out of the top 10 (from 6th) and Tesla out of the top 20 (from 18th).
MG remained the largest Chinese car brand in Britain in 2026 (Q1) despite weaker sales. Several other Chinese brands had strong sales in the UK:
- BYD: 21st to 15th with sales up 130%
- Jaecoo: 32nd to 17th with sales up 485% (and the top-selling car model in Britain in March 2026).
- Omoda: 33rd to 24th with sales up 183%
- Chery: new entry at 27th
- Leapmotor: 42nd to 34th with sales up 1,504%
- Xpeng: 48th to 43rd with sales up 880%
Of the larger, established brands in Britain, the worst performers in 2026 (Q1) included Fiat (-60%), Seat (-30%), and Porsche (-16%). Strong sales increases, other than the above mentioned Chinese brands, included Citroen (+118%), Suzuki (+45%), and Smart (+20%).
→ The top-selling car models in Britain in 2026 (Q1) were the Ford Puma, Jaecoo 7, and Kia Sportage.