The UK car market · SMMT data
New vs used: what Britain is actually buying.
UK buyers registered 350,536 new cars in September 2026 (+12% year-on-year) and bought 2,009,318 used cars in Q2 2026 (+0.7%). The new market is led by crossovers; the used market still runs on superminis — topped by the discontinued Ford Fiesta. And while 28.3% of new cars are now electric, only 5.5% of used sales are.
New cars · September 2026
350,536
+12% vs 312,891 a year earlier
Top 10 — September 2026
| # | Model | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla Model 3 | 9,929 |
| 2 | Tesla Model Y | 5,946 |
| 3 | BYD Sealion 7 | 3,191 |
| 4 | BYD Seal | 3,184 |
| 5 | Kia EV3 | 3,026 |
| 6 | Skoda Enyaq | 2,214 |
| 7 | Volvo EX30 | 1,961 |
| 8 | Mercedes CLA | 1,921 |
| 9 | Skoda Elroq | 1,897 |
| 10 | Leapmotor B10 | 1,883 |
Top 10 — 2026 so far
| # | Model | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Puma | 42,926 |
| 2 | Jaecoo 7 | 39,474 |
| 3 | Kia Sportage | 37,085 |
| 4 | Nissan Qashqai | 33,082 |
| 5 | Vauxhall Corsa | 27,390 |
| 6 | Volkswagen Golf | 26,702 |
| 7 | MG HS | 26,653 |
| 8 | Mini Cooper | 23,724 |
| 9 | Tesla Model 3 | 23,704 |
| 10 | Volvo XC40 | 23,655 |
Fuel mix
| Fuel | Units | Share | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEV | 99,201 | 28.3% | +36.3% |
| HEV | 45,839 | 13.1% | -4.3% |
| PHEV | 59,571 | 17% | +55.5% |
| Petrol | 131,864 | 37.6% | -6.7% |
| Diesel | 14,061 | 4% | +11.5% |
Who's buying
| Buyer | Units | Share | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private | 149,166 | 42.6% | +13.9% |
| Fleet | 190,998 | 54.5% | +9.6% |
| Business | 10,372 | 3% | +37.3% |
Used cars · Q2 2026
2,009,318
+0.7% vs 1,996,116 a year earlier
Top 10 used models
| # | Model | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Fiesta | 76,745 |
| 2 | Vauxhall Corsa | 62,201 |
| 3 | Volkswagen Golf | 56,236 |
| 4 | Ford Focus | 54,662 |
| 5 | Nissan Qashqai | 42,214 |
| 6 | Volkswagen Polo | 39,159 |
| 7 | BMW 3 Series | 37,621 |
| 8 | MINI | 37,438 |
| 9 | Vauxhall Astra | 35,340 |
| 10 | BMW 1 Series | 32,363 |
Fuel mix
| Fuel | Units | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,121,243 | 55.8% |
| Diesel | 620,045 | 30.9% |
| Hybrid | 130,825 | 6.5% |
| Electric | 110,761 | 5.5% |
| Plug-in Hybrid | 22,856 | 1.1% |
Models, regions and colours below are Q1 2026. SMMT publishes those three as chart images rather than data, so they lag the transaction totals above.
By region
| Region | Units |
|---|---|
| South East | 292,545 |
| North West | 222,997 |
| West Midlands | 207,765 |
| East | 194,898 |
| South West | 185,473 |
| Yorkshire & Humberside | 182,360 |
| East Midlands | 161,809 |
| Scotland | 159,865 |
| London | 147,334 |
| Wales | 107,408 |
By colour
| Colour | Units |
|---|---|
| Black | 429,392 |
| Grey | 376,124 |
| White | 331,409 |
| Blue | 318,100 |
| Silver/Aluminium | 259,424 |
| Red | 197,170 |
| Green | 36,862 |
| Orange | 15,565 |
| Yellow | 10,820 |
| Brown | 9,741 |
Forecourt data · the best-sellers, analysed
Which of Britain's best-sellers actually hold their value?
Of the UK's best-selling cars, the Mini Cooper holds its value best on our data — keeping about 73% of its price after three years — while the BYD Seal keeps the least (46%). Every figure is drawn from the same depreciation, MOT and running-cost data behind that car's full profile.
| Model | Holds value · 3yr | Reliability | Cost to run · /yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini Cooper | 73% | — | £2,533/yr |
| Volkswagen Golf | 72% | better than 52% | £2,839/yr |
| Jaecoo 7 | 69% | — | £2,912/yr |
| Ford Focus | 69% | better than 45% | £2,507/yr |
| Volvo XC40 | 68% | better than 75% | £3,285/yr |
| Nissan Qashqai | 67% | — | £2,734/yr |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 66% | better than 23% | £2,214/yr |
| Kia EV3 | 65% | — | £1,824/yr |
| Skoda Elroq | 65% | — | £1,811/yr |
| Volkswagen Polo | 65% | — | £2,161/yr |
| Vauxhall Astra | 65% | better than 37% | £2,576/yr |
| BMW 1 Series | 64% | better than 52% | £2,997/yr |
| Kia Sportage | 63% | better than 29% | £2,859/yr |
| MG HS | 63% | better than 45% | £2,780/yr |
| BMW 3 Series | 61% | better than 21% | £4,008/yr |
| Ford Puma | 59% | better than 89% | £2,447/yr |
| Ford Fiesta | 55% | better than 45% | £2,149/yr |
| Tesla Model Y | 54% | better than 7% | £2,681/yr |
| BYD Sealion 7 | 54% | — | £1,916/yr |
| Skoda Enyaq | 52% | better than 29% | £2,234/yr |
| Volvo EX30 | 50% | — | £2,155/yr |
| Tesla Model 3 | 46% | better than 15% | £2,425/yr |
| BYD Seal | 46% | — | £1,929/yr |
“Holds value” is the share of its original price a typical example keeps after three years, from each model's depreciation curve. “Reliability” is the model's percentile for MOT pass rate across the cars we track. “Cost to run” is fuel, servicing, road tax and insurance for a typical three-year-old at average mileage, excluding depreciation. All come from the same data behind the full profiles. How these are worked out →
Forecourt data · value-retention league
Which cars hold their value best — and worst?
Across every model Forecourt tracks, the Caterham Seven holds its value best — keeping about 91% of its original price after three years — while the Jaguar I-Pace keeps the least, at 34%. Each figure is the three-year point on that model's depreciation curve, the same one behind its full profile.
Holds value best
| Model | Holds value · 3yr | Reliability |
|---|---|---|
| Caterham Seven | 91% | — |
| Hyundai i10 | 84% | better than 37% |
| Kia Picanto | 80% | — |
| Toyota Yaris Cross | 79% | better than 92% |
| Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe | 79% | — |
| Honda Jazz | 78% | better than 98% |
| Toyota Yaris | 77% | better than 82% |
| Bentley Continental GT | 77% | better than 92% |
Loses value fastest
| Model | Holds value · 3yr | Reliability |
|---|---|---|
| Jaguar I-Pace | 34% | better than 87% |
| Renault Zoe | 37% | better than 40% |
| Nissan Leaf | 38% | better than 72% |
| MG MG5 | 38% | — |
| Volkswagen ID. Buzz | 40% | better than 37% |
Ranked by the share of original price kept at three years, across the models we track. Reliability is each model's MOT pass-rate percentile. How these are worked out →
Forecourt data · surviving vs vanishing
Which best-sellers are growing — and which are fading — on UK roads?
Among the cars Britain buys most, the Volvo EX30 is growing fastest on the road, up 105.9% year-on-year vs 2024, while the Vauxhall Astra is fading fastest, down 9.4%. Figures track how many of each model are taxed for UK road use.
Growing on UK roads
Year-on-year change in the number taxed for UK road use, vs 2024, for the current best-sellers. From DVLA/DfT vehicle-licensing data. How these are worked out →
Common questions
Most asked
Which cars hold their value best in the UK?
Across the models Forecourt tracks, the Caterham Seven holds its value best, keeping about 91% of its original price after three years. The figure is the three-year point on its depreciation curve, the same data behind its full profile.
Which cars lose their value fastest in the UK?
The Jaguar I-Pace retains the least of the models we track, keeping about 34% of its price after three years. Fast depreciation tends to hit cars with weak used demand, plentiful supply, or rapidly improving newer versions.
What is the best-selling new car in the UK?
The Tesla Model 3 is the UK's best-selling new car, with 9,929 registered in September 2026 and 42,926 so far in 2026. It leads a new market that has tilted heavily toward crossovers and SUVs, holding top spot even as total registrations sit at 350,536 for the month (+12% year-on-year).
What is the best-selling used car in the UK?
The Ford Fiesta is the UK's best-selling used car, with 76,745 changing hands in Q2 2026 — striking for a model no longer in production. The used market runs on established superminis and family cars rather than the crossovers that lead new sales, which is why the new and used best-seller lists look so different.
How many new cars were registered in the UK in September 2026?
350,536 new cars were registered in September 2026, +12% against the 312,891 registered a year earlier. Of those, 28.3% were battery-electric — the clearest sign of how quickly the new-car mix is shifting even when the headline volume moves only modestly.
How many used cars were sold in the UK in Q2 2026?
2,009,318 used cars changed hands in Q2 2026, +0.7% on the 1,996,116 a year earlier. The used market dwarfs the new one in volume, which is why used-car value retention, reliability and running costs matter more to most buyers than new-model launches.
What share of UK car sales are electric?
28.3% of new cars in September 2026 were battery-electric, versus just 5.5% of used sales in Q2 2026. That gap is one of the biggest stories in the market: the new fleet is electrifying years ahead of the used fleet, so used EVs remain a small, fast-moving slice where depreciation and battery condition matter most.
About this data
New-car figures are official UK registrations for September 2026; used-car figures are transactions reported for Q2 2026. New and used periods differ because the two datasets are published on different cycles — registrations monthly, used-car volumes quarterly.
Source: SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders). Model links go to Forecourt's own depreciation, running-cost and reliability profiles. Figures are reproduced for reference; where a model isn't yet in our catalogue it appears without a link.
Data updated 2026-10-05 · Source: SMMT