2024 was quite the year for the car industry. New car registrations increased by 2.6% compared with the year before, while the Ford Puma was crowned the best-seller.
The Blue Oval’s small SUV topped the charts for the second consecutive year, and it's back at the top once again, three months into 2025.
Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that cars sales improved year on year in March, rising 12.4% to 357,103.
It was the best March for new car registration since 2019. EV sales also increased by a healthy 43.2%.
But which are the top 10 best-selling cars of the year so far? Keep reading to find out, with data directly from the SMMT.
The most popular new cars of 2025
1. Ford Puma – 14,930 units
The best-selling car of 2024 had a slow start to this year, but a strong March performance pushed the compact crossover back to the top spot.
The Puma appeals because it's engaging to drive and attractively priced, plus it offers the option of a hot Puma ST variant.
Perhaps the impending arrival of the electric Ford Puma Gen-E will give it an additional boost.
Read our Ford Puma review
2. Kia Sportage – 12,886 units
The Kia Sportage finished fourth in the 2024 sales charts, and we suspect the people of Seoul will be thrilled to see the SUV float around the top three spots again.
Consistency is the key to this family SUV. It entered its fifth generation at the tail end of 2022 and still looks fresh, eye-catching and modern.
Its mild-hybrid, full-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains ensure a great variety for buyers, too.
Read our Kia Sportage review
3. Nissan Qashqai – 11,792 units
The Nissan Qashqai was the UK's best-seller in 2022, but it has since been outpaced by rivals, finishing second in 2023 and third in 2024.
That said, it's still extremely popular and continues to appeal to buyers here with its excellent practicality.
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What's happened to Dacia? I thought we were keen buyers these days, or is that more in Europe?
Certainly the roads are full of Kia these days,must be a lot bought on finance.
I dont get your point, well over 90% of all cars are bought on finance.
Interesting article but it only paints a very superficial picture. Yes it's good for people to know the top 10 at macro level. But given all commercial dynamics that occurred in 2024 due to ZEV, economic headwinds, and and and, the OEMs behind these nameplates have pumped significant discounts to push volumes ie. in Motability channels, Fleets, LTR, rent-a-car, etc (& many more non-private channels). The top 10 is not a reflection of what those vehicles are. This info should not only be reserved to Business readers.
The article is labelled top 10 sellers, it shows the top 10 sellers and reflects what gets registered numerical, a nice and simple statistic showing what cars sell the most. It's one of the most commented articles on this website.