UK car buyers are a discerning lot. From the eternal slog of the rush-hour M25 to the winding single-track roads of the Scottish Highlands, British drivers need cars that can fulfil myriad requirements, often within the same journey.
If you're looking for a new car that can do it all, at a time when most are dealing with the delights of a cost of living crisis, finding the best car for the best price might sound like a tall order.
That's where this page comes in. We've taken registration data from industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and compiled a list of the top 10 best-selling new cars in the UK. Then we've done the legwork and found a great PCP deal on each of these cars, meaning you can snap up one of the UK's most popular cars for an affordable monthly price.
This page is updated each month to reflect the latest monthly registration data, giving you the best deals on the most popular models in moments.
The Ford Puma took home the gong for the UK's best-selling new car in 2023 and 2024, and shows no signs of stopping in 2025. Picking up where the now-departed Fiesta left off, the Puma is fun to drive, surprisingly spacious for what's actually quite a small car, and very well equipped right across the range. We've chosen a Puma Titanium, which is the entry-level trim, to keep the monthly cost low. For added convenience, Ford has lots of new Puma models waiting in stock, meaning you could be behind the wheel of a brand-new car in just a week.
The Kia Sportage has a striking design, loads of interior space and is packed with plenty of equipment, which means it's no surprise that it's one of the UK's top-selling new cars. Kia is now offering the Sportage Shadow model with the option of paying no deposit and a £1000 deposit contribution. As with most PCP deals, though, you can adjust things – if you do have a deposit, you could drive down your monthly costs further. For example, put £5000 down, and your monthly payment drops to £373. If you like the idea of a Sportage but aren't in a rush, there's a facelifted model coming later in the year.
The Nissan Qashqai has been popular in the UK ever since the first generation model arrived back in 2007. The head-turning facelift of the current model makes it perhaps the most distinctive, too. The new look doesn't come at the cost of the big reason it's so popular as a family SUV though, as features like fold-flat rear seats and wide rear door openings are all present and correct. This deal is for a Qashqai N-Connecta with 5.49% APR and a £2500 towards your deposit , while Nissan offers varying deposit contributions and APR depending on the model.
The Vauxhall Corsa is rarely far from the sharp end of UK new car sales charts. A huge favourite of buyers for its combination of equipment, value and pricing, the latest Corsa is the best yet, and wears its best selling small car in the UK badge with pride. Vauxhall added the Corsa Yes 2025 trim earlier this year. If you can stump up a £2000 deposit, Vauxhall will add another £700 deposit contribution, and you could drive a Yes 2025 model, complete with LED lights, a heated steering wheel and seats, and plenty more kit, for just under £240 a month over four years.
The Volkswagen Golf has a reputation as the default choice of family car that stretches back decades. The latest model has more competition than ever, yet it remains one of the best cars in its class, especially now a recent update has made its infotainment system more user friendly. There's £3000 deposit contributions across the range, but we've chosen a Golf Match model for its combination of equipment and value.
The Nissan Juke redefined small family cars when it appeared on UK roads for the first time. Well priced, decently equipped and, importantly, looking like nothing else on the road the Juke has been a best seller ever since. The latest model is a somewhat toned down affair, but quality and space have improved, and a recent facelift only helps broaden the appeal. The deal we've chosen is for a Juke N-Connecta with 4.99% APR and £1750 towards your deposit, although Nissan offers varying deposit contributions and APR depending on the model.
The MG HS has become a regular feature in the top 10 list of best-selling new cars in the UK. It's combination of space, equipment and serious value for money just strikes the right chord with cost-conscious buyers. And, if you opt for the plug-in hybrid HS, as we've selected here, you can get one on a 37-month PCP with 0% APR. There are two models to choose from, with the entry level SE starting at £239 a month, and the top-spec Trophy trim costing just £10 more.
The Volkswagen Tiguan isn't just a top seller in the UK, it's VW's best-selling car worldwide. So a new version has a pretty large reputation to uphold. The latest Tiguan evolves the successful recipe, blending space and comfort, a decent drive and plenty of standard kit. The new car is off to a great start, maintaining the Tiguan name in the top 10 best-seller list, with more success likely as buyers upgrade to the new model. There's £1850 deposit contributions across the range, and this deal is for a Tiguan in confusingly named Tiguan trim.
The MG ZS is another car that's recently been renewed. The new ZS maintains the same basic appeal as the outgoing SUV, offering generous space, lots of standard equipment and a long warranty for a very tempting price. However, the new car adds better looks, higher quality and more. MG offers the non-hybrid ZS for £249 a month, which we've featured here. Opt for the hybrid version and monthly payments start at £269, with a £500 deposit contribution included.
The Hyundai Tucson is one of the cooler and more sophisticated family SUV options on the market, which is why so many are finding homes in the UK. Hyundai is offering £2000 deposit contributions and a relatively low 4.9% APR on PCP deals on the hybrid, plug-in hybrid and regular models, the latter of which we've chosen here. We've opted for an entry-level Tucson Advance trim, as all models are well equipped, which starts at £376 a month.
The official data on the number of new cars registered each year is recorded by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, or SMMT. The SMMT is a trade association which aims to promote the interests of its members to government, other stakeholders and the media, and you may see representatives talking on the industry's behalf to news outlets on the general state of UK car sales.
One thing to note is that the SMMT data is for the number of cars that were registered in a month or year, not the actual number of cars sold. For that reason, the data includes cars which are preregistered by dealers in order to help meet sales targets for a given month or quarter and then sold at a later time.
The Ford Puma is currently the most popular new car sold in the UK. Arriving back in 2019, the Puma first hit the top 10 in 2021, as the eighth best seller, and jumped up to fourth in 2022.
Although it took some time to depose the Ford Fiesta as the UK's number one new car choice, the Ford Puma has been the most popular new car in the UK for the last two years. It's on course for a repeat this year, too, thanks to a mid-life facelift and tech update, although the Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai are offering strong competition.
There's also the addition of the electric Ford Puma Gen-E, which will help encourage people to try the EV, or at least bring the Puma name to mind when it's time for a new car.
Perhaps it's something to do with the weather, but grey cars are the most popular in the UK, and have been for the past seven consecutive years. Data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that 27.8% of all new car registrations in 2024 were grey, which is the largest share it's had. That means 543,464 grey cars hit British roads, up 6.7% on the previous year.
Black was once again the runner-up, with 423,397 registrations, or 21.68%, while blue climbed up to third, with 291,928 or 14.95%, the latter appearing on the podium for the first time since 2010.
The top three colours represent 64.5% of all new cars. The SMMT reports that there are 93 car colours to choose from, with pink being the UK's least popular, comprising 0.007% of registrations.
There isn't a specific definition of what constitutes a nearly new car. However, we generally consider a nearly new car to be less than a year old, with fewer than 1000 miles on the clock. There are a few exceptions to this.
For example, you may see a car that's a few years old with very few miles offered that's simply sat at a dealership as a demonstrator and is only now being offered for sale. These can make great buys, but just remember that the clock on the warranty started ticking the moment the car was registered. These cars are often vehicles registered to meet a sales target to help bump up new-car sales data and then sold later.
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