The UK new car market registered 150,070 units in May 2025, marking a modest 1.6% year-on-year growth compared to May 2024. This increase reflects a shifting landscape in fuel type preferences and consumer sentiment.
Petrol-powered vehicles still accounted for the majority, with 71,291 registrations, though this figure represents a 12.5% decline from last year. Diesel cars continued their downward trend, falling by 15.5% to 7,792 units. In contrast, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) saw a positive change with a 6.8% increase, reaching 20,351 units.
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) showed strong momentum, rising 25.8% to 32,738 registrations and capturing 21.8% of the market. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) experienced the highest growth, surging 50.8% to 17,898 units and representing 11.9% of the total market. Overall, the rise in electrified vehicles indicates a firm shift in consumer preferences toward greener mobility.
Among the biggest gainers was BYD, which saw a staggering 407.55% increase in sales, jumping from 596 units last year to 3,025 in May 2025. This lifted its market share to 2.02%, signaling the growing popularity of Chinese electric vehicle makers. Jeep also enjoyed a sharp rise in popularity, recording 1,083 units sold—up 264.65% from just 297 a year earlier. Polestar registered 1,174 cars, growing by 273.89%, while Genesis surged by 196.49%, reaching 169 units from only 57 in May 2024. DS automobiles also grew strongly, with a 161.11% increase in sales.
Fiat more than doubled its monthly volume, up 92.35% to 1,006 units. Peugeot had an impressive month with a 36.61% increase in sales, totaling 6,153 units. Renault grew by 37.34% to 5,216 units, indicating solid demand for French brands. Ford recorded a 12.89% growth, reaching 8,489 units, and Lexus climbed by 11.64% to 1,496 units. Skoda also saw a healthy rise of 11.44%, with sales totaling 7,434 units. Vauxhall’s sales rose 16.43% to 7,016 cars, and Mazda registered a 21.65% increase with 2,641 units. MINI and Nissan also grew modestly, with sales increases of 7.61% and 4.27% respectively, while Porsche registered a 5.55% growth.
The market also welcomed several new players. Jaecoo debuted with 1,679 vehicles sold, while Omoda entered with 1,492 units. Leapmotor and Xpeng sold 98 and 6 vehicles, respectively. Maxus increased its presence slightly with three cars sold compared to just one last year.
On the other end of the spectrum, Jaguar dropped to zero sales this May from 1,363 units in May 2024, a dramatic decline. SEAT experienced a steep 48.29% drop, falling to 1,847 units. Suzuki declined 43.80% to 1,142 units, and Maserati slipped 40%. Citroen lost 38% of its volume, selling 1,302 vehicles, while smart dropped 36.49% to 94 units. Tesla also saw a 36.04% decline in sales, moving 2,016 vehicles compared to 3,152 last year. Subaru’s sales declined by 36.26%, and Alfa Romeo dropped by 32.05%. Audi, despite being a premium brand, saw a decline of 24.19%, selling 8,091 units this May.
Other notable drops included Mercedes-Benz and MG, which fell 8.66% and 8.28%, respectively. Volkswagen, the market leader, remained mostly stable with 13,562 cars sold, showing a minimal 0.44% growth. Hyundai saw a slight 2.14% increase to 7,259 units, while Kia slipped 3.79% to 8,579. Toyota also dipped slightly by 5.17%, reaching 6,481 units. BMW’s sales dropped 9.91% to 9,327 vehicles.
Some brands remained flat or showed minimal change. Chevrolet, Skywell, and Jaguar (for this month) reported zero sales. Fisker, which sold 44 cars last year, had no recorded sales this May. Meanwhile, Bentley sales rose 44.12% to 98 units, and Alpine improved 105.26% to 39 vehicles. Abarth, Ineos, and Land Rover remained relatively stable, with Land Rover recording a marginal 1.84% dip. Other British brands showed a small 6.15% increase.
In conclusion, the UK auto market in May 2025 continues to evolve rapidly. While the overall growth remained subdued, the performance of individual brands reveals changing consumer preferences, with a clear tilt towards EVs and emerging players from Asia. Legacy brands continue to fight for relevance, and their future success may depend on how quickly they adapt to this new competitive landscape.
