UK May 2025: Stable market (+1.6%), Hyundai Kona hits record ranking
Third incursion inside the UK Top 10 for the Hyundai Kona.
150,070 new cars hit UK roads in May, a small 1.6% year-on-year improvement. The year-to-date total is now up 2.8% to 850,903. Petrol is down -12.5% to 71,291, diesel off -15.5% to 7,792, but HEVs are up 6.8% to 20,351, BEVs up 25.8% to 32,738 and 21.8% share and PHEVs surge 50.8% to 17,898 and 11.9% share. It’s fleets that push the market up at +3.7% to 90,102 and 60% share vs. 58.8% a year ago whereas private sales drop -2.3% to 56,131 and 37.4% share vs. 38.9% last year. Business sales gain 14.4% but remain marginal at 3,837 and 2.6%.
Volkswagen (+0.4%) is stable and remains in firm control of the brands charts with 9% share. This is compared to just 6.2% for the 2nd-placed BMW (-9.9%). Kia (-3.8%) is down one spot on April to #3 while Ford (+12.9%) posts a very solid performance at #4. Audi (-24.2%) is in trouble and rounds out the Top 5 ahead of Skoda (+11.4%) and Hyundai (+2.1%) both outpacing the market. Vauxhall (+16.4%) and Nissan (+4.3%) do the same in the remainder of the Top 10. Below, note the excellent scores of BYD (+407.6%) ranking #18 with 2% share, Renault (+37.3%), Peugeot (+36.6%) and Cupra (+32.7%). Jaecoo (#24) and Omoda (#26) confirm their initial success.
Traditionally very volatile, the UK models ranking is familiar this month, with the Ford Puma (-3.1%), Kia Sportage (-22.5%) and Nissan Qashqai (+17.1%) replicating the YTD and FY2024 order. The Nissan Juke (+16.5%) is up three ranks on last month to #4, its best ranking since last September (#3). The Vauxhall Corsa (+0.8%) resists at #5 ahead of the MG ZS (-0.2%) back inside the Top 10 at #6. Below the VW Polo (-14%), the Hyundai Kona breaks its UK ranking record at #8, for its third ever incursion inside the Top 10 after reaching #9 in February 2022 and #10 in July 2021. As for the Peugeot 2008 at #9, it manages a third Top 10 finish of the year.
Previous month: UK April 2025: Peugeot, BYD stand out in market down -10.4%
One year ago: UK May 2024: 22nd straight month of growth, Kia Sportage in the lead
Full May 2025 Top 50 All brands and Top 10 models below.
UK May 2025 – brands:
| Pos | Brand | May-25 | % | /24 | Apr | 2025 | % | /24 | Pos | FY24 |
| 1 | Volkswagen | 13,562 | 9.0% | + 0.4% | 1 | 77,192 | 9.1% | + 13.4% | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | BMW | 9,327 | 6.2% | – 9.9% | 3 | 52,972 | 6.2% | – 5.9% | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Kia | 8,579 | 5.7% | – 3.8% | 2 | 51,962 | 6.1% | + 3.8% | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | Ford | 8,489 | 5.7% | + 12.9% | 5 | 50,198 | 5.9% | + 4.1% | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | Audi | 8,091 | 5.4% | – 24.2% | 4 | 43,914 | 5.2% | – 17.7% | 5 | 3 |
| 6 | Skoda | 7,434 | 5.0% | + 11.4% | 8 | 35,489 | 4.2% | + 14.1% | 12 | 12 |
| 7 | Hyundai | 7,259 | 4.8% | + 2.1% | 6 | 38,669 | 4.5% | + 3.9% | 10 | 9 |
| 8 | Mercedes | 7,086 | 4.7% | – 8.7% | 9 | 39,872 | 4.7% | – 7.0% | 7 | 6 |
| 9 | Vauxhall | 7,016 | 4.7% | + 16.4% | 11 | 39,549 | 4.6% | + 1.2% | 9 | 11 |
| 10 | Nissan | 6,884 | 4.6% | + 4.3% | 12 | 39,638 | 4.7% | – 13.5% | 8 | 8 |
| 11 | MG | 6,625 | 4.4% | – 8.3% | 15 | 35,055 | 4.1% | – 1.9% | 13 | 10 |
| 12 | Toyota | 6,481 | 4.3% | – 5.2% | 10 | 37,926 | 4.5% | – 5.3% | 11 | 7 |
| 13 | Peugeot | 6,153 | 4.1% | + 36.6% | 7 | 40,603 | 4.8% | + 34.9% | 6 | 13 |
| 14 | Renault | 5,216 | 3.5% | + 37.3% | 13 | 27,278 | 3.2% | + 20.8% | 16 | 16 |
| 15 | Volvo | 4,934 | 3.3% | – 13.5% | 14 | 28,132 | 3.3% | + 16.5% | 15 | 14 |
| 16 | Land Rover | 4,643 | 3.1% | – 1.8% | 16 | 29,575 | 3.5% | + 7.2% | 14 | 15 |
| 17 | Cupra | 3,037 | 2.0% | + 32.7% | 19 | 15,274 | 1.8% | + 35.7% | 18 | 22 |
| 18 | BYD | 3,025 | 2.0% | + 407.6% | 18 | 14,807 | 1.7% | + 570.9% | 21 | 31 |
| 19 | Mini | 2,883 | 1.9% | + 7.6% | 17 | 18,444 | 2.2% | + 4.9% | 17 | 18 |
| 20 | Mazda | 2,641 | 1.8% | + 21.6% | 22 | 15,178 | 1.8% | + 35.8% | 19 | 24 |
| 21 | Dacia | 2,159 | 1.4% | – 19.8% | 20 | 13,397 | 1.6% | + 0.4% | 22 | 20 |
| 22 | Tesla | 2,016 | 1.3% | – 36.0% | 32 | 15,002 | 1.8% | – 7.8% | 20 | 17 |
| 23 | Seat | 1,847 | 1.2% | – 48.3% | 21 | 10,642 | 1.3% | – 41.4% | 24 | 19 |
| 24 | Jaecoo | 1,679 | 1.1% | new | 25 | 5,967 | 0.7% | new | 30 | 47 |
| 25 | Lexus | 1,496 | 1.0% | + 11.6% | 26 | 6,943 | 0.8% | + 6.5% | 27 | 27 |
| 26 | Omoda | 1,492 | 1.0% | new | 29 | 5,596 | 0.7% | new | 32 | 33 |
| 27 | Honda | 1,434 | 1.0% | – 19.5% | 24 | 11,542 | 1.4% | – 25.5% | 23 | 21 |
| 28 | Porsche | 1,388 | 0.9% | + 5.6% | 23 | 7,944 | 0.9% | + 4.8% | 26 | 26 |
| 29 | Citroen | 1,302 | 0.9% | – 38.0% | 28 | 6,649 | 0.8% | – 51.0% | 28 | 23 |
| 30 | Polestar | 1,174 | 0.8% | + 273.9% | 30 | 5,728 | 0.7% | + 175.1% | 31 | 32 |
| 31 | Suzuki | 1,142 | 0.8% | – 43.8% | 27 | 8,082 | 0.9% | – 28.4% | 25 | 25 |
| 32 | Jeep | 1,083 | 0.7% | + 264.6% | 31 | 5,983 | 0.7% | + 91.0% | 29 | 30 |
| 33 | Fiat | 1,006 | 0.7% | + 92.4% | 33 | 5,379 | 0.6% | – 22.7% | 33 | 29 |
| 34 | Genesis | 169 | 0.1% | + 196.5% | 41 | 629 | 0.1% | + 68.6% | 39 | 38 |
| 35 | Alfa Romeo | 159 | 0.1% | – 32.1% | 34 | 1,109 | 0.1% | + 62.6% | 35 | 36 |
| 36 | DS | 141 | 0.1% | + 161.1% | 43 | 371 | 0.0% | – 24.7% | 42 | 40 |
| 37 | Subaru | 116 | 0.1% | – 36.3% | 36 | 1,032 | 0.1% | – 15.6% | 36 | 34 |
| 38 | KGM | 101 | 0.1% | – 22.9% | 37 | 686 | 0.1% | – 21.4% | 37 | 37 |
| 39 | Bentley | 98 | 0.1% | + 44.1% | 38 | 460 | 0.1% | + 12.5% | 40 | 42 |
| 40 | Leapmotor | 98 | 0.1% | new | 35 | 399 | 0.0% | new | 41 | – |
| 41 | Smart | 94 | 0.1% | – 36.5% | 39 | 651 | 0.1% | – 29.8% | 38 | 35 |
| 42 | Alpine | 39 | 0.0% | + 105.3% | 40 | 138 | 0.0% | – 29.9% | 45 | 44 |
| 43 | GWM Ora | 33 | 0.0% | – 67.3% | 42 | 157 | 0.0% | – 74.3% | 44 | 39 |
| 44 | Ineos | 29 | 0.0% | + 16.0% | 45 | 106 | 0.0% | – 12.4% | 47 | 45 |
| 45 | Abarth | 25 | 0.0% | – 34.2% | 44 | 184 | 0.0% | – 47.0% | 43 | 41 |
| 46 | Maserati | 24 | 0.0% | – 40.0% | 46 | 138 | 0.0% | – 42.3% | 46 | 43 |
| 47 | Xpeng | 6 | 0.0% | new | 47 | 51 | 0.0% | new | 48 | – |
| 48 | Maxus | 3 | 0.0% | + 200.0% | 50 | 35 | 0.0% | + 1066.7% | 49 | 48 |
| 49 | Jaguar | 0 | 0.0% | – 100.0% | 51 | 1,725 | 0.2% | – 81.7% | 34 | 28 |
| 50 | Chevrolet | 0 | 0.0% | n/a | 48 | 31 | 0.0% | + 3000.0% | 50 | 50 |
| – | Other British | 190 | 0.1% | + 6.1% | – | 1,518 | 0.2% | + 21.3% | – | – |
| – | Other Imports | 162 | 0.1% | – 25.0% | – | 893 | 0.1% | – 18.5% | – | – |
UK May 2025 – models:
| Pos | Model | May-25 | % | /24 | Apr | 2025 | % | /24 | Pos | FY24 |
| 1 | Ford Puma | 3,695 | 2.5% | – 3.1% | 2 | 21,936 | 2.6% | – 5.5% | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Kia Sportage | 3,256 | 2.2% | – 22.5% | 1 | 19,636 | 2.3% | – 1.9% | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Nissan Qashqai | 3,088 | 2.1% | + 17.1% | 4 | 17,077 | 2.0% | – 13.3% | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | Nissan Juke | 2,876 | 1.9% | + 16.5% | 7 | 15,249 | 1.8% | – 1.9% | 5 | 4 |
| 5 | Vauxhall Corsa | 2,693 | 1.8% | + 0.8% | 3 | 16,545 | 1.9% | + 28.0% | 4 | 12 |
| 6 | MG ZS | 2,624 | 1.7% | – 0.2% | n/a | 12,918 | 1.5% | n/a | 7 | 17 |
| 7 | VW Polo | 2,295 | 1.5% | – 14.0% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 10 | 10 |
| 8 | Hyundai Kona | 2,189 | 1.5% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 21 |
| 9 | Peugeot 2008 | 2,096 | 1.4% | n/a | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 20 |
| 10 | Mini Cooper | 2,079 | 1.4% | n/a | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 25 |
| n/a | Volvo XC40 | 1,994 | 1.3% | n/a | 6 | 12,606 | 1.5% | n/a | 9 | 9 |
| n/a | VW Tiguan | 1,970 | 1.3% | n/a | n/a | 12,634 | 1.5% | n/a | 8 | 13 |
| n/a | VW Golf | 1,850 | 1.2% | – 36.7% | n/a | 14,198 | 1.7% | – 8.8% | 6 | 6 |
| n/a | MG HS | 1,532 | 1.0% | – 25.6% | n/a | 12,548 | 1.5% | – 11.4% | 10 | 8 |
Source: SMMT
