First UK Top 10 finish for the Omoda 5.

UK new car sales in April soar 24% year-on-year to 149,247 units, however year-ago volumes were particularly weak as buyers pulled purchases forward to March to beat incoming vehicle tax increases. The year-to-date tally is now up by a robust 9% to 764,101 and local association of manufacturers SMMT now predicts a Full Year 2026 tally at 2,093,000 units, up 3.6% on 2025. Private sales improve 20.2% to 56,116 units and 37.6% share vs. 38.8% a year ago while fleets are up 26.8% to 90,462 and 60.6% share vs. 59.3% and business sales are up 15% to 2,669 and 1.8% share vs. 1.9%. Year-to-date, this time private sales fare better at +11.7% to 306,211 and 40.1% share vs. 39.1% over the same period in 2025, fleet sales are up 6.9% to 441,094 and 57.7% share vs. 58.9% and business sales are up 19.3% to 16,796 and 2.2% share vs. 2%.

Looking at sales by fuel type, BEVs surge 59.1% to 39,084 and 26.2% share vs. 20.4% in April 2025. SMMT noted that April marked the registration of the 2 millionth BEV in the UK. Meanwhile HEVs are up 18.8% to 19,711 and 13.2% share vs. 13.8% a year ago, PHEVs are up 46.4% to 20,597 and 13.8% share vs. 11.7%, petrol is up 8.2% to 63,541 and 42.6% share vs. 48.8% and diesel down -1% to 6,314 and 4.2% share vs. 5.3%. Year-to-date, BEVs are up 22.1% to 176,698 and 23.1% share vs. 20.7% over the first 4 moths of 2025, HEVs are up 8.3% to 111,083 and 14.5% share vs. 14.6%, PHEVs are up 46.5% to 99,263 and 13% share vs. 9.7% while petrol is down -1.5% to 340,230 and 44.5% share vs. 49.3% and diesel falls -8.4% to 36,827 and 4.8% share vs. 5.7%.

Volkswagen (+23%) follows the market to keep a comfortable distance with the other carmakers present at 8.6% share vs. 6% for #2 Kia (+7.2%). BMW (+7.6%) completes the podium as it does YTD. In fact the Top 5 is identical to YTD with Ford (+17.5%) at #4 and Audi (+0.9%) at #5. MG (+84.9%) surges ahead to #6 with 4.7% share, distancing Mercedes (+30.1%) and Skoda (+13.9%). BYD (+101.5%) delivers the biggest YoY gain in the Top 15 at #12 with Jaecoo (+268.2%), Omoda (+259.9%), Citroen (+167%) and Mini (+90%) also impressive. 

Model-wise, the Ford Puma (+27.2%) reclaims the top spot it holds year-to-date with 2.8% share, ahead of the Kia Sportage (+3.7%). The Nissan Qashqai (+29.5%) stays at #3 ahead of two surging models: the VW Golf (+77.9%) scoring its best ranking since last October at #4 and the Mini Cooper (+58.7%) at #5. We have a new entrant in the Top 10: #1 in London over the Full Year 2025, the Omoda 5 lands directly in 6th place with 1.5% share. The VW Tiguan (+46.6%) and MG HS (+67.9%) also impress below. Surprise #1 in March, the Jaecoo 7 falls to #10 and #3 year-to-date.

Previous month: UK March 2026: Jaecoo 7 overall best-seller!

One year ago: UK April 2025: Peugeot (+37.9%), BYD (+654.1%) stand out in market down -10.4%

Full March 2026 Top 53 All brands and Top 10 models below.

UK March 2026 – brands:

PosBrandApr-26%/25Mar2026%/25PosFY251Volkswagen12,8848.6%+ 23.0%159,8787.8%– 5.9%112Kia8,9226.0%+ 7.2%343,5385.7%+ 0.4%243BMW  8,7005.8%+ 7.6%242,6075.6%– 2.4%324Ford  8,2305.5%+ 17.5%441,0045.4%– 1.7%435Audi  8,0905.4%+ 0.9%538,1335.0%+ 6.4%556MG7,0054.7%+ 84.9%1030,8834.0%+ 8.6%8107Mercedes  6,9894.7%+ 30.1%735,2854.6%+ 7.6%698Skoda6,2444.2%+ 13.9%1430,6754.0%+ 9.3%9119Hyundai6,0774.1%– 6.9%1330,2784.0%– 3.6%11610Vauxhall  5,8893.9%+ 14.1%833,7294.4%+ 3.7%71311Peugeot  5,3683.6%– 9.2%1230,1964.0%– 12.3%121212BYD5,0593.4%+ 101.5%1126,3963.5%+ 124.0%141713Volvo4,9923.3%+ 18.0%1624,1173.2%+ 4.0%161414Toyota4,9813.3%– 6.0%630,3894.0%– 3.4%10715Renault4,8013.2%+ 9.9%1823,6453.1%+ 7.2%171516Mini4,7743.2%+ 90.0%2018,8142.5%+ 20.9%191817Nissan  4,0792.7%– 16.7%928,3893.7%– 13.3%13818Jaecoo3,8772.6%+ 268.2%1722,7893.0%+ 431.5%182319Land Rover3,8342.6%+ 1.2%1525,3133.3%+ 1.5%151620Cupra3,3722.3%+ 52.9%2115,1712.0%+ 24.0%202021Omoda3,2752.2%+ 259.9%2312,3241.6%+ 200.3%222722Chery2,9001.9%new2810,9771.4%new253423Citroen2,5581.7%+ 167.0%2612,1421.6%+ 127.1%232624Dacia1,7981.2%– 9.1%2710,2501.3%– 8.8%262225Geely1,6491.1%new353,2440.4%new354726Porsche1,5601.0%+ 27.3%316,0410.8%– 7.9%292827Suzuki1,3210.9%+ 30.1%249,9091.3%+ 42.8%272928Lexus1,1590.8%+ 11.1%325,2230.7%– 4.1%323129Honda1,1550.8%– 4.2%258,5061.1%– 15.8%282430Mazda1,1260.8%– 26.9%2211,6691.5%– 6.9%242131Polestar1,0760.7%+ 25.3%335,2270.7%+ 14.8%313032Jeep8380.6%+ 2.8%304,6090.6%– 5.9%333233Tesla8310.6%+ 62.3%1912,5701.6%– 3.2%211934Seat7900.5%– 57.1%295,6200.7%– 36.1%302535Fiat7080.5%+ 145.0%362,3200.3%– 46.9%363336Leapmotor5800.4%+ 437.0%343,6760.5%+ 1121.3%343537Alpine3730.2%+ 554.4%381,0850.1%+ 996.0%373938Changan2160.1%new379690.1%new384939Alfa Romeo2100.1%+ 0.5%409490.1%– 0.1%393640Smart1570.1%+ 124.3%397400.1%+ 32.9%403841KGM930.1%+ 29.2%436710.1%+ 14.7%424142Xpeng880.1%+ 877.8%424410.1%+ 880.0%434543Genesis710.0%+ 73.2%453630.0%– 21.1%444244Lotus640.0%+ 45.5%442990.0%– 56.5%45n/a45Subaru520.0%– 42.9%417090.1%– 22.6%413746Abarth380.0%+ 52.0%491290.0%– 18.9%475047Maserati320.0%+ 166.7%471360.0%+ 19.3%464848Ineos180.0%– 18.2%481010.0%+ 31.2%495149GWM Ora160.0%– 57.9%461250.0%+ 0.8%484650DS130.0%– 59.4%50590.0%– 74.3%504351Chevrolet120.0%+ 200.0%51220.0%– 29.0%515252Skywell40.0%+ 100.0%52190.0%+ 111.1%525453Jaguar00.0%n/a –70.0%– 99.6%5340 –Other British2010.1%+ 47.8% –1,1050.1%– 16.8% – – –Other Imports980.1%– 21.6% –4460.1%– 39.0% – –

UK April 2026 – models:

PosModelApr-26%/25Mar2026%/25PosFY251Ford Puma4,2112.8%+ 27.2%220,3392.7%+ 11.5%112Kia Sportage3,6452.4%+ 3.7%417,8352.3%+ 8.9%223Nissan Qashqai2,8461.9%+ 29.5%315,6992.1%+ 12.2%434VW Golf2,8451.9%+ 77.9%812,0211.6%– 2.6%665Mini Cooper2,5771.7%+ 58.7%n/a10,6861.4%n/a9126Omoda 52,3081.5%n/an/an/an/an/an/a297Vauxhall Corsa2,2361.5%– 5.9%512,7881.7%– 7.7%548VW Tiguan2,2341.5%+ 46.6%n/a10,2521.3%– 3.9%1099MG HS2,1461.4%+ 67.9%711,2931.5%+ 2.5%8810Jaecoo 72,0991.4%n/a117,6682.3%#DIV/0!313n/aVolvo XC402,0721.4%+ 3.2%611,3601.5%+ 7.0%77

Source: SMMT