The Jaecoo 7 is the best-selling vehicle in the UK in September.

Outstanding result for the UK new car market in the all-important plate-change month of September with sales up 12% year-on-year to 350,536. This is the highest September volume in 9 years: since 2017. The year-to-date tally is now up 10.2% or over 160,000 units to 1,739,271. Encouragingly, private sales beat the market and are up 13.9% to 131,003 and 42.6% share vs. 41.9% last year while fleets are up 9.6% to 190,998 and 54.5% share vs. 55.7% in September 2025. Business sales shoot up 37.3% to 10,372 and 3% share vs. 2.4%. Year-to-date, private sales grow 12.8% to 695,965 and 40% share vs. 39.1% over the same period last year, fleets are up 8% to 1,000,509 and 57.5% share vs. 58.7% a year ago and business sales are up 22.8% to 42,797 and 2.5% share vs. 2.2%

Looking at propulsion type, BEVs soar 36.3% to a record 99,201 sales and 28.3% share vs. 23.3% a year ago, helped by vast model choice, discounts and the government’s Electric Car Grant. HEVs drop -4.3% to 45,839 and 13.1% share vs. 15.3% in September 2025, PHEVs surge 55.5% to 38,308 and 17% share vs. 12.2%, petrol is down -6.7% to 131,864 and 37.6% share vs. 45.2% and diesel grows 11.5% to 12,609 and an unchanged 4% share. Through September, BEVs are up 30.2% to 454,947 and 26.2% share vs. 22.1% over the first 9 months of 2025, HEVs grow 7.9% to 240,255 and 13.8% share vs. 14.1%, PHEVs improve 41.8% to 244,769 and 14.1% share vs. 10.9%, petrol is down -3.8% to 721,617 and 41.5% share vs. 47.5% and diesel skids -7.1% to 77,683 and 4.5% share vs. 5.3%.

In the brands ranking, Volkswagen (+2.6%) sees its share drop to 7.4% vs. 7.9% so far this year but remains in the lead. Massive event in 2nd place: BYD (+78.7%) surges to over 20,000 sales and 5.7% share, smashing its previous records of #6 (December 2025), 15,162 sales (March 2026) and 5.3% share (December 2025). Kia (+1.3%) advances two spots on August to #3 with MG (+23.7%) and Audi (-4.4%) rounding out the Top 5. Tesla (+98.6%) doubles its sales year-on-year to land at #6 with Jaecoo (+132%) breaking its ranking record at #9 for its second ever UK Top 10 finish, also reaching a volume best at over 15,000. Notice also Chery up 660.9% to #18, Omoda up 67.5% to #20, newcomer Geely at #25, Leapmotor up 709.7% to #28, Lepas landing at #37 for its first appearance in the UK charts and Aion up to #38. All in all, Chinese carmakers see their UK sales surge 110% year-on-year to 81,775 and 23.3% share vs. 12.4% in September 2025.

Over in the models charts, the Jaecoo 7 (+66.7%) sports a second ever monthly win after last March (both in plate change months) and advances to #2 year-to-date as a result. The Tesla Model 3 surges to #2 and breaks into the YTD Top 10 at #9. The Ford Puma (-16.3%) can’t benefit from the solid market and falls to #3 for the month, albeit retaining its YTD pole position. The Kia Sportage (-31%) also struggles at #4 while the Tesla Model Y climbs to #5. The Nissan Qashqai (-23.1%) and Vauxhall Corsa (-5.9%) also disappoint just as the VW Golf (+6.8%) and MG HS (+5.2%) both post shy upticks. First Top 10 finish since October 2025 for the Audi A3 (#10). Strikingly, BYD has no models in the Top 10.

Previous month: UK August 2026: Jaecoo now Top 10 brand, places 7 at #2 and 5 at #4

One year ago: UK September 2025: Jaecoo 7 up to #4, BYD Seal U #6, BEVs reach record volume

Full September 2026 Top 55 All brands and Top 10 models below.

UK September 2026 – brands:

PosBrandSep-26%/25Aug2026%/25PosFY251Volkswagen25,9727.4%+ 2.6%1137,8027.9%– 2.1%112BYD20,1405.7%+ 78.7%1168,4053.9%+ 92.1%11173Kia18,3995.2%+ 1.3%595,2495.5%+ 2.1%244MG18,0265.1%+ 23.7%378,9304.5%+ 20.7%6105Audi  16,7224.8%– 4.4%788,6265.1%+ 4.8%456Tesla15,8754.5%+ 98.6%2146,2442.7%+ 32.3%19197BMW  15,6174.5%– 11.5%491,6915.3%– 5.1%328Mercedes  15,5714.4%+ 9.1%676,8674.4%+ 5.0%799Jaecoo15,0574.3%+ 132.0%1058,6483.4%+ 222.8%152310Toyota13,9484.0%– 14.2%970,3014.0%– 1.8%10711Skoda13,7413.9%+ 15.2%871,5134.1%+ 8.0%81112Volvo12,2363.5%+ 5.8%2254,3433.1%+ 4.8%161413Vauxhall  11,9913.4%– 1.1%1270,4914.1%+ 6.1%91314Ford  11,9173.4%– 27.3%282,9674.8%– 9.3%5315Nissan  11,0463.2%– 21.0%1660,0753.5%– 16.1%13816Hyundai10,0032.9%– 31.9%1563,8123.7%– 14.9%12617Peugeot  9,8042.8%– 18.2%1459,0723.4%– 16.4%141218Chery9,7932.8%+ 660.9%1733,3641.9%+ 2466.5%213419Land Rover9,0042.6%+ 40.3%2049,9712.9%+ 3.6%181620Omoda7,2412.1%+ 67.5%1931,6211.8%+ 122.3%232721Renault6,7251.9%– 29.8%1350,9312.9%+ 4.5%171522Mini6,5681.9%+ 17.8%1842,9132.5%+ 25.3%201823Cupra5,8571.7%– 3.4%2332,6321.9%+ 6.1%222024Citroen5,8251.7%+ 136.0%2425,5281.5%+ 82.9%242625Geely5,1551.5%new2714,4000.8%new294726Mazda4,4171.3%– 20.4%2522,1851.3%– 17.5%252127Honda4,1491.2%– 15.5%3017,1431.0%– 16.4%282428Leapmotor3,9431.1%+ 709.7%2913,2830.8%+ 765.3%323529Dacia3,7361.1%+ 7.3%2621,7811.3%– 5.0%262230Lexus3,3441.0%+ 26.0%3412,9010.7%– 2.2%333131Suzuki3,0200.9%+ 2.0%2818,8611.1%+ 31.8%272932Seat2,9070.8%– 23.5%3113,3620.8%– 28.4%312533Porsche2,5540.7%+ 20.5%3214,2380.8%+ 4.4%302834Polestar2,2190.6%– 19.5%3512,2390.7%– 3.1%343035Jeep1,7010.5%+ 12.6%339,0520.5%– 2.9%353236Fiat1,2440.4%– 7.9%365,9170.3%– 27.1%363337Lepas7390.2%new –7390.0%new47 –38Aion6780.2%new519240.1%new45 –39Changan6590.2%+ 3368.4%382,7500.2%+ 14373.7%374940Alfa Romeo3790.1%– 41.6%432,2230.1%+ 0.4%393641Smart3420.1%– 10.5%401,8230.1%+ 40.3%403842Xpeng3310.1%+ 17.8%371,4350.1%+ 181.9%414543Alpine3000.1%– 22.5%392,6940.2%+ 193.5%383944Lotus2070.1%+ 4.0%419540.1%– 13.1%44n/a45Subaru2040.1%– 40.0%451,2370.1%– 29.0%423746Abarth1780.1%+ 334.1%425650.0%+ 116.5%485047KGM1390.0%– 48.3%461,1020.1%– 14.6%434148Genesis1090.0%+ 18.5%448400.0%– 16.5%464249Mitsubishi760.0%n/a482050.0%n/a52 –50DS570.0%+ 307.1%472420.0%– 75.4%504351Maserati420.0%– 26.3%503470.0%+ 26.6%494852Ineos380.0%+ 5.6%492060.0%– 5.5%515153Chevrolet130.0%– 18.8%52650.0%– 4.4%545254GWM Ora90.0%– 95.4%531610.0%– 61.6%534654Denza40.0%new –40.0%new57 –55Maxus10.0%n/a –50.0%– 88.4%5653 –Other British3640.1%– 10.1% –2,1210.1%– 10.7% – – –Other Imports2000.1%+ 23.5% –9840.1%– 27.9% – –

UK September 2026 – models:

PosModelSep-26%/25Aug2026%/25PosFY251Jaecoo 710,8143.1%+ 66.7%239,3852.3%+ 116.8%2132Tesla Model 39,9292.8%n/an/a22,7041.3%n/a9203Ford Puma6,9582.0%– 16.3%142,9262.5%+ 3.4%114Kia Sportage6,5211.9%– 31.0%537,0852.1%– 4.3%325Tesla Model Y5,9461.7%n/an/an/an/an/an/a186Nissan Qashqai5,5541.6%– 23.1%n/a33,0821.9%+ 0.9%437Vauxhall Corsa5,4981.6%– 5.9%n/a27,3901.6%– 6.6%548VW Golf5,4961.6%+ 6.8%n/a26,7021.5%+ 6.1%669MG HS5,4441.6%+ 5.2%326,6531.5%+ 10.6%7810Audi A35,2681.5%n/an/an/an/an/an/a16n/aVolvo XC404,7481.4%– 3.9%n/a23,6551.4%+ 3.1%107n/aMini Cooper3,7071.1%n/a723,7241.4%n/a812

Source: SMMT