As we near the final months of 2026, the Ford Puma holds a strong lead in the annual new car sales race, ahead of the Jaecoo 7 and Kia Sportage.
Looking at the year-to-date, the Puma holds a sales lead of over 3,400 registrations. It is not a surprise to see the Puma near the top of the chart, as it was also the UK’s best-selling new car in both 2024 and 2025.
The annual sales race is not over yet though, and one registrations rival is posing a late challenge to the Puma’s table-topping status – the Jaecoo 7. The Chinese SUV is the standout new arrival of the year, overtaking the Kia Sportage to take second in the annual sales chart after recording table-topping sales numbers in the crucial high-volume month of September. Over 10,800 examples of the Jaecoo were registered last month alone – around 4,300 more than the Puma.
Beyond the top three, the annual sales leaderboard has settled somewhat, with the other movers after September being the Volkswagen Golf and MG HS – which swapped places – and the Tesla Model 3 which enters the top ten to take ninth, dropping the Volvo XC40 to tenth and relegating the Volkswagen Tiguan to outside the top ten.
This page tracks the UK’s best-selling new cars throughout 2026, based on SMMT registration data. It also explains what the chart says about the wider new car market, how the leading models compare in our Expert Rating Index, and whether the cars selling in the biggest numbers are actually among the best choices for buyers.
What the best-sellers list tells us
The UK’s best-selling cars list has traditionally been dominated by small hatchbacks and family SUVs, but the 2026 chart shows a market that is becoming more varied. SUVs are still the strongest presence, yet the top ten now includes a wider mix of petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric models.
The Ford Puma’s continued success shows that familiarity, availability, running costs and dealer support still count for a great deal. It is not the highest-rated car in our Expert Rating Index, but it has become a default choice for many buyers who want a small SUV with mainstream pricing and a well-known badge.
The Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai remain important because they sit in the heart of the family SUV market. Both have broad model ranges and strong Expert Ratings, and both appeal to private buyers, company car users and fleet operators.
The Jaecoo 7 is the biggest disruption in this year’s chart. A year ago, very few UK buyers knew the Jaecoo name, yet the 7 is now one of the country’s best-selling new cars. Its rise shows how quickly a new brand can gain traction if the pricing, specification and dealer push are strong enough.
What makes this meteoritic rise even more impressive is who is buying the car. In a UK market where by corporate fleet and business registrations roughly account for 60% of all new car sales, Jaecoo has flipped the script. Nearly 70% of Jaecoo 7 sales went to private retail customers in September, which confirms a genuine, organic groundswell of public interest. Ordinary British car buyers are choosing to spend their own money on the Chinese newcomer.
The sales charts also display how UK buyer taste in ICE-powered and battery-powered models differs. While the Puma was the best-selling small SUV/crossover in the September registration chart, buyers looking for an electric model of a similar size were more likely to opt for a Kia EV3, Skoda Elroq or Volvo EX30 instead of the Puma’s electric sister model, the Ford Puma Gen-E.
Overall best-sellers, September
| Rank | Model | Registrations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaecoo 7 | 10,813 |
| 2 | Tesla Model 3 | 9,929 |
| 3 | Ford Puma | 6,958 |
| 4 | Kia Sportage | 6,521 |
| 5 | Tesla Model Y | 5,946 |
| 6 | Nissan Qashqai | 5,554 |
| 7 | Vauxhall Corsa | 5,498 |
| 8 | Volkswagen Golf | 5,496 |
| 9 | MG HS | 5,444 |
| 10 | Audi A3 | 5,268 |
Source: SMMT
Electric best-sellers, September
| Rank | Model | Registrations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla Model 3 | 9,929 |
| 2 | Tesla Model Y | 5,946 |
| 3 | BYD Sealion 7 | 3,191 |
| 4 | BYD Seal | 3,184 |
| 5 | Kia EV3 | 3,026 |
| 6 | Skoda Enyaq | 2,214 |
| 7 | Volvo EX30 | 1,961 |
| 8 | Mercedes-Benz CLA | 1,921 |
| 9 | Skoda Elroq | 1,897 |
| 10 | Leapmotor B10 | 1,883 |
Source: SMMT
Volkswagen remains the UK’s biggest car brand
Looking beyond individual models, Volkswagen remains the UK’s most popular new car brand so far this year. BMW, Kia, and Audi also hold more than 5% of the new car market, showing how closely fought the manufacturer rankings remain.
This is one reason the model chart can look different from the brand chart. Volkswagen is the strongest brand overall with a considerable lead my market share, but only the Golf and have appeared in the annual top ten this year, and neither is a contender for the top spot.
Ford has fewer models selling in big numbers than it once did, but the Puma’s sales performance is strong enough for Ford to maintain its top five brand market share status.
Britain’s best-selling cars of 2026
10. Volvo XC40
The Volvo XC40 made a strong start to 2026, helping Volvo to record healthy UK registration totals in the opening months of the year. Its momentum has slowed as the year has progressed, however, and the compact SUV drops to tenth after being absent from the September top ten.
The XC40 is one of the older cars in this year’s top ten, but it still has a clear role in the market. It offers a more upmarket alternative to mainstream compact SUVs, with Volvo’s familiar safety-led image and a broad spread of petrol, hybrid and electric appeal across the wider XC40 family.
Its New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 64%, suggests that it remains a respectable choice rather than a class-leading one. Buyers should compare it carefully with newer rivals, especially if they are looking at finance costs, electric driving range or the latest cabin technology.
9. Tesla Model 3
Tesla is a brand name that tends to yo-yo in and out of the annual top ten, mostly because the company delivers vehicles in concentrated, quarterly-end batches rather than a steady monthly stream of new registrations. Nevertheless, the American electric-only marque dominated the EV sales charts last month, and the Model 3 saloon was the second best-selling new car overall in September.
Close to 10,000 new examples of the Model 3 were registered in the UK last month, which has seen the saloon claim ninth place in the annual top ten, at the expense of the Volvo XC40 and Volkswagen Tiguan.
The Model 3 has received particular reviewer praise for its performance, driving dynamics and minimalist style. It currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 81%, with fantastic media reviews, excellent safety credentials and strong reliability to date, but running costs are not as cheap as you might expect for an EV, thanks to expensive insurance premiums.
8. Mini Cooper
The Mini Cooper holds its place after the hectic sales month that is September, underlining the continuing strength of one of the UK’s most familiar car names. Even after several generations, the Mini remains a popular choice for buyers who want a small car with a more distinctive image than most mainstream superminis.
The current Mini line-up is also a useful example of how the market is splitting between petrol and electric versions of the same model. The petrol Mini Cooper currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 69%, while the Mini Cooper Electric scores even higher with an A rating and a score of 79%.
That gap is worth noting. The electric version is currently rated more strongly by our Expert Rating Index, but it will not suit everyone, particularly buyers who cannot charge at home or who regularly need longer-distance flexibility. The petrol Cooper remains popular because it is familiar, desirable and easier to live with for drivers who are not ready to go electric.
7. MG HS
The MG HS has become one of the year’s most consistent performers, but could only hold on to sixth in the annual leaderboard before slipping back down to seventh after September. It competes in the same broad family SUV space as the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and Volkswagen Tiguan, but usually does so with more aggressive pricing.
For consumers, the appeal is straightforward. The MG HS offers a lot of space and equipment for the money, with petrol and plug-in hybrid options depending on version. That value-focused approach has helped MG move from budget outsider to a mainstream player in the UK new car market.
The current MG HS also performs well in our Expert Rating Index, holding a New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 74%. That makes its strong sales more than just a price story, although buyers should still compare finance costs, fuel use and plug-in hybrid charging habits carefully before deciding whether it is the right family SUV for them.
6. Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf remains one of the UK’s most familiar family hatchbacks, even as SUVs take up more of the sales chart around it. It reclaims sixth place after September, swapping places once again with the MG HS as the Volkswagen recorded just 52 more sales than the MG in September.
The Golf’s continued presence in the top ten is important because it shows that the traditional family hatchback still has a place, even if SUVs now dominate much of the market. Volkswagen is the UK’s biggest new car brand overall, but the Golf is currently its only model in the annual top ten.
The Golf currently holds an excellent New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 77%. That puts it among the strongest-rated cars in this year’s best-sellers list, helped by its broad engine range, familiar cabin layout and strong all-round reputation.
5. Vauxhall Corsa
The Vauxhall Corsa remains one of the UK’s most popular small cars, even though it is no longer the dominant force it once was. The hatchback sits fifth after September, behind four SUVs.
The Corsa’s appeal is familiar: compact size, mainstream pricing, plenty of dealer support and strong name recognition. It is the kind of car many buyers understand immediately, which still counts for a lot in a market that has become more complicated.
The Expert Ratings tell a more nuanced story. The petrol Corsa holds a New Car Expert Rating of C, with a score of 59%, while the Vauxhall Corsa Electric performs better with an B rating and a score of 66%. That does not automatically make the electric version the right choice for everyone, but it shows why buyers should look beyond the overall sales chart and compare the version that suits their own use.
4. Nissan Qashqai
The Nissan Qashqai sits fourth in the annual chart and remains one of the safest bets in the family SUV market. While it was only a few hundred registrations behind the Jaecoo 7 a month ago, the Qashqai’s sixth place finish in the September sales chart has opened up a sizable registrations gap between the Nissan and the top three in the annual rankings.
The Qashqai has been central to the UK family car market for years, and the current model remains an important car for British manufacturing. It was designed in London, developed in the Midlands and is built in Sunderland, making it the UK’s best-selling British-built car.
It also performs well in our Expert Rating Index, holding a New Car Expert Rating of B with a score of 65%. For buyers, its strength is that it is a known quantity: practical, widely available, well supported and offered with Nissan’s e-Power hybrid technology.
3. Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage is once again near the front of the UK sales race, but any hope of the SUV finishing in pole position is now slipping away as it falls to third. It came close to taking the full-year title in both 2024 and 2025, and while its rivals at the top are currently displaying stronger sales form, the Kia remains close enough to the Ford Puma to keep the contest alive.
The Sportage’s strength is that it works for a wide range of buyers. It is a family SUV with petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid options, a long warranty and a strong reputation for value. That makes it attractive to private buyers as well as fleet users looking for a practical, familiar and well-supported car.
It also has a strong New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 69%. That is not the highest score in the top ten, but it supports the Sportage’s status as a rounded and sensible family SUV rather than just a strong seller.
2. Jaecoo 7
The Jaecoo 7 remains the biggest new story in the 2026 best-sellers list – its latest accolade being its remarkable sales performance in September. Now sitting in second as we enter the autumn months, it is the first Chinese model to put sustained pressure on the UK’s established best-selling cars.
Its success is not simply about media praise. The Jaecoo 7 currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 64%, which is respectable rather than outstanding. That suggests its rise is being driven by a broader combination of pricing, equipment, availability, dealer activity and the growing willingness of UK buyers to consider unfamiliar Chinese brands.
For consumers, the Jaecoo 7 is worth watching because it offers a lot of car for the money, including hybrid and plug-in hybrid appeal. The question for the rest of the year is whether it can keep this momentum going once the initial launch push settles and more owners start reporting real-world experiences.
1. Ford Puma
The Ford Puma leads the UK’s new car sales race as we enter the final quarter of 2026, continuing the form that made it the country’s best-selling new car in both 2024 and 2025. With a lead of more than 3,400 registrations over the Jaecoo 7, it has put itself in a strong position for the rest of the year.
The Puma’s success shows how much the UK market has changed. Ford once dominated with hatchbacks like the Fiesta and Focus, but its biggest seller is now a small SUV. The Puma has effectively taken over as Ford’s mainstream volume model, helped by its familiar badge, compact size, useful practicality and broad appeal to both private and fleet buyers.
Its Expert Rating is more measured than its sales performance. The petrol Ford Puma currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 65%, while the electric Ford Puma Gen-E scores better with an B rating and a score of 68%. That makes the Puma a useful example of why the best-selling car is not automatically the highest-rated car, and why buyers should compare the version they are actually considering.
