# Car market · United Kingdom — May 2026

In May 2026, 160,662 new passenger cars were registered in United Kingdom (+7.1 % year on year), according to SMMT.
Battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars account for 41.1 % of registrations.
Volkswagen is the leading brand (8.8 % of the market), ahead of Audi and Kia.

- Web page: https://mecapress.com/data/gb-royaume-uni/2026-05

## Registrations of the month

| Vehicles | Units | Year on year |
|---|---:|---:|
| Passenger cars | 160,662 | +7.1 % |

## Passenger cars — May 2026

Total market: 160,662

| # | Brand | Units | Share | Year on year |
|---:|---|---:|---:|---:|
| 1 | [Volkswagen](https://mecapress.com/brands/volkswagen) | 14,110 | 8.8 % | +4.0 % |
| 2 | [Audi](https://mecapress.com/brands/audi) | 9,098 | 5.7 % | +12.4 % |
| 3 | [Kia](https://mecapress.com/brands/kia) | 8,955 | 5.6 % | +4.4 % |
| 4 | [BMW](https://mecapress.com/brands/bmw) | 8,503 | 5.3 % | -8.8 % |
| 5 | [Vauxhall](https://mecapress.com/brands/vauxhall) | 7,675 | 4.8 % | +9.4 % |
| 6 | [MG](https://mecapress.com/brands/mg) | 7,463 | 4.6 % | +12.6 % |
| 7 | [Ford](https://mecapress.com/brands/ford) | 6,911 | 4.3 % | -18.6 % |
| 8 | [Skoda](https://mecapress.com/brands/skoda) | 6,621 | 4.1 % | -10.9 % |
| 9 | [Mercedes-Benz](https://mecapress.com/brands/mercedes-benz) | 6,552 | 4.1 % | — |
| 10 | [Toyota](https://mecapress.com/brands/toyota) | 6,187 | 3.9 % | -4.5 % |
| 11 | [Hyundai](https://mecapress.com/brands/hyundai) | 6,077 | 3.8 % | -16.3 % |
| 12 | [Renault](https://mecapress.com/brands/renault) | 5,646 | 3.5 % | +8.2 % |
| 13 | [Jaecoo](https://mecapress.com/brands/jaecoo) | 5,207 | 3.2 % | +210.1 % |
| 14 | [BYD](https://mecapress.com/brands/byd) | 5,157 | 3.2 % | +70.5 % |
| 15 | [Mini](https://mecapress.com/brands/mini) | 5,151 | 3.2 % | +78.7 % |
| 16 | [Peugeot](https://mecapress.com/brands/peugeot) | 5,114 | 3.2 % | -16.9 % |
| 17 | [Land Rover](https://mecapress.com/brands/land-rover) | 4,934 | 3.1 % | +6.3 % |
| 18 | [Volvo Cars](https://mecapress.com/brands/volvo-cars) | 4,918 | 3.1 % | -0.3 % |
| 19 | [Nissan](https://mecapress.com/brands/nissan) | 4,832 | 3.0 % | -29.8 % |
| 20 | [Cupra](https://mecapress.com/brands/cupra) | 3,484 | 2.2 % | +14.7 % |
| 21 | [Chery](https://mecapress.com/brands/chery) | 3,166 | 2.0 % | — |
| 22 | [Tesla](https://mecapress.com/brands/tesla) | 2,934 | 1.8 % | +45.5 % |
| 23 | [Omoda](https://mecapress.com/brands/omoda) | 2,754 | 1.7 % | +84.6 % |
| 24 | [Citroën](https://mecapress.com/brands/citroen) | 2,084 | 1.3 % | +60.1 % |
| 25 | [Dacia](https://mecapress.com/brands/dacia) | 2,048 | 1.3 % | -5.1 % |
| 26 | [Suzuki](https://mecapress.com/brands/suzuki) | 1,656 | 1.0 % | +45.0 % |
| 27 | [Porsche](https://mecapress.com/brands/porsche) | 1,539 | 1.0 % | +10.9 % |
| 28 | [SEAT](https://mecapress.com/brands/seat) | 1,412 | 0.9 % | -23.6 % |
| 29 | [Polestar](https://mecapress.com/brands/polestar) | 1,305 | 0.8 % | +11.2 % |
| 30 | [Mazda](https://mecapress.com/brands/mazda) | 1,276 | 0.8 % | -51.7 % |

Source: [SMMT](https://web.archive.org/web/20260623183512/https://www.smmt.co.uk/vehicle-data/car-registrations/)

## Power sources — May 2026

| Power source | Units | Share |
|---|---:|---:|
| Petrol | 66,223 | 41.2 % |
| Diesel | 7,622 | 4.7 % |
| Hybrid (non plug-in) | 20,719 | 12.9 % |
| Plug-in hybrid | 22,167 | 13.8 % |
| Battery electric | 43,931 | 27.3 % |

Total: 160,662

## Sources

- [SMMT](https://web.archive.org/web/20260623183512/https://www.smmt.co.uk/vehicle-data/car-registrations/)

Figures copied from the official publications or computed from them (shares, changes, sums), never estimated or written by AI.

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Cite as: Mecapress, “Car market · United Kingdom — May 2026”, https://mecapress.com/data/gb-royaume-uni/2026-05
Methodology: https://mecapress.com/methodology