The Nissan Qashqai finished top of the sales charts in June, while the Ford Puma crossover retains a comfortable lead at the top of the annual registrations leaderboard.
According to results published this morning by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the overall new car market improved by just under 7%. Electric and plug-in hybrid cars saw the strongest growth in June 2025, while sales of traditional petrol cars continued to decline.
In year-to-date sales, the Puma – which was the best-selling new car in both 2023 and 2024 – has marginally extended its lead to over 3,300 units thanks to a second place sale finish in June as we head into the second half of the year.
The accolade of ‘June’s best-seller’ instead belongs to the ever-popular Nissan Qashqai, recording around 450 more sales than any other model last month. This table-topping performance does little to change the annual top three standings however, and the as the Qashqai remains in third.
- Read our monthly report: Stronger month for new car sales in June
Top ten best-sellers chart, June 2025
| Rank | Brand | Registrations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nissan Qashqai | 5,008 |
| 2 | Ford Puma | 4,419 |
| 3 | Tesla Model Y | 4,181 |
| 4 | Vauxhall Corsa | 3,583 |
| 5 | MG HS | 3,567 |
| 6 | Tesla Model 3 | 3,538 |
| 7 | Kia Sportage | 3,376 |
| 8 | Volkswagen T-Roc | 3,295 |
| 9 | Nissan Juke | 3,278 |
| 10 | Peugeot 2008 | 3,212 |
Britain’s best-selling cars of 2024
1. Ford Puma
The Ford Puma finished tenth in February, and as the crossover slid down the annual sales leaderboard, we began to question if the Puma stood a chance at competing for top spot this year. After May, consider those doubts short-lived. The crossover rediscovered its title-winning sales form, finishing in top spot in the monthly charts once again.
The Puma has received plenty of praise from the UK motoring media, and currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 72% on our unique Expert Rating Index.
2. Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage was so close to taking the UK’s best-selling car title last year, before the SUV fell at the final sales hurdle in December. The Kia has had a strong start to 2025 and shown consistent sales form, and while the SUV was outshone by the Puma in May – the Kia finished top in April and wasn’t too far behind the Puma in May. That said, the SUV dropped to an uncharacteristic seventh in June.
The new Kia Sportage currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 73% on our award-winning Expert Rating Index.
3. Nissan Qashqai
The Nissan Qashqai remains one of the nation’s most popular cars – a claim validated by the SUV’s top ten sales consistency. Formerly the UK’s best-selling car in 2022, the mid-sized family car was bested by the similarly-sized Kia Sportage last year. The competition remains tough, and as the Kia Sportage and Ford Puma proved more popular in May.
The Qashqai is the current jewel in the crown of the British car manufacturing industry – designed in London, developed in the Midlands and built in Sunderland. It’s also the UK’s best-selling British-built car. On sale since Autumn 2021, the Qashqai holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 74%.
4. Vauxhall Corsa
Compact and affordable – the Vauxhall Corsa supermini is a British favourite. While the hatchback has now been surpassed by the Ford Puma, the Corsa is still posting strong registrations totals, but still sits behind the Nissan Qashqai in fourth, despite a commendable month of sales in both May and June.
The Vauxhall Corsa currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of C, with a score of 65%, while its all-electric counterpart holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 71%.
5. Nissan Juke
On sale since 2019, the UK-built Nissan Juke has established itself as a popular choice of British motorists in the last year, as a cheaper and more compact alternative to the bigger Qashqai.
While the compact crossover couldn’t quite match the sales numbers of its larger sibling throughout 2024, it remains a top ten contender, which is another impressive sales feat for Nissan.
The Juke currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 68%. That puts it squarely in the middle of a crowded compact SUV class.
6. Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen is the UK’s most popular car manufacturer by total sales numbers, but it took until last year for one of its models to firmly cement itself in the top ten places. That model is the mid-sized Golf, which sits in sixth after June. The family car has never recorded table-topping registration totals, but sold in very consistent numbers throughout 2024, earning its place in the mid-table.
The Volkswagen Golf currently holds an excellent New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 77%.
7. MG HS
Focusing on offering value-for-money models with pricing that undercuts other brands, MG is proving to be quite a popular motoring marque this year – the large HS currently being its most popular offering. The large SUV now sits in seventh in the annual charts, climbing three places. The HS recorded strong sales numbers in the first half of last year’s race, but fell away as the year progressed. Will history repeat itself?
The MG HS currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 75% in our Expert Rating index.
8. Hyundai Tucson
A key rival of the Kia Sportage an Nissan Qashqai, the Hyundai Tucson has been a regular top ten performer in recent years. The SUV now sits in eighth in the annual sales charts, after spending most of the Spring outside this best-sellers list.
The Hyundai Tucson currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 74% in our Expert Rating Index.
9. Volvo XC40
It may be an older model compared to other competitors in the top ten, but the long-standing compact XC40 is proving to be a big seller for safety-focused brand Volvo in the UK so far this year. Hovering just outside the top ten before April, the SUV finished an impressive sixth in April’s sales standings, which moved the XC40 up to ninth in the annual leaderboard. It remains there after June.
The Volvo XC40 currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 69% in our Expert Rating index.
10. Volkswagen Tiguan
Volkswagen’s answer to the popular Qashqai, the Tiguan was able to improve on its position in the top ten best-sellers, despite its absence from the April leaderboard, moving up to eighth from tenth. However, the SUV was missing from the top ten in both May and June, and falls two places to tenth in the annual leaderboard as a consequence.
The Volkswagen Tiguan currently holds a commendable New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 76% in our industry-leading Expert Rating Index.
The 2025 best-seller’s race is well under way – we will update this page with the July registrations results that will be published in the first week of August.
