Best-selling cars in May: the UK’s favourite still claims the top spot

The UK car market saw registrations rise 7.1% to 160,662 new cars on the road in May – the strongest performance for the month since before the pandemic in 2019 – according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Private buyers drove much of the increase, with registrations up 17.2%. The SMMT attributed this to consumers responding to increasingly competitive offers from a growing range of brands. Fleet demand grew more modestly, rising 1.8%, but still accounted for 57.1% of all registrations.

“Britain’s car buyers are responding to a market offering more choice than ever, from both new and familiar brands, resulting in a robust May,” said Mike Hawes, chief executive at SMMT.

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What were the best-selling cars in May?

May’s new car market saw the Ford Puma retain the top spot with 4,019 sales, continuing its reign as the UK’s best-selling car.

March’s surprise leader, the Jaecoo 7, climbed to fourth place with 3,027 sales after dropping down to 10th in April, and was the only Chinese car in May’s top 10.

Here are the top 10 models sold in May 2026:

What about fuel types?

Electrified vehicles saw growth in May. Hybrid registrations rose 1.8%, while plug-in hybrid deliveries grew 23.9%, giving them a 13.8% market share. Electric car sales, meanwhile, increased 34.2%, reaching 27.3% of the market. That’s the highest recorded so far in 2026.

However, the SMMT figures show petrol and diesel registrations fell 7.1% and 2.2% respectively.

EVs still behind target

Despite progress, electric car uptake continues to lag behind government targets. So far this year, EVs account for just 23.9% of the market – well below the 33% required under the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

The SMMT said that the “widening gap between mandated targets and consumer demand is increasing pressure on manufacturers which must try to absorb the rising costs of compliance.”

There’s also the government’s latest Carbon Budget, which sets out a goal for electric cars to make up 95% of new car and van sales. That’s well above current targets of 80% for cars and 70% for vans.

This level of change would require a major boost in support for drivers and the wider industry, including stronger incentives and investment. It warned that without this, the transition would slow, affecting consumer choice and the renewal of the UK car fleet, which is key to cutting emissions.

Hawes said: “The EV transition is progressing, but consumer uptake still lags behind even today’s targets, let alone the ambition set out in the latest Carbon Budget.

“While industry shares the long-term ambition, the pathway to Net Zero must be credible. It cannot come at the cost of lost competitiveness and deindustrialisation.

“A review of the transition is now urgent to ensure ambition matches market realities and we have a sustainable path to road transport decarbonisation.”

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