The Kia Sportage SUV was Britain’s best-selling car in January, as the annual new car sales race commences.
According to results published this morning by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), January was a month of steady but slow sales growth for the new car market, with total registrations growing by 3% year-on-year with fleet sales outnumbering private sales.
After finishing second in last year’s sales race, the Kia Sportage outsold new cars of all shapes and sizes in January, recording over 600 more registrations than any other model. It’s early days yet though, and while we at The Car Expert predict that the Sportage will be a popular choice among UK buyers once again this year, the SUV will have to maintain this promising sales form if Kia hopes on retaining top spot.
Last year’s best-selling new car, the smaller Ford Puma, got off to a slower sales start, with around 1,000 registrations less than the Sportage. That’s still enough for third however, and its very likely that the crossover will be another top sales contender this year.
Beyond the top ten regulars vying for pole position, the biggest sales story of January has been the rise of Chinese automotive newcomers, at the expense of established brands. Chery-owned brands Jaecoo is becoming an increasingly popular choice for UK buyers, and its Jaecoo 7 SUV recorded an impressive second place finish in January.
Chinese automaker BYD has also started 2026 with one of its models in the top ten. The BYD Seal U finished in sixth, surpassing the sales of rivals the Volkswagen Tiguan and Hyundai Tucson.
Former best-selling car winners and established mainstays, the Nissan Qashqai SUV and Vauxhall Corsa also feature, but slightly lower down the pecking order in fourth and fifth.
Volkswagen still holds the biggest share of the UK’s new car market, accounting for 10% of all new car sales in January. The German brand’s Golf and Tiguan models were mainstays in sales leaderboard throughout 2025, and featured again in January’s leaderboard.
Top ten best-sellers chart, January 2026
| Rank | Brand | Registrations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kia Sportage | 4,675 |
| 2 | Jaecoo 7 | 4,059 |
| 3 | Ford Puma | 3,715 |
| 4 | Nissan Qashqai | 2,995 |
| 5 | Vauxhall Corsa | 2,902 |
| 6 | BYD Seal U | 2,550 |
| 7 | Nissan Juke | 2,517 |
| 8 | Volkswagen Tiguan | 2,425 |
| 9 | Volkswagen Golf | 2,072 |
| 10 | MG HS | 2,035 |
Britain’s best-selling cars of 2024
1. Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage was so close to taking the UK’s best-selling car title in 2024, before the SUV fell at the final sales hurdle in December. 2025 was a similar story, with the race for first not being as close. The Kia SUV sits top again for now, but can it maintain this strong sales form as the year progresses?
The new Kia Sportage currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 72% on our award-winning Expert Rating Index.
2. Jaecoo 7
A mainstay of the monthly top ten sales charts towards the end of 2025, we had more than an inkling that the Jaecoo 7 would have a strong start to the year. But second place? If Jaecoo can keep up this sales form, the Chinese brand and its parent marque Chery are about to take the UK market by storm.
The Jaecoo 7 currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 68% in our Expert Rating index.
3. Ford Puma
The Ford Puma sold in impressive numbers throughout 2025, and while the car’s sales form dipped here and there, it held on to take the UK’s best-selling car of 2025 accolade, with 8,000 more new sales than any other car in the UK. One month into 2026, the crossover sits in third. It’d early days yet.
The Puma has received plenty of praise from the UK motoring media, and currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 65% on our unique Expert Rating Index. The electric version – the Puma Gen-E – fairs better, holding a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 71%.
4. 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 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%.
5. 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 finishing fifth in January.
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%.
6. BYD Seal U
The second Chinese contender in this annual sales order is the plug-in hybrid BYD Seal U, which first arrived in the UK 18 months ago. Is this a sign that BYD now has the brand recognition to surpass established rivals like Audi, BMW and Tesla? Time will tell.
The BYD Seal U currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 75% in our Expert Rating Index.
7. 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 2025, 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.
8. Volkswagen Tiguan
Volkswagen’s answer to the popular Qashqai, the Tiguan usually yo-yos in and out of the annual top ten throughout the year. With the SUV sitting in eighth after January, it looks like business as usual.
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.
9. 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, held on to finish in sixth in 2025. Losing out to the Tiguan in January, the model sits in ninth.
The Volkswagen Golf currently holds an excellent New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 77%.
10. MG HS
Focusing on offering value-for-money models with pricing that undercuts other brands, MG proved to be quite a popular motoring marque last year – the large HS currently being its most popular offering. The large SUV finished in tenth, not far behind the Golf.
The MG HS currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 75% in our Expert Rating index.
Another year, another sales race! We will be back with February’s new car registration update in the first week of March, as the 2026 race for the UK’s best-selling car accolade gets going. Check back soon!
