New Car Market Grows in May As Puma Continues To Lead Sales Charts

09/06/2025 14:10 Share

New Car Market Grows in May As Puma Continues To Lead Sales Charts

Strong performances across the fleet and business sectors saw new car registrations rise in May, with the Ford Puma remaining the top selling model of the year to date.

Although private registrations were down 2.3% on the same month last year, a growth of 3.7% in fleet and 14.4% in business resulted in overall growth of 1.6% for the month.

That means registrations remain up for the year-to-date, having increased by 2.8% compared to 2024.

The growth was fuelled by increased registrations for electrified vehicles, with double digit declines for both diesel and petrol models.

“A return to growth for new car registrations in May is welcome but manufacturer discounting on new products continues to underpin the market, notably for electric vehicles,” Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said.

“This cannot be sustained indefinitely as it undermines the ability of companies to invest in new product development – investments which are integral to the decarbonisation of all road transport. Next week’s Spending Review is the opportunity for government to double down on its commitments to Net Zero by driving demand through fiscal measures that boost the market and shore up our competitiveness.”

In terms of the monthly figures, the Puma, Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai were the only three models to pass 3,000 registrations.

The three models remain the best-sellers for the year-to-date as SUVs continue to dominate the market, with the Vauxhall Corsa and the Volkswagen Golf the only alternatives inside the top ten.