The Ford Puma crossover was Britain’s best-selling car in February, snatching top spot in on the annual leaderboard as a result.
According to results published this morning by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), February produced a landmark monthly sales total, with total registrations growing by 7% year-on-year to over 90,000 – the highest sales volume seen since February 2004.
After finishing first in last year’s sales race, the Ford Puma outsold new cars of all shapes and sizes in February, recording over 1,000 more registrations than any other model.
It’s early days yet though, and while we at The Car Expert predict that the Puma will be key contender for the top spot once again this year, the Ford will have to maintain this promising sales form if it is to keep popular alternatives like the Kia Sportage and Jaceoo 7 in the rear-view mirror.
Speaking of the Jaecoo 7, the SUV is becoming an increasingly popular choice for UK buyers, recording another an impressive top five finish in February, just behind the Tesla Model 3 which makes its first monthly top ten appearance of the year.
The Mini Cooper finished third in February – enough to see the hatchback climb up to seventh in the annual chart after two months. Below that February’s top ten was much closer, with 350 sales separating fourth and tenth place.
Former best-selling car winner and established mainstay the Vauxhall Corsa also features, but lower down the pecking order in eighth. The key absentee was the British-built Nissan Qashqai, which was missing from February’s top ten.
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 Tiguan model was a mainstay in sales leaderboard throughout 2025, and featured again in February’s leaderboard.
- Read our monthly report: February new car sales reach 22-year high as EV sales struggle
Top ten best-sellers chart, February 2026
| Rank | Brand | Registrations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Puma | 3,220 |
| 2 | Kia Sportage | 2,205 |
| 3 | Mini Cooper | 1,828 |
| 4 | Tesla Model 3 | 1,584 |
| 5 | Jaecoo 7 | 1,446 |
| 6 | Volvo XC40 | 1,392 |
| 7 | Volkswagen Tiguan | 1,379 |
| 8 | Vauxhall Corsa | 1,335 |
| 9 | Ford Kuga | 1,286 |
| 10 | Hyundai Tucson | 1,222 |
Britain’s best-selling cars of 2024
1. 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 first. It’s 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%.
2. 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 has fallen to second as it lost out to the Puma in February, but the race remains mighty close.
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.
3. 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 top five two months in a row? 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.
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, and overtakes the Nissan Qashqai thanks to an eighth place finish in February.
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 Qashqai
The Nissan Qashqai remains one of the nation’s most popular cars – a claim validated by the SUV’s top ten sales consistency. That said, the SUV dropped out of the monthly top ten in February, and falls one place in the annual list as a result.
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%.
6. Volkswagen Tiguan
Volkswagen’s answer to the popular Qashqai, the Tiguan usually appears in the second half of the annual top ten throughout the year. With the SUV sitting in sixth after February, 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.
7. Mini Cooper
Now in its fourth generation, the Mini Cooper as been a British buyer favourite for decades, and this latest iteration is no different. Finishing third in February, the Mini shoots up to seventh in the annual leaderboard.
The Mini Cooper currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 71% in our Expert Rating index, while its battery-powered twin the Mini Cooper Electric holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 81%.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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 February, the model sits in tenth.
The Volkswagen Golf currently holds an excellent New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 77%.
Another year, another sales race! We will be back with March’s new car registration update in the first week of April, as the 2026 race for the UK’s best-selling car accolade gets going. Check back soon!
