UK February 2026: Best February in 22 years, Ford Puma smashes share record
The Ford Puma holds a record 3.6% of the UK market in February.
The UK new car market is up by a solid 7.2% year-on-year in February to 90,100 units. This is the strongest February volume in 22 years: since the 91,460 sales of February 2004. The year-to-date tally is up 4.8% to 234,227. Encouragingly, private sales surge 17.6% to 35,227 and 39.1% share vs. 35.6% in February 2025, while fleet sales only edge up 1.8% to 53,506 and 59.4% share vs. 62.5% a year ago. Business sales are down -12.7% to 1,367 and 1.5% share vs. 1.9%. Year-to-date, private sales are up 9.4% to 87,624 and 37.4% share vs. 35.8% over the first two months of 2025, fleet sales are up 1.7% to 141,777 and 60.5% share vs. 62.4% and business sales up 22.8% to 4,826 and 2.1% share vs. 1.8%.
Looking at sales by fuel type, petrol is up 5.2% to 41,935 units, diesel is off -3.8% to 4,080, HEV up 3.3% to 11,807 and PHEV up 43.5% to 10,438 and 11.6% share vs. 8.7% a year ago. BEV sales are up just 2.8% to 21,840 and 24.2% share vs. 25.3% in February 2025. This is the second straight month that BEVs lose share year-on-year. Year-to-date, petrol edges up 0.7% to 110,692, diesel is off -7.2% to 11,942, HEV up 4.2% to 31,104 and PHEV up 45.9% to 28,995 and 12.4% share vs. 8.9% over the first two months of 2025. BEVs are up just 1.2% to 51,494 and 22% share vs. 22.8% last year.
Source: SMMT
Volkswagen (-11.5%) struggles year-on-year but remains the favourite car brand in the country with 7.9% share. Ford (+36.6%) rallies back up to 2nd place with 6.7% of the market, its best performance since last August. BMW (-2.1%) for its part repeats at #3 ahead of Mercedes (+33.9%) and Audi (+17.2%), the three German premium carmakers all fitting within a hundred sales. Skoda (+17.3%) and Vauxhall (+16.1%) also impress, while further down BYD (+83%), Jaecoo (+179.7%), Citroen (+82.8%), Omoda (+147.8%) and Suzuki (+77.6%) stand out. Tesla is off -37.1%.
Over in the models charts, the Ford Puma (+119.6%) more than doubles its sales year-on-year to reclaim the top spot it has held over the past three years, both for the month and YTD. The nameplate even smashes its UK share record to 3.6%, its previous best being 3.2% hit in April 2024, November 2025 and December 2025. The Kia Sportage (+45.4%) is also in outstanding shape at #2, while last yearβs leader the Mini Cooper (-11.9%) ends the month at #3. The Tesla Model 3 (-20.4%) reappears at #4 with the Jaecoo 7 confirming its stunning success in the UK at #5, the modelβs 7th straight monthly Top 10 finish.
Previous month: UK January 2026: Jaecoo 7 up to #2
One year ago: UK February 2025: Mini Cooper best-seller
Full February 2026 Top 52 All brands and Top 10 models below.
UK February 2026 β brands:
| Pos | Brand | Feb-26 | % | /25 | Jan | 2026 | % | /25 | Pos | FY25 |
| 1 | Volkswagen | 7,104 | 7.9% | β 11.5% | 1 | 19,643 | 8.4% | β 9.0% | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | FordΒ Β | 6,056 | 6.7% | + 36.6% | 4 | 13,596 | 5.8% | + 22.8% | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | BMWΒ Β | 4,623 | 5.1% | β 2.1% | 3 | 12,722 | 5.4% | β 9.1% | 4 | 2 |
| 4 | MercedesΒ Β | 4,538 | 5.0% | + 33.9% | 7 | 11,325 | 4.8% | + 16.1% | 7 | 9 |
| 5 | AudiΒ Β | 4,522 | 5.0% | + 17.2% | 5 | 12,056 | 5.1% | + 17.1% | 5 | 5 |
| 6 | VauxhallΒ Β | 4,515 | 5.0% | + 16.1% | 6 | 11,733 | 5.0% | + 6.9% | 6 | 13 |
| 7 | Kia | 4,497 | 5.0% | + 5.6% | 2 | 14,480 | 6.2% | β 3.9% | 2 | 4 |
| 8 | Skoda | 4,343 | 4.8% | + 17.3% | 9 | 10,292 | 4.4% | + 14.8% | 8 | 11 |
| 9 | PeugeotΒ Β | 3,751 | 4.2% | β 12.0% | 8 | 10,099 | 4.3% | β 18.3% | 9 | 12 |
| 10 | Hyundai | 3,742 | 4.2% | β 9.0% | 11 | 9,554 | 4.1% | β 8.5% | 10 | 6 |
| 11 | Toyota | 3,216 | 3.6% | + 8.4% | 13 | 8,303 | 3.5% | + 8.8% | 12 | 7 |
| 12 | MG | 3,079 | 3.4% | β 7.4% | 14 | 8,158 | 3.5% | β 6.9% | 13 | 10 |
| 13 | Mini | 3,046 | 3.4% | β 23.4% | 19 | 6,029 | 2.6% | β 13.4% | 19 | 18 |
| 14 | Renault | 2,966 | 3.3% | + 16.8% | 16 | 7,403 | 3.2% | + 11.8% | 15 | 15 |
| 15 | Volvo | 2,962 | 3.3% | + 5.7% | 18 | 6,713 | 2.9% | β 5.0% | 17 | 14 |
| 16 | NissanΒ Β | 2,647 | 2.9% | β 33.0% | 10 | 8,589 | 3.7% | β 22.5% | 11 | 8 |
| 17 | Land Rover | 2,427 | 2.7% | + 29.2% | 12 | 7,726 | 3.3% | + 10.9% | 14 | 16 |
| 18 | Tesla | 2,422 | 2.7% | β 37.1% | 33 | 3,140 | 1.3% | β 40.9% | 25 | 19 |
| 19 | BYD | 2,154 | 2.4% | + 83.0% | 17 | 6,175 | 2.6% | + 121.2% | 18 | 17 |
| 20 | Jaecoo | 2,028 | 2.3% | + 179.7% | 15 | 6,878 | 2.9% | + 374.7% | 16 | 23 |
| 21 | Cupra | 1,858 | 2.1% | + 15.6% | 20 | 4,581 | 2.0% | + 19.0% | 20 | 20 |
| 22 | Mazda | 1,675 | 1.9% | + 25.1% | 22 | 4,133 | 1.8% | + 0.6% | 21 | 21 |
| 23 | Citroen | 1,614 | 1.8% | + 82.8% | 21 | 4,094 | 1.7% | + 91.4% | 22 | 26 |
| 24 | Chery | 1,406 | 1.6% | new | 23 | 3,533 | 1.5% | new | 23 | 34 |
| 25 | Omoda | 1,286 | 1.4% | + 147.8% | 25 | 3,132 | 1.3% | + 181.7% | 26 | 27 |
| 26 | Suzuki | 1,245 | 1.4% | + 77.6% | 26 | 2,930 | 1.3% | + 15.4% | 27 | 29 |
| 27 | Dacia | 1,228 | 1.4% | + 25.2% | 24 | 3,156 | 1.3% | β 4.1% | 24 | 22 |
| 28 | Honda | 874 | 1.0% | β 38.8% | 31 | 1,756 | 0.7% | β 42.4% | 29 | 24 |
| 29 | Polestar | 675 | 0.7% | + 31.1% | 29 | 1,745 | 0.7% | + 38.4% | 30 | 30 |
| 30 | Seat | 661 | 0.7% | β 33.0% | 27 | 1,960 | 0.8% | β 32.8% | 28 | 25 |
| 31 | Porsche | 499 | 0.6% | β 17.2% | 28 | 1,715 | 0.7% | β 4.4% | 31 | 28 |
| 32 | Lexus | 460 | 0.5% | β 23.1% | 30 | 1,390 | 0.6% | β 16.3% | 32 | 31 |
| 33 | Leapmotor | 439 | 0.5% | new | 32 | 1,205 | 0.5% | new | 33 | 35 |
| 34 | Jeep | 375 | 0.4% | β 32.7% | 34 | 975 | 0.4% | β 35.7% | 34 | 32 |
| 35 | Geely | 204 | 0.2% | new | 42 | 290 | 0.1% | new | 37 | 47 |
| 36 | Fiat | 188 | 0.2% | β 69.0% | 35 | 445 | 0.2% | β 78.1% | 35 | 33 |
| 37 | Subaru | 113 | 0.1% | + 32.9% | 39 | 280 | 0.1% | + 41.4% | 38 | 37 |
| 38 | Alfa Romeo | 99 | 0.1% | + 76.8% | 36 | 310 | 0.1% | + 148.0% | 36 | 36 |
| 39 | KGM | 86 | 0.1% | + 177.4% | 38 | 254 | 0.1% | + 74.0% | 39 | 41 |
| 40 | Alpine | 68 | 0.1% | + 1033.3% | 37 | 238 | 0.1% | + 1387.5% | 40 | 39 |
| 41 | Changan | 60 | 0.1% | new | 40 | 213 | 0.1% | new | 41 | 49 |
| 42 | Smart | 53 | 0.1% | + 23.3% | 43 | 132 | 0.1% | + 29.4% | 43 | 38 |
| 43 | Genesis | 51 | 0.1% | β 55.3% | 41 | 147 | 0.1% | β 28.3% | 42 | 42 |
| 44 | Lotus | 35 | 0.0% | β 66.0% | 44 | 78 | 0.0% | β 80.2% | 44 | n/a |
| 45 | Abarth | 26 | 0.0% | + 0.0% | 47 | 48 | 0.0% | + 6.7% | 45 | 50 |
| 46 | Xpeng | 22 | 0.0% | new | Β β | 22 | 0.0% | new | 49 | 45 |
| 47 | Maserati | 13 | 0.0% | + 18.2% | 45 | 43 | 0.0% | + 16.2% | 46 | 48 |
| 48 | Ineos | 13 | 0.0% | + 225.0% | 46 | 39 | 0.0% | + 160.0% | 47 | 51 |
| 49 | GWM Ora | 7 | 0.0% | + 40.0% | 49 | 15 | 0.0% | β 73.7% | 50 | 46 |
| 50 | DS | 5 | 0.0% | β 77.3% | 48 | 24 | 0.0% | β 80.5% | 48 | 43 |
| 51 | Skywell | 4 | 0.0% | n/a | 51 | 10 | 0.0% | + 900.0% | 51 | 54 |
| 52 | Jaguar | 1 | 0.0% | β 99.5% | 50 | 7 | 0.0% | β 99.3% | 52 | 40 |
| Β β | Other British | 104 | 0.1% | β 39.9% | Β β | 383 | 0.2% | β 36.4% | Β β | Β β |
| Β β | Other Imports | 15 | 0.0% | β 63.4% | Β β | 139 | 0.1% | β 17.3% | Β β | Β β |
UK February 2026 β models:
| Pos | Model | Feb-26 | % | /25 | Jan | 2026 | % | /25 | Pos | FY25 |
| 1 | Ford Puma | 3,220 | 3.6% | + 119.6% | 3 | 6,935 | 3.0% | + 82.6% | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Kia Sportage | 2,205 | 2.4% | + 45.4% | 1 | 6,880 | 2.9% | + 37.8% | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Mini Cooper | 1,828 | 2.0% | β 11.9% | n/a | 3,593 | 1.5% | β 5.5% | 7 | 12 |
| 4 | Tesla Model 3 | 1,584 | 1.8% | β 20.4% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 20 |
| 5 | Jaecoo 7 | 1,446 | 1.6% | n/a | 2 | 5,505 | 2.4% | n/a | 3 | 13 |
| 6 | Volvo XC40 | 1,392 | 1.5% | β 6.3% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 7 |
| 7 | VW Tiguan | 1,379 | 1.5% | β 15.7% | 8 | 3,804 | 1.6% | + 3.5% | 6 | 9 |
| 8 | Vauxhall Corsa | 1,335 | 1.5% | + 7.1% | 5 | 4,237 | 1.8% | β 8.4% | 4 | 4 |
| 9 | Ford Kuga | 1,286 | 1.4% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 19 |
| 10 | Hyundai Tucson | 1,222 | 1.4% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 10 |
| n/a | VW Golf | 1,214 | 1.3% | β 28.1% | 9 | 3,286 | 1.4% | β 23.6% | 10 | 6 |
| n/a | Nissan Qashqai | 1,140 | 1.3% | β 25.3% | 4 | 4,135 | 1.8% | β 16.4% | 5 | 3 |
| n/a | Nissan Juke | 1,073 | 1.2% | β 33.9% | 7 | 3,590 | 1.5% | β 9.0% | 8 | 5 |
| n/a | BYD Seal U | 808 | 0.9% | n/a | 6 | 3,358 | 1.4% | n/a | 9 | 21 |
Source: SMMT
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The Suzuki S-Cross is the best-selling vehicle in Hungary in February.
The BYD Dolphin Mini is up to #11 in Brazil in February.
Omoda/Jaecoo breaks into the Top 10 brands in Czechia in February.
The Omoda C5 is among the 10 most popular models in Poland in February.
Jetour hits a new volume record in South Africa in February.
The Peugeot 2008 is up to a record third place in Turkiye in February.
The Move (+39.4%) helps Daihatsu up 18.5% in February.
The Mazda CX-5 represents 92% of the brandβs volume in February.
The new Frontera helps Opel sales up 58% in February.
The VW Golf is #1 in Switzerland for the first time since December 2018.
The Toyota Hilux holds 19.5% of the Nicaraguan market in 2025.
The Chery Tiggo 4 is up to #3 year-to-date in Australia.
The new generation has so far failed to boost Hilux sales in Australia.
The Toyota RAV4 is the best-selling vehicle in Ukraine in February.
The Dacia Bigster holds a record 5.8% of its home market in February.
The Opel Frontera is the best-selling recent launch in Ireland.
Volvo EX30 sales are up 112.8% year-on-year in February.
The Dacia Duster is the best-selling vehicle in Iceland in February.
The Toyota Aygo X is the best-seller in the Netherlands for the first time
The Foxtron is less than 50 sales away from the Top 10.
Opel sales are up 37.5% year-on-year in February.
The Leapmotor T03 is sold at β¬4,900 in Italy, earning it a 4th place overall in February.
First podium finish at home for the Fiat Grande Panda
The Seat Ibiza is the best-seller at home for the first time since April 2018.
The BYD Atto 2 is up to a record 15th place in February.
Omoda Jaecoo is the most popular carmaker in Israel in February.
Opel Mokka sales triple year-on-year in January.
The Citroen C3 is the most popular vehicle in France in February.
Best result since last September for the Tesla Model Y.
The new generation Citroen C5 Aircross is up to a record #16.
Promotions on the outgoing generations push the Nissan Navara to #4.