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The Kia (000270.KS) Sportage was the UK's best-selling car in April and is the second best-selling this year so far, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
April's best-seller saw 3,514 cars hitting the road over the month, ahead of the Ford (F) Puma, which recorded 3,331 registrations and remains the most popular model for 2025 overall.
The Vauxhall Corsa took third place in April with 2,376 cars sold.
The Nissan (7201.T) Qashqai was number four on this list, with 2,197 units sold, followed by the Audi (VOW3.DE) A3, with 2,112 registrations.
The Volvo (VOLCAR-B.ST) XC40 (2,008), the Nissan Juke (1,959), Peugeot 2008 (1,822), Hyundai (005380.KS) Tucson (1,781) and the Mini Cooper (1,624) complete the top 10 best sellers in April.
UK new car sales fell by 10.4% last month amid “a fragile economic backdrop and weakened consumer confidence” for the sixth fall in the last seven months.
SMMT said 120,331 new cars were registered last month, 13,943 fewer than in the same month last year.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes described the overall performance of the new car market in April as “disappointing but expected” after the 12.4% year-on-year growth in March, when new registration plates were released.
He said: “Another month of growth for electric vehicle (EV) registrations is good news, however, even if demand remains well below ambition.
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“Recent government adjustments to flexibilities and compliance within the ZEV [zero emission vehicle] mandate are welcome and an important first step in relieving some of the pressure on the market and manufacturers.
“However, EV uptake is still being heavily and unsustainably subsidised by the industry, which is why a compelling package of measures from government is essential if consumers are going to make the switch.”
EVs lost their exemption to vehicle excise duty on 1 April, causing many “shrewd” buyers to make their purchases before the deadline, the SMMT said.
Battery electric vehicle sales jumped by 8.1% to 24,558 units, with a market share of 20.4%. Sales of plug-in hybrids (PHEV) jumped by 34.1%.
But sales of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) fell -2.9%, with petrol sales down 22% and diesel plunging by 26.2%.