New car sales in the UK increased by 3.9% year on year to 146,249 units in December 2025, rebounding from the 1.6% decline in November. Demand was led by private and business buyers, with registrations rising 16.0% and 15.3%, respectively, offsetting a 2.4% decline in fleet registrations. By powertrain, traditional internal combustion vehicles remained under pressure. Diesel registrations fell 12.5%, while petrol car sales declined 3.1%. In contrast, new energy vehicles accounted for more than half of total market share, reflecting sustained electrification momentum. Plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) registrations surged 32.9%, while battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales rose 8.0% and hybrid registrations increased 3.0% year on year.
