UK Passenger Car Sales : 2025 (Jan-Mar)

Registrations were up 12% for March and up 6% YTD. That's still at a level below the best years but good compared to recent history. 

VW is now well established at the top, a position it took in 2021 from Ford. BMW retains its second placing, just ahead of Kia. Ford has made a comeback, moving up a place compared to 2024. 

Peugeot climbed to eight places to 5th and Nissan up two to 6th despite the latter dropping some market share. Vauxhall has also gained two ranking places to 9th.

Brands importing from China are making gains and with no tariff hurdle into the UK that I'm aware of will likely make further inroads. If only cars going the other way had the same favourable conditions. 

MG is at 12th place (down from 10th in 2024), BYD is up to 21st (31st), Jaecoo 33rd (52nd), Omoda 34th (33rd), Leapmotor and Xpeng new, GWM Ora has dropped from 40th to 49th and Skywell is going nowhere. 

One thing is for certain, all these new brands are making for long lists. 

Best selling models:

Ford Puma - 14,930

Kia Sportage - 12,866

Nissan Qashqai - 11,792 (pic above)

Vauxhall Corsa - 11,476 

VW Golf - 10,749

Nissan Juke - 10,414

MG HS - 9,738

VW Tiguan - 9,140

MG ZS - 9,041

Hyundai Tucson - 8,715

For the 2024 article, simply click on the link below:

By brand.

Data source: SMMT (mainly).

Picture Source: Nissan.

Lucid Deliveries/Production : 2025 (Q1)

Deliveries were up 58% for the first quarter, reaching 3,109. It was also the best quarter yet, albeit by a slender margin. Production was also up, 63% in this case. The local number was 2,212 with over 600 kits sent to Saudi Arabia for assembly there. As I don't know how much in excess of 600 it was, I added exactly that number. 

A good result although if the kits going to Saudi Arabia are not yet counted as deliveries, then the 3,109 sales were well over the 2,212 produced. The press release lacks the detail to clarify that so best to see it at face value as a good result and let Lucid concern itself with inventory levels.

Data source: Lucid.

Rivian Deliveries & Production Figures : 2025 (Q1)

Rivian delivered 8,640 vehicles in Q1 2025, which was down 36% compared to the corresponding quarter a year earlier. 

First quarters can be lower as was the case in 2023 when just 16% of sales were in Q1. 

However, that was early in the life of the company and 2014 quarters were more even.

                              So the 2025 Q1 figure is disappointing whatever way we try to look at it. Rivian has a target of 46,000 for the year or 11,500 per quarter so the next three will have to be much better to achieve that. 

At first glance, the fact the company made 14,611 for Q1 seems too high. The explanation is that a new model (R2 picture above) is coming in 2026 so later this year production will be compromised as the factory is readied for that. So inventory is being built up to meet sales demand while production is affected.

Data source: Rivian. 

Nio Global Sales : 2025 (Q1)

The company started selling its first road car in 2018, having made a handful of track sports cars beforehand. It was soon struggling financially but with the help of funding it survived that. It's known for battery swap stations which overcomes wait times for recharging. 

Nio is a premium electric car marque in the mould of Tesla. During 2024 it added a mainstream electric brand ONVO which stands for On Voyage. Soon will follow the Firefly sub brand to challenge smart and even MINI. 

In 2023, it sold 160,000 cars and 222,000 a year later. In the first quarter of 2025, 42,000 Nio and ONVO cars were delivered, up 40% for the quarterly comparison.  

Data & photo source: Nio.

Splitting the two marques numerically, in 2024 73,000 Nio and 21,000 ONVOs were delivered. Looking at 2025, the chart to the left shows monthly deliveries for both.

ONVO has experienced headwinds and hasn't been as well received as hoped. The company is still confident things will improve as it addresses problems the brand has faced.  

The top photo is of the Nio ES8 SUV and the one below is the ONVO L60 coupe SUV which is the only current model for the latter. The full sized ONVO L90 SUV is however coming. 

Tesla Deliveries & Production Figures : 2025 (Q1)

Tesla deliveries were 336,681 for the first quarter of 2025. That was down 9% in the corresponding period of 2024. Q1 2024 was also down (13%) so it's too early to say how the full 2025 will end up. Production was also down, by 12%.

What can be noted is that while 2023 deliveries were growing strongly, 2024 was flat despite the assistance of the Cybertruck. There are only so many customers wishing to buy an electric car and the competition is intense. 

To me, other products are looking fresh and up to date while Tesla's passenger car range is starting to look dated. In the case of the Cybertruck, its styling is different but also weird and has had too many issues. 

In 2024 I had to adjust the figures as the quarterly numbers didn't match the end of year totals. 

Data source: Tesla.

Belgium Passenger Car Sales : 2025 (Jan-Mar)

Registrations were down 5% for March and -14% YTD.  That doesn't sound too good and it isn't as 2024 wasn't very good compared to better years.  

BMW became the best selling marque in 2021 and hasn't reliquished it. The 12.3% for 2025 is its best ever market share in Belgium and year on year improvements in that regard since 2019. 

VW is in second place, a brand that has had the ead on and off for many years. It isn't uncommon for different brands to be at the lead. That makes BMW consistent number one all the more surprising, as is the margin over second placed VW. 

Mercedes-Benz' third place improves its market share, the same applies to Renault. Audi hasn't been as fortunate, dropping from third to fifth. Registrations are down 32% YTD.

Tesla looks not too bad at 15th...until it's compared to last year's 10th ranking. With sales down 58% YTD, it's not going well so far.

For the three months so far Volvo was down 47% and Mazda dropped 52%. MINI was up 60%, Polestar improved its numbers by 68% and BYD gained 91% volume. 

Chinese brands haven't been that successful here so far but some of their increases are impressive but from a low level of sales in 2024.  

For the 2024 article, simply click on the link below:

By brand.

Data source: FEBIAC.

Picture Source: BMW & MINI Belgium.

Bosnia-Herzegovina Car Sales : 2025 (Jan-Feb)

Greece Passenger Car Sales : 2025 (Jan-Feb)

Registrations were down 14% for February and -15% YTD.  That doesn't sound too good but 2024 was up 34% on the previous ten year's average. 

Toyota leads the way but slightly down on a very strong 2024. It's been the best selling brand every year since 2013.

Peugeot has been a consistently popular brand here as has Opel and they are both doing well so far this year. 

VW isn't quite as successful here as it has in the past and Tesla isn't going well generally and Greece is no exception. 

MG and BYD are quickly establishing themselves but Chinese brands are not that well established generally. They have been late in arriving.

The top selling models were:

Peugeot 2008 - 1,412 (pic above)

Opel Corsa 1,105 (pic below)

Toyota Yaris Cross - 997

Citroën C3 - 961

Toyota Yaris - 927

Toyota C-HR - 577

Suzuki Vitara - 558

Hyundai i20 - 525

BMW X1 - 489

Peugeot 208 - 473

For 2024 articles, simply click on the links below:

By brand.

Top 50 Models.

Data source: SEAA.

Picture Source: Peugeot & Opel.

Honda N-Box : 2011-24

The Kei car category (or light vehicle) was introduced in Japan in 1949 to save on fuel and encourage car ownership plus local manufacturing. They have a limitation on their physical dimension and engine capacity. 

They enjoy lower tax and insurance rates among their advantages to ownership. These don't apply elsewhere so exports have been limited mainly to Suzuki. They do enjoy around a third of all sales domestically.

The N-Box was released at the end of 2011 but in its first full year on sale, it exceeded 200,000 units so an instant hit. 

Just prior to the N-Box, Kei cars represented around 20% of Honda's domestic sales. After its introduction, it rose to between 45-50%. Its share of total Kei sales rose from under 8% to over 18%.

The chart to the right shows in thirteen full years of being on sale, registrations exceed 2.7 million. It's been the top selling Kei car every year since 2015 and for the total Japanese market from 2017.

2024 was another good year although slightly down on its historical full year avaerage of 210,700 but still the number one choice for car buyers in Japan. 

As we see above, there is a somewhat narrow cabin space due to size constraints, probably accentuated in the photograph by the tall style of the vehicle relative to other dimensions. Still, wide enough to fit most passengers comfortably.

With the rear seats lowered, it seems you can fit a bike into one as the picture below shows. We only see the front wheel in the car at this point but  obviously it must fit. 

So a versatile vehicle, ideal for narrower streets and ease of parking. However, if you don't live in Japan then don't expect to see one in your neighbourhood.

Audi Plant Production : 2023-24

Audi made nearly 1.67 million cars, down 14% from a year earlier. The previous year was up 15%. There isn't much change in factory production. China was up one percentage point to 36% with Germany going the other way to 33%. Those two countries make just over two thirds of all Audi vehicles. 

Unfortunately the breakdown by plant for China wasn't given, the reason for that I don't know. The plant in Belgium that made the Q8 e-tron has just closed. It started assembling Studebakers in 1949 and VW joined the assembly line in 1954.

The photo above shows assembly at the Martorell plant in Spain. The A1 is produced there along with SEAT and Cupra models.

Audi is to cut its workforce by 8% or 7,500 from now to 2029. It will be done through retirees and leavers not being replaced. Any excess cost in the automobile industry can no longer be afforded. 

Data & picture source: Audi Group.

Bentley Model Sales : 2023-24

Bentley deliveries were down 22% in 2024 but still exceeded 10,600. I noticed production was down just 15% and deliveries already look to be increasing in 2025.  

Data & photo source: Audi Group & Bentley.

Regions: They are surprisingly even which is a good situation to be in. It means that Bentley isn't too reliant on one region. China even managed to increase its share of Bentley sales to 23%. The USA remains the main market. 

Models: All three decreased with the Continental being the best performer. A fully electric SUV is expected to be released in 2026. It has the Mulliner division that specialises in bespoke vehicles and that does seem to be more popular than ever. 

Audi Model Sales : 2023-24

Sales for the Audi brand were down 12% in 2024 after being up 17% in 2023. It appears that a decision was made to pull back on chasing volume as the reduction was consistent across the model range. Selling cars in China was very profitable and not so much anymore. That could have caused a rethink of prioritising profit which has been falling recently.

Regions: The reduction in deliveries is consistent in the four regions below. Europe (40%) and China - Hong Kong (39%) are the two main regions with less than a quarter elsewhere.

Data source: Audi Group. 

Models: Again the reduction has been consistent across the model range. The Q5 remained the top selling model with nearly 300,000 sales and 18% of the total. The A6 (both pictures) is popular with 243,000 deliveries and took 15% of the share. 

The TT model is at the end of its run out phase, as is the R8. The R8 has a successor model but at this stage not the TT it seems. The B4 L means before market launch models just in case you thought this was an oddly named new car.

Lamborghini Model Sales : 2023-24

Lamborghini has sold 10,000 cars over the past two years. I would imagine that is about where they want to be with the current range of three models, one SUV and two sports cars. Maybe they will go a little higher in 2025. 

The SUV makes a huge difference even to marques associated with sports cars, provided they capture the essence of the brand. In the case of the Urus, that is the case.

Data & picture source: Audi / Lamborghini.

Regions: Europe and the USA take two thirds of the cars delivered. China isn't an important market which is just as well with its economic downturn. The Other is surprisingly strong with the Gulf States no doubt an important sub-region. 

Models: The Urus (picture above) does very well with nearly 5,700 deliveries for the year. The new Revuelto replaces the Aventador with a slight gap in the changeover. The Huracán replacement is arriving soon, known as the Temerario. 

BMW Group Regional Global Sales : 2023-24

While the Group maintained sales in most regions, Asia was the fly in the ointment. China in particular is economically struggling so a 10% fall was registered. It's still the largest region for the company but now it's only just. It was in 2020 that Asia overtook Europe but maybe in 2025 that will switch back.

I would have liked to have published BMW sales by model but the detail has been compromised sufficiently that it would be pointless in my opinion. Up until 2024, the detail was amazing, then acceptable until 2020 but since then poor.

One detail that I think that is worth noting is the XM SUV flagship (pictured above). That model sold 6,750 in 2023 and 7,800 this year. Surely that is a flop of major proportion. Price, looks and competition elsewhere within the BMW range have all had an impact. Other marques offer some compelling alternatives as well. 

Data source: BMW Group.

BMW MINI Sales : 2023-24

Retro models often fail or have a momentary spurt before fading away. The MINI did neither of those. In 2001, 25,000 were delivered and the popularity rose until it peaked in 2017 with 372.000 sold. Since then there has been a steady decline and for 2024 sales stood at 245,000.

A quarter of a million is still a goodly number and 2025 promises to lift from there with new models now available. Sales won't reach the 2027 peak again but the fact that it has been successful for so long is amazing.

Some may say the car isn't exactly MINI anymore but relative to how cars have grown in size generally it hasn't ballooned out excessively. It has also retained the fun to drive ethos which is essential.

The electric Aceman (picture above) has arrived but it is too early to have had any noticeable impact on sales figures. BEVs are not selling as was expected but still will be an important model within the range. 

Data & photographs: BMW MINI.

Rolls Royce Sales : 2023-24

When asked what were the biggest competitors for Rolls Royce, the then CEO replied private jets and luxury boats. 

I guess there is some overlap with Bentley but potential customers for the marque have discretionary spending in abundance so alternative forms of transport are also on their radar.

RR has settled around the 6,000 mark at this point. A weaker market in China affected sales but bespoke models are doing well so that has compensated. 

Such is the demand in that regard that the company is to spend £300 million in increasing capacity for customised vehicles. It's the largest plant investment since it was built.

The Cullinan SUV is still the most popular model but the new electric Spectre accounted for a third of sales in its first full year. Will RR become a fully electric marque? We don't know but with demand for BEVs stalling, it pays for car manufacturers to keep their options open. 

Data & Pictures: BMW Group.

BMW Group Plant Production : 2023-24

Production was down 6% in 2024 after a 12% increase in 2023. It was in 2015 that production in Germany dropped below 50% of the BMW Group total and it hasn't returned there since. In fact, it dropped each year thereafter until 2021 when it reached 31%.

Since then it has moved back toward Germany, now at 43%. The current German production figure of 1.087 million is among the highest. Yet if the total volume is down 6%, where was the reduced volume felt? The answer is virtually everywhere else.

I would have thought China's 5% fall was a good result in view of the depressed economy there but I wonder whether profit was affected in achieving that. MINI production in the UK was down 40% which was much more than I expected. It will be better in 2025 but by how much will be interesting. 

MINI production was transferred from the Netherlands to Germany which accounts for the slump in the Netherlands and some of the gain at home. The Z4 is made in Austria and that had a heavy reduction in volume. 

I don't know what is made at partner plants but it could be many models if they are from kits. They are located in China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Data & photograph: BMW Group.

South Africa Top Car/LCV Models : 2023-24

Toyota, Volkswagen and Suzuki are the three most popular passenger car brands in the RSA. For light commercials its Toyota, Ford and Isuzu. Those brands are well represented in the list below.

Toyota and Suzuki benefit from a model collaboration. Suzuki cars made in India are sometimes badged as Toyota models. Here is a list of such models: Toyota Rumion – Suzuki Ertiga, Starlet – Baleno, Starlet Cross – Fronx, Urban Cruiser – Grand Vitara and the Vitz – Celerio.

It's cost effective and done well as it seems in this case, benefits both companies. These models can be seen in the list below and are very successful. 

Chinese models are making quite an impact, with Chery in the top 10 with the Tiggo 4 and the Haval Jolion a few places below. Brands from Asia generally are the most common. 

Data source: Naamsa.