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The UK new car market grew by 6.6% in March, with 380,627 new vehicles registered, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The performance marks the best March – and best month overall – since 2019.
Growth was driven primarily by private demand, with retail registrations rising 10.1% to 162,470 units. Fleet registrations increased 3.5% to 208,853 units, while the smaller business sector grew 18.8% to 9,304 units.
March was also the best month on record for electrified vehicle volumes, accounting for 196,059 registrations. Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations rose 46.9% to take a 13% market share, while hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) increased 7.3% to take 15.8% of the market. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) reached a new record, up 24.2%, to 86,120 registrations in the month.
Meanwhile, the new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market declined by -3.4% in March, with 49,505 vans, pickups and 4x4s joining the road.
March’s decline was driven by a sharp fall in new pickup registrations, down -54% to just 3,732 units – undermining the growth seen in the LCV market’s highest-volume segments. Demand for large van models rose by 8.7% to 34,805 units, and medium sized vans by 2.3% to 8,365 units, while deliveries of new 4x4s were up 41.3% to 1,871 units. Uptake of small vans, meanwhile, fell by -53.8% to 732 units following a 60.8% uplift in March last year, with such fluctuations more naturally occurring in smaller volume segments.
March’s -15.9% decline in battery electric van (BEV) sees 3,543 units registered and a market share of 7.1% – the weakest since September 2024. Diesel continues to dominate, accounting for 85.6% new LCVs registrations. While BEV demand has risen by 4.3% across the first quarter of 2026, it represents only 9% of the overall market.
More information on the SMMT website.
