The UK’s used car market continued its steady climb in Q2 2025, with transactions rising 1.7% to nearly two million vehicles (1,996,116). This is the strongest second-quarter performance since 2021, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
This is the 10th quarter of consecutive growth for the used car market, driven by the ongoing recovery in new car supply. Over the first half of the year, 4,017,106 pre-owned cars changed hands, which is an increase of 2.2% on 2024 and brings the market back within 1% of pre-pandemic levels.
Fuel Types
Petrol cars remained the most popular choice, with sales up 1.5% to 1,134,387 units. Diesel, however, fell by 4.3% to 664,644 units. Combined, the two still accounted for 90.1% of the market, though their share dropped by over two percentage points as more buyers switched to electrified models.
Electrification continues to gain momentum in the second-hand sector. Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) sales rose 27.7% to 100,127 units, taking a 5.0% market share. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) increased by 10.3% to 24,370 units, while battery electric vehicles (BEVs) saw the sharpest growth, up 40.0% to 68,721 units and representing 3.4% of purchases. Industry leaders point to the new Electric Car Grant and faster charging infrastructure rollout as key to sustaining this growth.
Vehicle Segments
Smaller cars continued to be the most popular, with superminis taking the top spot with 31.8% of the market (635,126 units, +1.3%), followed by lower medium cars at 26.7% (533,860 units, +0.5%). Dual-purpose vehicles recorded the strongest growth among mainstream body types, up 6.7% to 331,924 units. Specialist sports cars fell by 4.1% to 58,759 units, while upper medium vehicles declined by 3.4% to 186,714 units.
Colours
Black, grey, and white proved the most popular colours in Q2, together making up 55.2% of transactions, with white overtaking blue for a place in the top three. Cream (+10.7%), green (+9.0%), yellow (+8.0%) and pink (+8.0%) had the fastest growth rates. Turquoise (-5.6%), gold (-5.5%) and silver (-3.9%) saw the biggest drops, while maroon replaced cream as the least popular choice overall.
“Surpassing the four million half-year milestone for the first time since 2019 shows the UK’s used car market is building back momentum. That’s good news for the industry and for motorists who benefit from more choice and affordability across a range of higher tech, cleaner vehicles, notably in the emerging electric vehicle sector. To maintain this trajectory, a thriving new car market must be delivered across the segments, along with accelerated investment into the charging network to give every driver the ability to switch.”
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive
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