The UK’s used car market recorded a strong second quarter, with almost two million transactions (1,996,116), the best Q2 performance since 2021, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
This marks the 10th consecutive quarter of growth, driven by recovery in the new car sector, bringing the market within 1% of pre-pandemic levels for the first half of 2025.
A total of 4,017,106 pre-owned cars changed hands, up 2.2% year-on-year.
Petrol vehicles remained the top-selling fuel type in Q2, rising 1.5% to 1,134,387 units, while diesel sales declined 4.3% to 664,644 units. Combined, these conventional fuel vehicles accounted for 90.1% of the market, though their share fell slightly as electrified vehicles gained traction.
Electrified vehicles now represent nearly one in ten transactions (9.7%). Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) rose 27.7% to 100,127 units, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) increased 10.3% to 24,370 units, and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) saw the strongest growth at 40.0%, reaching 68,721 units and 3.4% market share.
Experts say further expansion depends on measures to boost new EV sales, including the rollout of the Electric Car Grant and the expansion of the UK charging network.
In terms of vehicle size, smaller cars continued to dominate. Superminis held the largest share (31.8%) with 635,126 transactions, while lower medium vehicles accounted for 26.7% with 533,860 sales.
Dual-purpose vehicles also saw growth, up 6.7% to 331,924 units. Specialist sports cars (-4.1%) and upper medium vehicles (-3.4%) recorded the steepest declines.
Colour trends mirrored the new car market, with black, grey, and white emerging as the most popular, making up 55.2% of sales.
Cream, green, yellow, and pink saw the largest increases, while turquoise, gold, and silver experienced the greatest declines. Maroon replaced cream as the least popular colour.
SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said, “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.”
