Grey remains supreme as Britain’s favourite new car colour, but one shade surged… – Car Dealer Magazine
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James Batchelor
7:49 am, January 16, 2026
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And the most popular colour for new cars for 2025 was…. Grey.
Latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that grey was the nation’s favourite colour for new cars for the eighth year running in 2025.
More than half a million grey new cars (558,050) were registered last year – up 2.7% to a record total for the shade – accounting for more than a quarter (27.6%) of all new car registrations.
Taking second spot was black 464,369 new registrations – its highest volume since 2019, while blue came in at number three for the second year running with 306,349 registrations (up 4.9%).
Together, the top three accounted for nearly two thirds (65.8%) of all new cars joining UK roads in 2025.
White retained fourth place, but silver returned to the top five for the first time in nearly a decade. Red slipped to sixth with the lowest market share (5.8%) since detailed records began in 2001.
Last year also marked a stand-out year for green. It retained seventh place, but volumes rose 46.3% to 99,793 registrations – the most since 2004.
Meanwhile, maroon, pink and turquoise counted just 342 registrations between them.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘UK car buyers’ preferences remain pretty consistent, with monochrome continuing to lead in popularity.
‘The surge in green, however, matches the growing popularity of electrified cars as the new car market decarbonises.
‘As ever, manufacturers are responding by expanding model ranges, colours and finishes, giving UK drivers more opportunities to personalise their vehicles – even if grey matters most.’
1. Ford Puma – Black
2. Kia Sportage – Grey
3. Nissan Qashqai – Grey
4. Vauxhall Corsa – Grey
5. Nissan Juke – Grey
6. Volkswagen Golf – Grey
7. Volvo XC40 – Black
8. MG HS – Black
9. Volkswagen Tiguan – Grey
10. Hyundai Tucson – Grey
1. Grey – Nissan Qashqai
2. Black – Volvo XC40
3. Blue – Ford Puma
4. White – Ford Puma
5. Silver – Ford Puma
6. Red – Ford Puma
7. Green – Kia Sportage
8. Yellow – Peugeot 208
9. Orange – Kia EV3
10. Mauve – BMW 1 Series
James – or Batch as he’s known – started at Car Dealer in 2010, first as the work experience boy, eventually becoming editor in 2013. He worked for Auto Express as editor-at-large from 2014 and was the face of Carbuyer’s YouTube reviews. In 2020, he went freelance and now writes for a number of national titles and contributes regularly to Car Dealer. In October 2021 he became Car Dealer’s associate editor.
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