Grey remains top for new car colours but green races up charts – Fleet World
Grey remains Britain’s most popular car colour for an eighth consecutive year, but demand for green cars is fast powering up.
Grey, black and blue colour choices accounted for nearly two-thirds (65.8%) of all new cars in 2025
More than half a million grey new cars (558,050) were registered last year – rising 2.7% to reach a record total, accounting for over a quarter (27.6%) of all new car registrations.
Black retained second place in 2025, according to the new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), following a hefty 9.7% increase that led to 464,369 new registrations – its highest volume since 2019.
Blue came in at number three for the second time, confirming its status as the nation’s top ‘non-monochrome’ choice, 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 – it marks a notable comeback for a colour that previously dominated Britain’s roads in the early 2000s.
Red, once a mainstay of the British car parc, slipped to sixth with the lowest market share (5.8%) since detailed records began.
Green cars saw the strongest growth in the top 10, up 46.3% to 99,793 registrations; the highest volume for 20 years.
Appropriately, registrations of green-tinted battery electric (BEV) cars almost doubled – up 95.2% on 2024 to reach 23,249 units – accounting for one in 20 new BEVs, compared with just one in 300 last year. Grey remained the top choice among BEV buyers, however, with 131,984 joining the road.
In contrast, maroon, pink and turquoise languished bottom, counting just 342 registrations between them, highlighting Britain’s enduring preference for more understated tones.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, 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.”
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)Top new car colours
Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day. 
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