Car Market Overview October 26
Welcome to this month’s update, where we take stock of where the UK new and used car markets stand right now. We bring together the latest new car registration figures through to the end of August 2026 and set them alongside a summary on how the used market is holding up. Everything that follows reflects the market picture as at 24th September 2026.
New car sales
There was more positive news for the new car market in August, which recorded its ninth month of growth in a row, and its best August since the arrival of the biannual plate change. Registrations rose 13.7%, according to the latest data published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), as 94,236 new cars were registered. It’s an encouraging result given that August is typically one of the market’s quietest months, when many buyers hold off for the new September plate. It’s also worth noting that August was up 1.8% on 2019, a welcome sign that registration volumes have now returned to pre pandemic levels.
New car sales
There was more positive news for the new car market in August, which recorded its ninth month of growth in a row, and its best August since the arrival of the biannual plate change. Registrations rose 13.7%, according to the latest data published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), as 94,236 new cars were registered. It’s an encouraging result given that August is typically one of the market’s quietest months, when many buyers hold off for the new September plate. It’s also worth noting that August was up 1.8% on 2019, a welcome sign that registration volumes have now returned to pre pandemic levels.
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