For the most up-to-date market research on the UK automotive market, take a look at Mintel’s newly published UK Car Industry Review 2025
Topics Analysed in this Report
- The impact of the recent cost of living crisis on the car purchasing market.
- Trends in new and used sales, by vehicle category and by fuel type.
- Key drivers impacting the car purchasing market.
- The main channels used for car purchasing.
- Company and brand shares within the car purchasing market.
- Consumer preferences towards different types of cars.
Car Review Market Report
Demand for both new and used cars is set to strengthen with notable growth in the new car market as the impact of recent pressures facing buyers recede. AFV and electric cars will continue to advance in both new and used markets while Diesel will continue its decline in the new car sector. In-car technological innovations will broaden.
- UK car market size: Mintel forecasts that the share of sales for the used sector is expected to fall to 77.8% in 2028.
UK Car Purchasing Trend, Challenges and Opportunities
Demand from buyers will continue to evolve
Changing demands from buyers, as well as the impact of external pressures facing car owners, have recently polarised buyer preferences. Small and medium-sized vehicles have lost out to compact and larger categories of cars such as SUVs, yet there is no guarantee this will continue.
- UK car purchasing trends: Compact cars such as Hyundai’s i10 and VW’s Up! have seen their share of sales rise by 4 percentage points.
Offer sought-after technology
Mintel’s research highlights varying levels of interest in equipping cars with new technology, with older adults in particular more reticent about adopting many of these innovations. Enhancements that address driving, such as offering automated diagnostics or driver monitoring, are currently of greatest interest to owners.
- UK car purchasing trends: 61% of consumers are interested in automated diagnostic in in-vehicle technologies.
Purchase our UK Car Review Market Report to receive a five-year forecast, consumer behaviour analysis, and recommendations for market opportunities. Readers of this report may also be interested in our UK Car Finance Market Report 2023, or our range of Retail Market Research.
Brands Featured in the Full Report
Ford, BMW, Hyundai, VW, Mini, Nissan, Kia, Vauxhall, Toyota, Audi, Mercedes-Benz.
Expert Insights from a Retail Analyst
This report, written Neil Mason, a leading research analyst, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight UK car purchasing trends and add expert context to the numbers.
While a stronger and more confident car market is returning post-pandemic, evolution will continue in the way cars are viewed and used.
Neil Mason
Director of Retail
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Executive Summary
- Opportunities in the UK car sector
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Graph 1: new and used car sales, share of volumes, 2023 and 2028
- Graph 2: new car sales, by share of fuel type, 2023 and 2028
- Graph 3: car parc, by share of broad category, 2023 and 2028
- What consumers want and why
- Advertising and marketing
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Market Dynamics
- Market size
- Market forecast
- Market segmentation
- Graph 4: age structure of the car parc, 2019, 2021 and 2023
- Graph 5: new and used car sales, share of volumes, 2018 and 2023
- Graph 6: new car registrations, by share of fuel type, 2018 and 2023
- Graph 7: new car sales, by category, 2018 and 2023 (est)
- Graph 8: percentage of households with car availability, 2012-22
- Graph 9: car ownership per household, by region, 2020 and 2022
- Market share
- Graph 10: brand share, new cars, 2019 and 2023
- Graph 11: model share, new cars, 2023
- Graph 12: model share, used cars, 2023
- Brand perceptions
- Graph 13: likelihood of recommending a brand to a friend, family member or colleague, 2023
- Distribution channels
- Graph 14: where car was last purchased, online options, 2020-23
- Macroeconomic factors
- Graph 15: unleaded petrol and diesel pump prices, 2020-23
- Graph 16: Mintel consumer confidence index, 2020-23
- Sector-specific factors
- Graph 17: licensed cars, 2014-22
- Graph 18: % of distance travelled by car, by trip length, 2022
- Graph 19: intention of purchasing a car/s in the next three years, 2023
- Graph 20: likelihood of a new or used car purchase in the next three years, 2023
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What consumers want and why
- Type of vehicle owned
- Graph 21: type of car owned, 2023
- Graph 22: type of car owned, women (mini and supermini categories), by age, 2023
- Graph 23: type of car owned, SUV ownership, 2023
- Graph 24: type of car owned, percentage point change, 2018-23
- Importance of factors when choosing a car
- Graph 25: importance of factors when owning a car, 2023
- Graph 26: importance of factors when owning a car, selected factors, 2023
- Graph 27: importance of factors when owning a car, by age of car, 2023
- Interest in specific in-vehicles technologies
- Graph 28: interest in specific in-vehicle technologies, 2023
- Graph 29: any interest in specific in-vehicle technologies, men aged 17-34 vs overall, 2023
- Graph 30: any uninterest in autonomous driver assistance systems, adults aged 55+, 2023
- Graph 31: any uninterest in gesture/speech recognition and augmented reality technology, by household income, 2023
- Graph 32: any interest in automated disagnostics, by type of car owned, 2023
- Ways of accessing a car
- Graph 33: ways of accessing a car, 2023
- Graph 34: ways of accessing a car, overall vs men aged 17-34, 2023
- Graph 35: ways of accessing a car, overall vs owners of a car purchased new less than 2 years ago, 2023
- Preferred methods for communication
- Graph 36: preferred methods of communication, 2023
- Graph 37: preferred methods of communication, overall vs men aged 17-34, 2023
- Graph 38: preferred methods of communication, by age of car, 2023
- Graph 39: preferred methods of communication, top four plus none of these, 2019 and 2023
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Graph 40: recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on cars, 2019-23*
- Graph 41: recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on cars, by category, 2023*
- Graph 42: recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on cars, by manufacturer, 2023*
- Graph 43: percentage media type split of recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on cars, by media, 2021 and 2023*
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APPENDIX
- Supplementary data
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Methodology
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