Revealed: Northern Ireland’s most popular new car

Close to 6,000 new cars were registered in Northern Ireland last month, with the Renault Clio proving the most popular vehicle for buyers, according to the latest release from The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Across the UK, there was a notable uptick in demand for new vehicles, with a 12.4% increase from March 2024.

Northern Ireland saw 5,982 new vehicles registered overall, a 2% increase from the 2024 figure of 5,860.

These new sales bring the total cars sold in NI in the first quarter of 2025 to a figure of 14,318, which is a 3% drop from the 14,750 which had been sold by the equivalent point last year.

Northern Ireland’s demand for new cars in March was behind the rest of the UK, which saw stronger growth.

England’s 310,319 new sales were a 13.55% increase on March 2024, while the 28,884 new cars sold in Scotland and the 11,597 sold in Wales were 5.5% and 6.3% bumps on the previous year.

The most popular car by sales here last month was the Clio, which shifted 188 new units in NI.

Coming in second was the Vauxhall Mokka, which had 179 new registrations in March, while the third most popular car with 174 sales was the Ford Puma.

The Nissan Qashqai was fourth on 164 new registrations, while the Volkswagen Golf was fifth on 164.

However, Kia’s Sportage is the bestseller here so far this year, as it has shifted 403 new cars, while the Nissan Qashqai is second with 395 sales and the Ford Puma is third with 338.

In the UK as a whole, the Puma was the most popular purchase in March, clocking 11,132 sales, while the Kia Sportage was second with 7,874 and the Vauxhall Corsa was third after selling 6,851 new models.

Ford’s Puma also leads the way in the year-to-date sales figures for the UK, selling 14,930 in total, while the Sportage is also second in this category, with 12,866 sales.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said the UK-wide growth was positive news. “A welcome return to growth, and substantial growth at that, is a fillip for the industry.

“Moreover, with March being the best month ever for electric car registrations, there is reason for optimism.

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“Manufacturers remain committed to the market decarbonisation the country and the environment demands, but we need sustained growth, not a short-term bubble driven by unsustainable manufacturer discounting and drivers rushing to beat a tax hike.

“Without substantive government support for consumers, the current regulatory regime is undeliverable.

“A rapid response to the government consultation is therefore needed - one that adds flexibilities that reflect the natural level of demand and supports the industry to deliver growth in the face of a tough set of global challenges.”