Words: Autocar
Published 1 April 2026
New vehicle registrations totalled 14,910 units in March 2026, a 25.1% increase compared with the same month last year, when 11,916 units were recorded. It is the strongest March result since 2022, with rising fuel prices appearing to accelerate buyer interest in electric and plug-in hybrid models as the market extends its run of year-on-year gains to three consecutive months.
Passenger registrations accounted for 10,063 units, up 19.4% from March 2025. The commercial sector was even stronger, with 4847 registrations representing a 38.9% lift year-on-year. March was the last month for businesses to take delivery and claim the government’s investment boost for the current tax year, which is likely to have pulled some commercial purchases forward.
Tesla Model Y takes the top spot as BYD and Chinese brands surge
Toyota remained the leading new passenger brand with 1258 registrations, but that was down 26.5% compared with March 2025 when the brand recorded 1711 units. The result gave Toyota a 12.5% market share, continuing its recent trend of declining share.
Mitsubishi held second place with 711 units (down 13.5%), while Kia came third with 659 (down 22.6%). BYD was the standout performer, surging 539.6% to 646 registrations and climbing 16 places to fourth, driven by expanding model availability across its range.
MG and Tesla tied for fifth with 538 units each. MG was up 33.2%, while Tesla’s result represented a 271% increase year-on-year. Suzuki followed with 505 (up 26.2%), Hyundai posted 446 (up 58.7%), Mazda was essentially flat at 420 (down 0.5%), and Honda rounded out the top 10 with 411 (down 25.9%).
GWM continued to grow, up 37.1% to 344 units, while two Chinese brands entered the top 20 for the first time: Dongfeng with 336 registrations and Chery with 261. Ford was steady at 304 (up 5.6%), and Nissan was unchanged at 289. Among the smaller brands, Jaecoo jumped 165.7% to 178 units and Land Rover lifted 50% to 180.
BMW dropped 13.4% to 181 and Subaru fell 20% to 168, while Lexus edged up 10.1% to 175.
The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling new passenger model in March with 480 registrations, taking the top spot from the Toyota RAV4 which came second with 295 units, down sharply from 703 a year earlier.
The Hyundai Tucson (304), MG ZS (279), Toyota Corolla Cross (277), and Mitsubishi ASX (270) followed. The Dongfeng Box made an immediate impact with 260 registrations in its first full month. The Nissan X-Trail recorded 254 units, the Mitsubishi Outlander 251, and the Kia Sportage 249 to round out the top 10.
The GWM Haval H6 posted 232 registrations, the Ford Everest 195, and the Kia Seltos 187. Further down, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (168), Suzuki Swift (156), Suzuki Fronx (144), Jaecoo J7 (143), Toyota Yaris Cross (140), and Mazda CX-5 (135) all featured in the top 20.
Toyota Hilux reclaims commercial crown
Toyota surged back to the top of the commercial segment with 1534 registrations, up 78.2% year-on-year and commanding 31.6% market share. The result was driven by a massive Hilux month, with the model recording 1182 registrations to comfortably lead all commercial models. The arrival of the new-generation Hilux is likely to have driven much of the increase, with pent-up demand and fleet changeovers boosting volumes as the new model rolls out across dealer networks.
Ford followed with 1147 units (up 40.2%), with the Ranger posting 1036 registrations. Mitsubishi held third with the Triton on 414 units (down 15.2%), and Nissan was fourth with the Navara recording all 408 of the brand’s registrations (up 6.5%).
BYD’s Shark 6 recorded 220 units (up 30.2%), while Isuzu jumped 48.1% to 194. LDV lifted 32.4% to 147, GWM’s Cannon posted 77 units (up 79.1%), and Kia entered the top 10 with 60 registrations. The Toyota Hiace recorded 338 units, Ford Transit 98, Isuzu D-Max 127, and LDV Deliver 9 posted 67.
Year-to-date market tracking well ahead
Year-to-date new vehicle registrations now sit at 36,907 units, 13.3% ahead of the 32,578 recorded over the same three months in 2025. Passenger registrations are up 11.7% at 26,239 units, while commercial volumes have surged 17.4% to 10,668.
March’s result is particularly notable for the scale of gains across the commercial segment and the continued reshaping of the passenger market. Chinese brands BYD, Dongfeng, Chery, GWM, MG, and Jaecoo collectively accounted for more than 2300 passenger registrations in March alone, representing nearly a quarter of the passenger market. Combined with Tesla’s strong showing, the competitive pressure on traditional brands shows no sign of easing as the market heads into the second quarter.
