Britain’s favourite new car colour is very much like January’s weather – grey.
For the eighth consecutive year, grey was the most popular car colour choice for British drivers in 2025, new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders shows.
More than half a million (558,050) grey new cars were registered last year – up 2.7 per cent on 2024.
This marks a record year for the neutral tone, with more than a quarter of all new cars sold some shade of grey. In fact, grey was the most popular colour across the majority of powertrains – except for plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which were most commonly specced in black.
Black held onto last year’s second place, while blue came third for the second year in a row.
Together, the top three most popular colours accounted for nearly two thirds (65.8 per cent) of all new cars joining our roads in 2025.
But there is one colour in particular that’s on the rise… green.
Grey again: The somewhat dull but very popular shade was the most popular British car colour last year – marking the 8th consecutive year grey has won
Green was one of the colours that had a stellar year, even if they didn’t rank right at the top.
It retained seventh place but volumes rose a huge 46.3 per cent to 99,793 registrations.
At the same time registrations of ‘green’ electric vehicles almost doubled – up 95.2 per cent on 2024 to reach 23,249 units, showing that Britain is embracing green cars in all forms.
Steve Walker from Auto Express said this ‘surge’ in popularity for green cars might be down to one specific car.
‘The growth in sales of green cars seems remarkable, until you realise that Renault made the bold move of offering green as the standard colour on its retro new Renault 5 electric supermini.
‘With the Renault 5 being the UK’s best-selling retail EV in April, October and November last year, there’s a good chance that this one model played a big role in the 2025 green car boom,’ he said.
Green retained seventh place but volumes rose a huge 46.3% to 99,793 registrations as registration for ‘green’ zero emission vehicles also shot up. The Renault 5 – which is offered as standard in green – is believed to have played a big part in the rise in green car sales last year
Black’s position on the second step of the podium was due to a whopping 464,369 new cars being picked in this car – the highest number since 2019. The eternally chic colour saw a healthy 9.7 per cent increase in popularity on 2024.
Blue taking home the bronze popularity medal was thanks to 306,349 new registrations, marking the colour as the nation’s favourite non-monochrome choice. Blue’s entry into the top three last year was the first time a non-monochromatic colour achieved a podium place since 2017.
White scored fourth but more impressively, silver returned to the top five for the first time in nearly a decade. The colour last saw success in the early 2000s but rose 6.3 per cent in popularity in 2025.
Red, once one of the most loved British car colours, slipped down to sixth place with the lowest market share (5.8 per cent) since detailed records began.
Inside the top 10, only white, red, yellow and orange saw uptake levels fall, down nine per cent, 14.5 per cent, 10.2 per cent and 10.6 per cent respectively.
Inside the top 10, only white, red, yellow and orange saw uptake levels fall, down 9%, 14.5% , 10.2% and 10.6% respectively
Red, once one of the most loved British car colours, slipped down to 6th place with the lowest market share (5.8%) since detailed records began
The most popular cars of 2025 were mostly bought in grey with the colour sweeping the board
Overall out of the one in 20 new cars last year that were electric, grey remained the top colour choice with 131,984 grey EVs hitting the road.
Yellow also added a splash of sunshine to the top 10, keeping hold of eight place and shifting 10,725 units. However, volumes declines for the first time since 2019.
On the flip side the three most unpopular car colours – maroon, pink and turqouise – had a shoddy year, taking just 342 registrations between them.
The nation’s most despised colour was turquoise with volumes falling 96.7 per cent in 2025. Only a dozen – yes just 12 – turquoise cars were bought.
The UK’s best-selling cars of 2025 – which shades were most popular?
Britain’s best-selling car of 2025, the Ford Puma, was purchased most in black.
That bucks the trend for the majority of the top 10 though, with the Kia Sportage (2nd), Nissan Qashqai (3rd), Vauxhall Corsa, (4th), Nissan Juke (5th) and Volkswagen Golf (6th) all preferred in the colour grey.
The Volvo XC40 and MG HS, the UK’s seventh and eighth most popular models, were both purchased in black more than any other colour.
Rounding out the top 10, the Volkswagen Tiguan in ninth and the Hyundai Tucson in tenth were both also snapped up in grey the most.
Grey cars hold better residual value which makes them a sensible choice for new car buyers even if a boring one
