If you are a taxi driver and are considering changing your car then one of the things you will need to think about is whether to purchase a new car or a used one. In the current financial climate here in the UK, there may be quite a lot of people who are not able to afford a new vehicle.

However, for those of you that are, we thought you may find it of interest to hear that, according to data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the number of new cars registered here in the UK in July 2026 increased by 11.7% to 156,571 when compared with July last year. We are sure that you will agree that is a significant rise and one that the motor trade industry will be pleased to read about.

It is interesting to read that the number of new petrol car sales fell by 5.2% to 62,799 between the above same period. The number of new diesel car sales dropped by 17.7% to 6,596. The number of new BEV car sales increased by 44.5% to 43,106 – a huge rise. The number of new HEV car sales rose by 11.6% to 20,711. The number of new PHEV car sales increased by 33.6% to 23,359 between July 2025 and July 2026.

On a year to date to July 2026 the number of new cars registered amounted to 1,294,499 with this being an increase of 9.5% in comparison to the same period last year.

In July 2026 the number of new cars sold for the private sector rose by 12.6% to 58,137 when compared with the same month last year. The number of new cars registered in the UK for the fleet market increased by 9.5% to 93,734. The number of new cars sold for the business sector increased by 61.3% to 4,700.

The top 5 models of new cars sold in the UK in July 2026 were: –

1. Ford Puma – 3,531

2. Nissan Qashqai  -3,224

3. Kia Sportage – 3,205

4. Jaecoo 7 – 2,709

5. MG HS – 2,703

You may well be aware that there is a huge selection of models of new cars here in the UK to choose from with a variety of payment schemes available. If you are a taxi driver looking to change his or her taxi in the coming months you may like to do some research to see if such a purchase is within your budget.

Whilst writing, if you would like to receive a competitive taxi insurance quote, why not get in touch with us and we will do all that we can to assist without any obligation.