We’re already halfway through 2025, and the car industry has faced plenty of challenges, however, new car registrations are up from 2024, a positive sign of things to come.
We’ve unpacked the latest data from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) to see what’s performing and what might need to come off your forecourt.
Motor Stats For May 2025
Although 2025 has seen a growth in new car registrations, May actually saw a contraction of 8.85% vs the same period last year. 566 fewer cars were registered this May than last, but on the whole, the industry has grown from 2024.
In terms of stock, there are some car brands that outperformed the rest in May 2025:
- Volkswagen: 876 new car registrations, accounting for around 15% market share.
- Hyundai: 730 new car registrations, approximately 13% market share.
- Kia: 557 new car registrations, and 10% market share.
- Toyota: 465 new car registrations- 8% market share.
- Skoda: 452 new car registrations, also 8% market share.
Now for some of the brands that can’t catch a break and should be avoided when assessing your stock.
- Jaguar: 0 new registrations, 0% market share.
- Subaru: 0 new registrations, 0% market share.
- INEOS: 0 new registrations, 0% market share.
- Mitsubishi: 0 new registrations, 0% market share.
- GWM: 0 new registrations, 0% market share.
Irish Motor Stats For 2025 So Far
The 2025 car market saw growth from 2024, with 1840 more new cars registered (2.38% growth). This puts the total at 79,301, but what are the biggest contributors to this increase?
Here are the most popular cars in Ireland in 2025 so far:
- Toyota: 11,265 new car registrations, with a market share of 14%.
- Volkwsagen: 8,909 new car registrations, with a market share of 11%.
- Hyundai: 7,642 new car registrations, with a market share of 10%.
- Skoda: 7,395 new car registrations, with a market share of 9%.
- Kia: 6,209 new car registrations, with a market share of 8%.
On the flipside, here are the brands to avoid when laying out your stock for the rest of the year.
- GWM: 0 registrations, 0% market share.
- Mitsubishi: 0 registrations, 0% market share.
- INEOS: 0 registrations, 0% market share.
- Subaru: 6 new car registrations, accounting for 0.01% market share.
- Jaguar: 6 new car registrations, accounting for 0.01% market share.
What The Stats Tell Us
These stats provide a positive outlook for the rest of 2025, with registrations up from last year. The hope is that registrations continue to rise and outperform last year.
Regarding stock and what’s most likely to sell, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Toyota, Skoda and Kia are the most popular brands. For car dealers looking to grow their sales, these brands provide a direct avenue to potential success.
Looking to grow your sales potential by adding car finance lenders to your panel? Here at LM Operations, we are committed to supporting existing and potential customers. If a customer gets declined, we check again, with our manual underwriting team stepping in to find a solution. This commitment to more approvals and happy customers can strengthen your dealership’s offering.
Explore a partnership with LM Operations and grow your sales potential today.