The UK new car market had its strongest year since 2019 in 2025, with more than two million new cars registered for the first time since before the pandemic. Premium and luxury models played a meaningful role in that growth, with buyers continuing to spend confidently at the top end of the market despite ongoing cost pressures.
So which luxury, executive and specialist sports cars are UK buyers actually choosing right now? This list breaks down the best luxury cars in the UK for 2026, based on actual registration data rather than opinion, so you can see which premium models UK buyers are choosing right now and why.
We pulled the registration figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) to find out. The SMMT splits premium vehicles into three clear categories: luxury cars, which sit at the very top in terms of price and exclusivity; executive cars, which balance premium quality with wider accessibility; and specialist sports cars, which are defined by performance and driving character above all else.
Here is what the 2025 data shows.
Luxury Cars
These are the flagship saloons and high-end grand tourers that start from around £90,000 and regularly exceed £200,000. The combined UK luxury segment registered 3,052 new cars in 2025.
1. BMW i7
The BMW i7 led the luxury segment in 2025, claiming more than a fifth of all luxury car registrations in the UK. That is a remarkable result for a fully electric flagship saloon, and it signals very clearly where high-end buyers are heading.
The i7 makes a statement the moment you lay eyes on it. The design is bold and uncompromising, quite different from the restrained elegance of a traditional luxury car. Inside, the drama continues: a 31.3-inch rear theatre screen, a panoramic sky lounge roof, and a level of cabin technology that feels genuinely ahead of its time. There is also a Hans Zimmer-composed soundtrack that plays as you accelerate, which sounds like a gimmick right up until you actually experience it.
Beyond the theatre, the i7 delivers what it needs to. Comfort is exceptional. The cabin is near-silent. The performance is effortless. And for buyers who have been waiting for a fully electric car that genuinely matches the prestige of the best German saloons, the i7 makes a very convincing case.
Starting price: From around £105,000 Best for: Tech-forward executives, passengers in chauffeured transport, buyers committing to electric at the flagship level
2. Mercedes EQS
The Mercedes EQS finished second in the UK luxury segment in 2025 and has established itself as the most important electric car Mercedes makes. What sets it apart from most of its electric rivals is that it was not adapted from an existing petrol model. It was designed from scratch as an electric vehicle, and that distinction shows in everything from its aerodynamics to the way the cabin feels.
The Hyperscreen is the centrepiece: a single, seamless glass surface stretching the full width of the dashboard and housing three screens in one fluid panel. It is genuinely spectacular in person. Range on a full charge exceeds 450 miles, the ride on air suspension is one of the smoothest in any car at any price, and the level of insulation from road noise is extraordinary.
For corporate clients and chauffeur operators moving their fleets toward zero emissions, the EQS is the most compelling option currently available.
Starting price: From around £105,000 Best for: Zero-emission executive travel, corporate fleets, passengers wanting S-Class quality in an electric car
3. Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The Mercedes S-Class has defined what a luxury car should be for over five decades. The current generation makes that case all over again.
The interior is the finest in any series production saloon. Rear-seat screens, a 64-colour ambient lighting system, and a suspension that reads the road ahead and adjusts before occupants feel anything. The long wheelbase version stretches the rear cabin further still, which is why it remains the default choice for professional chauffeur services across the UK.
In 2025, every third S-Class sold globally was a Maybach model, an ultra-luxurious sub-variant that competes directly with Bentley and Rolls-Royce. That figure tells you exactly how buyers at this level are spending, and what they expect from the car they commission.
Starting price: From around £100,000 Best for: Rear-seat passengers, chauffeured airport and corporate transfers, buyers who want the best of everything
4. Bentley Continental GT
The Bentley Continental GT placed fourth in the UK luxury segment in 2025, and the arrival of the fourth-generation model has clearly done nothing to dampen buyer enthusiasm. If anything, it has reinforced it.
This is a grand tourer in the truest sense of the phrase. The twin-turbo V8 with electric assistance produces performance figures that feel almost reckless for a car this refined: 0 to 60mph in 3.1 seconds, a top speed of 208mph, and yet a ride that is smooth, quiet, and deeply composed on a motorway. The handcrafted interior takes a different approach from the tech-heavy dashboards of the German rivals. Hand-stitched leather, genuine wood veneers chosen individually for their grain, and metalwork finished to a standard that has to be touched to appreciate.
For buyers who want British craftsmanship at the highest level, the Continental GT is the definitive answer.
Starting price: From around £236,000 Best for: Grand touring, prestige occasions, buyers who want performance and heritage in one car
5. BMW 7 Series
The BMW 7 Series rounded out the UK luxury top five in 2025, continuing a rivalry with the Mercedes S-Class that has been running for more than four decades. The two cars take different approaches to the same brief, and the difference is meaningful.
Where the S-Class is built primarily around the passenger experience, the 7 Series gives more back to the driver. It is still supple, quiet, and beautifully appointed inside. But there is a sharpness to the way it responds, a sense of involvement that is deliberately absent in a Mercedes. The i7 and 760e plug-in hybrid variants give buyers two distinct ways to access this level of BMW luxury, which has helped the model appeal to a broader range of corporate and private buyers.
Starting price: From around £95,000 Best for: Executives who want to drive themselves, fleet buyers looking for a flagship alternative to the S-Class
Executive Cars
Executive cars occupy the most competitive tier of the premium market. They offer genuine luxury at a price that is ambitious without being exclusive, and the UK segment registered 25,774 new cars in 2025. This is where the real volume battles happen.
1. Audi A6
The Audi A6 led the UK executive segment in 2025 with a 17% share. That is a significant result for a car that rarely tops the headlines and has no interest in doing so.
The A6’s appeal is built on quality that you feel immediately rather than read about in a brochure. The interior is one of the best in the class. The technology is advanced and well-integrated, not cluttered. The Quattro all-wheel drive system gives it real confidence in British weather conditions. And the new A6 e-tron, Audi’s electric version of the model, has attracted serious attention from fleet buyers, racking up thousands of European sales in its first few months on the market.
There is also something to be said for the A6’s understated character. It does not shout. It simply does everything very well, consistently, mile after mile. That is exactly what many executive buyers want.
Starting price: From around £52,000 Best for: Executives who value quality over visibility, corporate fleet drivers, all-weather use
2. BMW 5 Series
The BMW 5 Series is one of the greatest executive cars ever made, and the current generation continues to justify that reputation. It placed second in the UK executive segment in 2025, just behind the A6 in volume terms, but globally it reclaimed the segment lead with 26% growth over the previous year.
The 5 Series has always offered the best driving experience in the executive class. The latest generation adds a more spacious interior, a more premium cabin feel, and technology that has moved noticeably forward. It is sharper and more involving than the Mercedes E-Class, more driver-focused than the A6, and better balanced than most of its other rivals.
Starting price: From around £52,000 Best for: Drivers who want the best all-round executive car, company car users, long-distance business travel
3. BMW i5
The BMW i5 deserves its own entry because it has become its own car rather than simply an electric version of the 5 Series. It matched the petrol 5 Series almost exactly in UK registrations in 2025, which tells you how strong the appetite is for a proper executive saloon that happens to be electric.
The i5 retains what makes the 5 Series great: the driving dynamics, the quality, the composed motorway ride. The electric powertrain adds genuine real-world range and the kind of low-end performance that makes overtaking effortless. For UK company car drivers, the benefit-in-kind tax advantage of a pure electric car at this level makes the financial case very compelling.
Starting price: From around £62,000 Best for: Company car drivers, executives making the move to electric, anyone who wants the 5 Series experience without the exhaust
4. Mercedes EQE
The Mercedes EQE placed fourth in the UK executive segment in 2025 and brings the same design philosophy as the EQS to a more accessible price point. Like the EQS, it was purpose-built as an electric vehicle rather than converted from a petrol platform. The result is a cabin that feels generously proportioned for the car’s footprint, with strong technology throughout.
The EQE is not as driver-focused as the i5, but for corporate passengers and longer motorway journeys it is a genuinely excellent car. The range is over 350 miles, the ride is composed, and the interior quality is in line with what Mercedes buyers expect.
Starting price: From around £70,000 Best for: Corporate chauffeur operators transitioning to electric, passenger-focused executive travel
5. Mercedes-Benz E-Class
The Mercedes E-Class has been one of the most important cars in the executive segment for thirty years, and the current generation continues that tradition. While the BMW 5 Series overtook it in global segment leadership in 2025, the E-Class holds a loyal following in the UK that shows no signs of weakening.
It appeals because of a combination of things that are difficult to argue with: a refined ride, a quality interior, strong plug-in hybrid efficiency for tax-conscious company car drivers, and a badge that carries genuine professional credibility. The E-Class is a fixture in UK airport transfer fleets, hotel transport programmes, and business leasing schemes for very good reasons.
Starting price: From around £55,000 Best for: Corporate travel, chauffeur fleets, company car drivers, anyone wanting PHEV efficiency in a premium saloon
Our Mercedes E-Class chauffeur service covers airport runs and corporate journeys across West Midlands and the UK.
Specialist Sports Cars
This segment covers performance-focused vehicles where the driving experience comes first. The UK registered 16,777 specialist sports cars in 2025.
1. Porsche 911
The 911 has been in production since 1963 and it still outsells every other specialist sports car in the UK. That says everything.
What makes it special is hard to explain without driving one. The rear engine layout should not work as well as it does. Every engineer will tell you that. Yet somehow Porsche has spent six decades making it feel planted, precise and completely natural through every corner. You do not feel fast in a 911. You feel capable, which is a much better thing to feel.
The current 992 generation is the best one yet. From the everyday Carrera to the track-focused GT3, every version shares that same quality. They just differ in how intensely they deliver it.
Starting price: From around £100,000 Best for: Sports car enthusiasts, drivers wanting the best all-round performance car, long-term ownership
2. Porsche Taycan
The Porsche Taycan finished second in the specialist sports segment in 2025 with a 17% share. It is one of the most significant cars Porsche has made in recent years because it proved that going electric did not mean sacrificing what makes a Porsche a Porsche.
The Taycan drives like a Porsche: precise, fast, deeply connected to the road. The performance is extraordinary, but it is the quality of the responses, the immediate, linear power delivery, and the low centre of gravity that make it genuinely exciting. The Sport Turismo estate variant has expanded its appeal considerably, and recent improvements to range and charging speed have addressed the main practical objections buyers once raised.
Starting price: From around £90,000 Best for: Performance buyers making the move to electric, enthusiasts who refuse to compromise on driving experience
3. Porsche 718
The 718 covers two cars: the Boxster roadster and the Cayman coupe. Both placed third in the UK specialist sports segment in 2025. Both are brilliant.
People who know cars will tell you the 718 handles better than almost anything else you can buy. They are not wrong. It is smaller and lighter than the 911, which makes it feel sharper and more alive. The steering talks to you. Every corner asks something of you. And the car rewards you every time you get it right.
Heavier, more powerful cars often lose that quality. The 718 never does.
Porsche is currently moving the 718 range to fully electric powertrains. Early reviews are very encouraging, and given how the low battery pack improves the handling balance even further, that is not a surprise.
Starting price: From around £65,000 Best for: Driving purists, those wanting a focused two-seater, buyers who value involvement over straight-line speed
4. Mazda MX-5
The Mazda MX-5 is the most affordable car on this list and it belongs here entirely on merit. It placed fourth in the UK specialist sports segment in 2025, and it has been making its case for joyful, lightweight open-top driving since 1989.
The current generation is the best version yet. It is not fast in the way the Porsche models are fast. It does not need to be. What it delivers instead is a direct, involving, genuinely fun driving experience that very few cars of any price can match. The steering is among the best in any modern car. The chassis balance is near-perfect. And on a good road on a clear day, it is one of the most enjoyable things you can drive.
Starting price: From around £29,000 Best for: Drivers who prioritise involvement, first sports car buyers, weekend driving
5. Audi e-tron GT
The Audi e-tron GT closed out the UK specialist sports segment top five in 2025. It shares its platform with the Porsche Taycan but takes a noticeably different approach, prioritising long-distance grand touring character over outright driver involvement.
The exterior design is exceptional: low, wide and aggressive in a way that turns heads without resorting to spoilers or air intakes. The interior is beautifully finished. The performance, particularly in the RS e-tron GT version, is genuinely rapid. And for buyers who want an electric performance car with more continental touring character than a Taycan, it makes a very strong case.
Starting price: From around £100,000 Best for: GT-focused buyers, those choosing between Taycan and an Audi, long-distance electric touring
Which Car Is Right for You?
| What you want | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Best rear-seat comfort | Mercedes S-Class |
| Best driving experience | BMW 5 Series or Porsche 911 |
| Best luxury SUV | Range Rover |
| Best for groups | Mercedes V-Class |
| Best electric luxury | BMW i7 or Mercedes EQS |
| Best electric executive | BMW i5 |
| Most prestigious for events | Bentley Continental GT |
| Best value in the executive class | Audi A6 or BMW 5 Series |
| Best sports car | Porsche 911 |
| Best electric performance car | Porsche Taycan |
Travel in a Luxury Car Without the Price Tag
You do not need to spend £100,000 to arrive in a Mercedes S-Class. Whether you are heading to Airport, a corporate event, a wedding, or a major occasion, a professional chauffeur puts you in exactly these vehicles for a fixed journey cost.
Our fleet includes the Mercedes S-Class, E-Class, and V-Class as standard vehicles — see our full guide to the top luxury chauffeur cars in Birmingham for more detail. We cover the West Midlands and all major UK airports.
- Airport transfers from Birmingham and surrounding areas
- Corporate chauffeur service for meetings, events, and client travel
- Mercedes V-Class for groups of up to six passengers
- Events chauffeur service for weddings, sporting events, and hospitality
Check our full coverage area to confirm we serve your location.
National Executive Transfers is a premium chauffeur company based at Birmingham, operating since 2015 with over 2,600 five-star Google reviews. Our fleet of Mercedes S-Class, E-Class, and V-Class vehicles is available for airport transfers, corporate travel, events, and special occasions across the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
The BMW i7 led the UK luxury segment in 2025 with the largest share of registrations in the category, ahead of the Mercedes EQS and the Mercedes S-Class.
The Audi A6 led the UK executive segment in 2025 by registration volume, narrowly ahead of the BMW 5 Series and the electric BMW i5, which both posted very strong numbers.
If you drive a lot for work, a premium car genuinely changes the experience. And if you do not want to own one, a chauffeur service gets you there in the same vehicles for a straightforward per-journey cost.
Most professional chauffeur operators in the UK run Mercedes-Benz vehicles, with the S-Class, E-Class, and V-Class forming the core of most premium fleets. The S-Class long wheelbase is the industry standard for individual executive transfers.
A Mercedes E-Class or S-Class from Birmingham starts from around £70 to £90 for a local journey. Longer routes like Birmingham to London run from around £250 to £350. For groups in a Mercedes V-Class, the per-person cost becomes very competitive when split across four to six passengers.
