12:18 pm, July 14, 2026
BMW has strengthened its positioning as the industry’s best car manufacturer to represent by winning Car Dealer Power 2026.
The German carmaker has become a double-champion, after finishing in first place in Car Dealer Power 2025.
Last year’s runner-up, Toyota, slipped to third place, after being beaten by a surprising new entrant.
Omoda/Jaecoo has made huge gains in the UK market by snapping up dealers and launching cars that Brits want. Its Jaecoo 7 has been flying out of showrooms – it was even March’s best-selling new car – and it seems dealers are extremely happy with the franchise.
Meanwhile, Vauxhall plummeted nine places to finish plumb last, with dealers not impressed with the Stellantis-owned British brands on a number of fronts.
Car Dealer Power asks dealers across the UK to rank their manufacturer partners in 13 categories that cover all areas of the franchise. The scores for the individual categories are then taken to create the overall score.
The full results, brand by brand, are revealed further on in this story. This year’s scores were higher than 2025’s, with BMW topping the table with 89.8% compared with the 84.3% it achieved last year.
Speaking about the win, BMW UK sales director Debbie McIntosh said: ‘Winning this award is absolutely fantastic and a real privilege.
‘Collecting awards is always very, very special. But this one really is because it’s coming from the people that we work with on a daily basis, our retailer partners, which just makes it that extra bit special.’
McIntosh explained that BMW works hard with its dealers on creating a mutually beneficial partnership.
‘We’re really a single team – we try and work with them, be as transparent as possible and do it with them rather than for them,’ she said.
‘Winning this award is not the end of the finishing line. We really just take this as encouragement to continue doing what we’re doing and improve even further.’
In this story, you can view all the manufacturers that received the minimum number of responses (10) to be included in the survey.
Manufacturers that did not receive the minimum number of responses are not included.
Scores in each category are taken into account to give manufacturers their overall rating to one decimal point. The manufacturer’s rise or fall in position is included in brackets.
Car Dealer Power 2026: Where did your manufacturer rank?
BMW remains at the top of the Car Dealer Power manufacturer rankings for 2026 after producing an exceptionally consistent performance across every category. Dealers gave the premium brand some of the highest scores of the survey for finance, warranty and aftersales support, while accessibility, forward planning and marketing also impressed. There were no obvious weaknesses, with only bonus structure and dealer requirements scoring slightly lower. Overall, dealers clearly believe BMW offers the strongest all-round manufacturer partnership in the UK.
What a debut! Omoda/Jaecoo storms straight into second place and is one of the standout performers in this year’s survey. Dealers were particularly impressed with the return on investment, marketing support and the growing awareness of the brand, while franchise requirements also scored exceptionally highly. Slightly lower marks for internet support and aftersales suggest there is still room to improve, but finishing runner-up at the first attempt is an outstanding achievement. This is a brand that’s worth watching.
Toyota continues to prove why it remains one of the industry’s benchmark franchise partners. It recorded the highest warranty score of any manufacturer this year, while dealers also praised its aftersales support, accessibility and new car supply. Finance packages also impressed. Although bonus payments and dealer requirements scored a little lower than some rivals, Toyota’s consistency across virtually every category keeps it firmly among the UK’s best-performing manufacturers.
Kia narrowly misses out on a podium finish but once again records an excellent all-round result. Warranty remains one of the manufacturer’s biggest strengths, backed up by strong scores for aftersales, internet support and accessibility. Dealers also rated finance and marketing highly. There are few weak spots in Kia’s performance, although requirements and new car supply attracted slightly lower scores. Overall, dealers continue to value Kia’s dependable and well-supported franchise proposition.
Audi remains comfortably inside the top five thanks to particularly strong scores for brand awareness, marketing and accessibility. Dealers clearly continue to value the strength of the four rings and the appeal it brings to customers. Finance, aftersales and forward planning didn’t quite reach the heights of the leading manufacturers this year, but Audi’s consistently solid scores across the board ensure another strong Car Dealer Power performance. A rise of six places is also very encouraging.
Volkswagen’s greatest strength remains the power of its brand, recording one of the highest brand awareness scores in the survey. Dealers also praised its digital presence and used car support, helping the manufacturer secure a top-six finish. However, lower scores for bonus payments, finance and return on investment prevented VW from challenging the leading group. Even so, it remains one of the strongest volume manufacturers in this year’s rankings.
Volvo remains in seventh place this year, after a dramatic 13-place rise in 2025. It continues to earn praise from its dealer network, particularly for the strength of its brand and marketing support. Dealers also rated its internet offering and accessibility positively, helping it secure a comfortable place inside the top 10. Lower scores for dealer requirements, bonus structure and used car support pulled its overall result back slightly, but the Swedish manufacturer still delivers a consistently well-regarded franchise package.
Mercedes secures another top-10 finish thanks to a balanced performance across the board. Dealers were particularly positive about finance, used car support and dealer requirements, while internet support and forward planning also scored well. There were no standout weaknesses, but equally no category where Mercedes dominated the field, leaving it just outside the leading group. Nevertheless, dealers clearly continue to value the premium manufacturer’s consistent approach.
Suzuki once again punches well above its weight, with dealers rewarding the brand for strong finance, warranty, marketing and forward planning scores. Brand awareness also ranked among the highest in the survey. The only notable weakness came in dealer requirements, which held back what could have been an even stronger overall finish. Bosses will likely be disappointed that this former winner has slipped even further down the charts in 2025, but even so, Suzuki continues to earn an enviable reputation for looking after its dealer network.
BYD completes the top 10 in only a relatively short time since entering the UK market, although it has slipped five places on last year’s ranking. Dealers were particularly impressed with its aftersales support, internet offering and forward planning, highlighting the confidence surrounding the rapidly growing Chinese brand. Warranty and brand awareness scored slightly lower than some rivals, suggesting there is still work to do, but BYD has established itself as a serious manufacturer partner.
Skoda narrowly misses out on the top 10 after delivering another dependable all-round performance. Dealers praised its brand awareness, new car supply and dealer requirements, while finance, marketing and internet support also attracted healthy scores. No single area dragged Skoda down, but nor were there many standout category wins, leaving the Czech manufacturer just outside the leading group. A rise of one place on last year’s position is encouraging, though.
Renault’s strongest performances came in marketing, finance and digital support, helping it secure a solid mid-table finish. Accessibility and warranty were also viewed positively by dealers. However, lower scores for new car supply, forward planning and dealer requirements prevented the French manufacturer from climbing higher. Even so, Renault continues to deliver a competitive proposition for its retailer network.
This performance is much more what we’d expect from the Blue Oval, as last year it finished at the very bottom of Car Dealer Power. Ford’s famous brand remains one of its biggest strengths, with dealers also praising its finance offering and marketing support. However, lower scores for new car supply, used car support and bonus structure affected its overall position this year. Ford continues to enjoy strong retailer backing, but dealers clearly feel there is room to strengthen the overall franchise proposition.
MG continues to perform well in areas that matter to retailers selling high volumes of used cars, with finance and used car support among its strongest scores. Dealers also recognised improvements to accessibility and internet support. Warranty and forward planning attracted lower marks, however, meaning the fast-growing brand finishes in the middle of this year’s manufacturer rankings.
Mazda recorded a consistent if unspectacular set of results across most categories. Finance, brand awareness and accessibility were among its strongest areas, while warranty also scored reasonably well. Lower marks for dealer requirements, new car supply and aftersales prevented the Japanese manufacturer from moving further up the rankings, but dealers still regard Mazda as a dependable franchise partner.
Honda’s highest score came for finance, demonstrating dealers continue to value its retail offering. Warranty and brand awareness also performed reasonably well, but lower scores for accessibility, internet support and used cars affected its overall result. Dealers clearly recognise Honda’s strengths, but believe there is scope to improve support across several operational areas. Bosses will be encouraged by its six-place rise over 2025’s placing, though.
Nissan sits just behind Honda, with both Japanese brands improving on their 2025 performances. With Nissan, dealers were most positive about finance, bonus payments and dealer requirements, but lower ratings for marketing, brand awareness and used car support limited the manufacturer’s overall position. The result suggests a solid foundation remains in place, although retailers would like to see improvements in several key areas.
A new entrant for 2026, Cupra continues to build its presence in the UK, with dealers praising its marketing, accessibility and aftersales support. New car supply and used car support also scored competitively. However, lower marks for warranty, dealer requirements and forward planning prevented the youthful performance brand from climbing higher. Dealers clearly see potential, but believe there is still work to do as the network matures.
Land Rover’s premium image continues to resonate with dealers, reflected in strong scores for marketing, accessibility and bonus structure. Aftersales support also performed well. However, warranty, finance and forward planning all scored below the segment average, leaving the manufacturer towards the lower end of this year’s rankings despite the enduring strength of the brand.
Hyundai recorded respectable scores for finance, aftersales and dealer requirements, demonstrating continued confidence in several aspects of the franchise. However, dealers were less positive about new car supply, accessibility and brand awareness, which ultimately affected the manufacturer’s overall result. The Korean brand remains competitive in important areas but has opportunities to strengthen dealer support further. A five-place drop on last year’s performance will also be raising a few eyebrows at head office.
Peugeot’s strongest performance came in new car supply, one of its highest-rated categories this year. Dealers also recognised its used car support and brand awareness. Elsewhere, however, marketing, warranty and finance all attracted lower scores, leaving the French manufacturer towards the foot of the table. Improving consistency across the board will be key to climbing the rankings in future.
Citroen’s best scores came in brand awareness and warranty, while finance and internet support also performed reasonably well. Dealers were less convinced by dealer requirements, forward planning and aftersales, resulting in a lower overall finish. Although there are positives to build on, retailers believe improvements in several operational areas would strengthen the franchise proposition.
Vauxhall will rightly be hugely disappointed at this score. It fell a whopping nine places on last year’s ranking, replacing Ford as the brand languishing at the very bottom – it just goes to show that recognition and market-leading heritage alone doesn’t secure votes. Dealers gave its highest scores to finance, forward planning and used car support, but no individual category reached the levels achieved by its rivals. Lower ratings for aftersales, marketing and internet support contributed to its overall result, suggesting dealers want to see significant improvements across a number of areas over the coming year.
Manufacturers not listed here did not reach the minimum threshold of responses in our survey to be included. In 2025, 23 manufacturers were included in the Car Dealer Power survey.
