The car market is full of familiar favourites, luxury icons and exciting newcomers. Whether you are comparing makes before buying your next car, researching options for car finance or just curious about the brands you see on the road every day, this A to Z guide gives you a clear rundown of the world’s major manufacturers.
It is simple, friendly and easy to dip in and out of. If you are still deciding what type of car suits your needs, this list is a great place to start.
A full alphabetical list of well-known car brands around the world.
Abarth, Acura, Alfa Romeo, Alpina, Alpine, Aston Martin, Audi
Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Buick, BYD
Cadillac, Caterham, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroën, Corvette, Cupra
Dacia, Daihatsu, Dodge, DS
Eagle, Exagon Motors
Ferrari, Fiat, Ford
Genesis, GMC, Great Wall Motors
Honda, Hyundai, Hummer, Haval
Infiniti, Isuzu, Iveco, Ineos
Jaguar, Jeep, Jetta
Kia, Koenigsegg, KTM
Lada, Lamborghini, Lancia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Lotus, Lucid, Lynk & Co
Maserati, Mazda, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Mini, Mitsubishi, Morgan
Nissan, NIO
Opel, Omoda
Pagani, Peugeot, Polestar, Porsche
Qoros
RAM, Renault, Rivian, Rolls-Royce, Rover
Saab, SEAT, Skoda, Smart, SsangYong, Subaru, Suzuki
Tata, Tesla, Toyota, TVR
UAZ, Ultima
Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Volvo, VinFast
Wiesmann, Wuling
XPeng
Yulon, Yutong
Zastava, Zeekr, Zenvo, Zotye
Big names: Audi, Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, Alpine, Abarth, Acura
What you can expect: premium styling, performance and a few enthusiast favourites.
Audi: Modern interiors, all weather confidence and smart tech.
Aston Martin: Classic British luxury and iconic grand tourers.
Alfa Romeo: Stylish Italian cars with plenty of personality.
Alpine: Lightweight sports cars designed for driving enjoyment.
Abarth: Small Fiats turned into fun hot hatches.
Acura: Honda’s premium brand, popular in the US.
Big names: Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, BYD
What you can expect: luxury comfort, performance and fast growing EV tech.
Bentley: Handmade luxury with a focus on comfort and refinement.
BMW: Sporty everyday cars with great driving balance.
Bugatti: Some of the fastest and most exclusive cars ever built.
BYD: A fast growing electric brand offering strong value.
Big names: Cadillac, Caterham, Chevrolet, Citroën, Cupra, Chrysler
What you can expect: a real mix of comfort, performance and practicality.
Citroën: Soft, comfortable cars ideal for everyday journeys.
Cupra: Sportier versions of SEAT with sharp styling.
Cadillac: Bold American luxury.
Chevrolet: Everything from practical hatchbacks to the Corvette.
Chrysler: Known for larger family cars.
Caterham: Lightweight cars built purely for driving fun.
Big names: Dacia, Dodge, Daihatsu, DS
What you can expect: budget friendly motoring and big American muscle.
Dacia: Simple, great value cars that do exactly what you need.
Dodge: High powered American performance cars.
Daihatsu: Compact, city friendly Japanese vehicles.
DS: A French premium brand focusing on comfort and distinctive design.
Big names: Eagle, Exagon
What you can expect: niche performance and electric sports cars.
Eagle: Beautifully engineered British sports cars.
Exagon: A rare French brand focused on electric performance.
Big names: Ferrari, Fiat, Ford
What you can expect: a mix of supercar heritage, city cars and global best sellers.
Ferrari: Italian supercar royalty.
Fiat: Affordable, stylish city cars.
Ford: A wide range of reliable everyday cars and commercial vehicles.
Big names: Genesis, GMC, GWM
What you can expect: luxury comfort, strong utility vehicles and big SUV ranges.
Genesis: Luxury cars with impressive interiors.
GMC: American trucks and large SUVs.
GWM: A Chinese group known for value focused SUVs.
Big names: Honda, Hyundai, Hummer, Haval
What you can expect: reliability, practicality and tough off road capability.
Honda: Dependable cars with efficient hybrid options.
Hyundai: Modern designs, affordable pricing and strong EVs.
Hummer: Big, bold off roaders now available as EVs.
Haval: SUV specialist from GWM.
Big names: Infiniti, Isuzu, Iveco, Ineos
What you can expect: 4x4 capability, premium touches and strong commercial vehicles.
Infiniti: Nissan’s premium brand.
Isuzu: Known for rugged pick ups.
Iveco: Vans, trucks and commercial vehicles.
Ineos: The brand behind the Grenadier off roader.
Big names: Jaguar, Jeep, Jetta
What you can expect: British luxury and American off road strength.
Jaguar: Sleek, refined British cars.
Jeep: Tough, go anywhere 4x4s.
Jetta: A Volkswagen linked brand sold mainly in China.
Big names: Kia, Koenigsegg, KTM
What you can expect: everyday value, extreme hypercars and track toys.
Kia: Affordable, well equipped and reliable.
Koenigsegg: Swedish hypercars with record breaking performance.
KTM: Lightweight cars built for track fun.
Big names: Lamborghini, Lancia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Lotus, Lucid
What you can expect: luxury, performance and a growing EV presence.
Lamborghini: Dramatic Italian supercars.
Lancia: Returning Italian brand now focused on EVs.
Land Rover: Premium SUVs built for all terrains.
Lexus: Toyota’s luxury brand with smooth hybrid power.
Lincoln: Large American luxury cars.
Lotus: Lightweight, driver focused sports cars.
Lucid: High tech electric cars with long driving ranges.
Big names: Maserati, Mazda, McLaren, Mercedes Benz, MG, Mini, Mitsubishi
What you can expect: a mix of luxury, performance and everyday practicality.
Maserati: Stylish Italian luxury.
Mazda: Great handling and driver focused design.
McLaren: Serious British supercars.
Mercedes Benz: High quality premium cars with advanced tech.
MG: Strong value and a growing EV range.
Mini: Fun, characterful small cars.
Mitsubishi: Reliable SUVs and hybrid options.
Big names: Nissan, NIO
What you can expect: popular hatchbacks and innovative EVs.
Nissan: Known for models like the Qashqai and the Leaf EV.
NIO: High tech EV brand using battery swap stations.
Big names: Opel, Omoda
What you can expect: practical European hatchbacks and new value driven SUVs.
Opel: German brand offering good value and sensible running costs.
Omoda: A newcomer focused on affordable SUVs with modern styling.
Big names: Peugeot, Polestar, Porsche, Pagani
What you can expect: everyday usability, future facing EVs and high end supercars.
Peugeot: Practical, reliable French cars.
Polestar: Clean Scandinavian EV design.
Porsche: High performance cars with everyday comfort.
Pagani: Rare Italian hypercars built by hand.
Big names: Qoros
What you can expect: compact cars mainly sold in Asia.
Big names: Renault, Rolls Royce, Rivian, RAM
What you can expect: a mix of French practicality, American trucks and ultra luxury.
Renault: Reliable and affordable with strong hybrid options.
Rolls Royce: The height of automotive luxury.
Rivian: Electric trucks and adventure SUVs.
RAM: American pick up trucks.
Big names: Saab, SEAT, Skoda, Smart, SsangYong, Subaru, Suzuki
What you can expect: great value, reliability and a few cult favourites.
Saab: Loved for comfort and turbocharged engines.
SEAT: Sporty, youthful models.
Skoda: Practical, spacious and great value.
Smart: Tiny city cars built for easy urban driving.
SsangYong: Rugged SUVs at a good price.
Subaru: Known for all wheel drive and outdoor capability.
Suzuki: Affordable, reliable small cars and compact SUVs.
Big names: Tesla, Toyota, Tata, TVR
What you can expect: EV leadership, world famous reliability and British sports cars.
Tesla: Fast charging, fast acceleration and a strong EV network.
Toyota: Known for long lasting reliability and hybrid technology.
Tata: Indian manufacturer that also owns Jaguar Land Rover.
TVR: Raw, exciting British sports cars.
Big names: UAZ, Ultima
What you can expect: rugged 4x4s and serious track machines.
UAZ: Tough, basic off road vehicles.
Ultima: High powered British sports cars often used on track days.
Big names: Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Volvo, VinFast
What you can expect: dependable hatchbacks, refined German builds and stylish EVs.
Vauxhall: Popular UK brand with good everyday practicality.
Volkswagen: Solid engineering and excellent build quality.
Volvo: Calm, comfortable Scandinavian design.
VinFast: A growing Vietnamese EV manufacturer.
Big names: Wiesmann, Wuling
What you can expect: boutique performance and small, efficient EVs.
Wiesmann: Retro styled hand built sports cars.
Wuling: Affordable, compact electric models.
Big names: XPeng
What you can expect: modern electric cars with advanced driver tech.
Big names: Yulon, Yutong
What you can expect: commercial vehicles and buses, mainly in Asia.
Big names: Zastava, Zeekr, Zenvo, Zotye
What you can expect: a mix of historic European brands and modern EV innovators.
Zeekr: Premium EVs from the Geely group.
Zenvo: Danish hypercar maker.
Zotye: Affordable Chinese brand.
Zastava: Serbian manufacturer with historic roots.
Toyota is often ranked as the most popular and best-selling car brand globally. Its reputation for reliability, strong hybrid technology and low running costs make it a popular choice for families and everyday drivers.
Brands known for reliability include Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Suzuki, Hyundai and Kia. These manufacturers consistently score well in long-term dependability studies and offer strong warranties and low maintenance costs.
Luxury car brands include Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Jaguar, Volvo, Porsche and Genesis. Ultra-luxury brands such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin and Maserati offer higher levels of craftsmanship, bespoke interiors and performance.
Tesla, Polestar, BYD, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW all produce electric vehicles. Newer EV-only brands include Lucid, XPeng, NIO, Zeekr and Rivian.
Brands like Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Volkswagen, Nissan and Suzuki are popular for first-time drivers. These brands offer affordable purchase prices, good safety ratings and low running costs. Popular models include the Toyota Yaris, Hyundai i20 and Ford Fiesta.
Dacia, MG, Kia, Hyundai and Skoda are known for strong value. These brands offer well-equipped models at accessible prices, supported by good safety scores and strong reliability records.
Some discontinued or historic brands include Saab, Rover, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Zastava. These brands still appear on older used cars, but they no longer produce new vehicles.
Manufacturers like Bugatti, Koenigsegg, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and Porsche produce some of the fastest road-legal cars in the world. These brands focus on performance, aerodynamics and advanced engineering.
Brands like Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Toyota, Skoda and Suzuki tend to have lower insurance groups. Smaller engines, good safety ratings and affordable parts help reduce insurance premiums.
Electric models from brands such as Tesla, Polestar, BYD and Hyundai can be more expensive upfront. However, lower running costs, cheaper charging and reduced maintenance often help drivers save money over the lifetime of the car.
Brands with strong resale value include Toyota, Lexus, Porsche, Mini and BMW. EV brands like Tesla and MG are improving their resale strength as demand for electric vehicles grows.