- Record double for Kia Sportage as the UK’s fastest selling car in April and March
- Convertible appears in the top 10 fastest selling cars for the first time in 2016
- Hybrid estate takes third spot for the first time this year
- Five different body styles appear in the UK’s top 10 fastest selling cars for April
- i-Control users enjoy better than 60% improvement on stock turn
The Kia Sportage shows no sign of letting up as the hottest set of wheels off the UK’s forecourts, as it proved the UK’s fastest selling car for a record second month in a row.
In March the Korean-built SUV took a remarkable three spots in the UK’s top 10 fastest selling cars with first, second and fourth. It has proved again it is the UK’s fastest selling car and the seventh quickest car to shift out of the showrooms in April.
Just as in March, the Sportage enjoyed selling success both as a new and used model, so the same is true in April with the Sportage proving to be the ninth most popular new car on sale in the UK.
Sweeping into second place is the Mercedes-Benz SLK Convertible perhaps heralding the appeal of the coming summer as buyers switch their attention to drop tops. This particular version, which takes just 18 days to sell, is the diesel automatic revealing that prospective owners could be looking for frugal, wind-in-your-hair motoring.
There’s another first time appearance in the top ten this year in the shape of a hybrid, with Toyota’s Auris Estate motoring into the third spot. The petrol/electric hybrid offers owners the chance for more fuel efficient driving along with lower emissions. Alternative fuel vehicles represented the biggest growth of all the fuel types in April’s new car registrations, up over 26% year-on-year.
The particular version of the Sportage enjoying the most rapid sales success is a 2014 petrol model with manual transmission and it took 18 days to sell in April. With Kia’s seven-year transferable warranty it means the new owner can still take advantage of five years of manufacturer-provided cover.
Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader Retailer & Consumer Products Director said: “It’s clear the Kia Sportage continues to prove a very popular buy with consumers in both used and new formats. The 2014 version of the Sportage is well-equipped and owners are very happy with them according to Auto Trader’s owners’ reviews with a score of 4.4 out of five, a level of satisfaction aided by the long-running warranty provided by the manufacturer.”
There are five different body styles represented in the UK’s top 10 fastest selling cars including convertible, people carrier, estate and hatchback. It is the crossover or SUV, however, that is proving the most popular with four of the top 10 coming in this body style.
The 2013 BMW X1 in diesel auto format ranks as the fifth quickest to shift off the UK’s forecourts, while another Korean-built SUV is the sixth quickest. It’s the 2015 Hyundai ix35 with petrol power and manual transmission, and similar to the Sportage, comes with a long warranty of five years from new, that also includes free European breakdown cover and servicing over the same period. Both it and the X1 took 20 days from appearing on the forecourt to finding a new owner.
Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader Retailer & Consumer Products Director said: “Across the regions we have seen just how popular the crossover is with the Nissan Qashqai the fastest selling car in the East of England and London, plus it enjoys another 13 spots across the UK regions top 10 quickest selling cars. The Qashqai’s smaller sibling the Juke is also proving popular with five top 10 positions across the different regions. The combination of high driving position, practicality and reassurance of four-wheel drive (where fitted) deliver a strong appeal to buyers, particularly those with families.”
Rank* | Description | Average Days to Sell | Average Price Position | Average Retail Price |
| 1 | 2014 Kia Sportage SUV Petrol Manual | 18 | 100.2% | £13,934 |
| 2 | 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLK Convertible Diesel Automatic | 18 | 98.55% | £20,632 |
| 3 | 2013 Toyota Auris Estate Electric Hybrid Automatic | 18 | 100.36% | £13,018 |
| 4 | 2009 Citroen Berlingo Multispace MPV Diesel Manual | 18 | 99.06% | £4,679 |
| 5 | 2013 BMW X1 SUV Diesel Automatic | 20 | 101.22% | £17,359 |
| 6 | 2015 Hyundai ix35 Estate Petrol Manual | 20 | 99.44% | £13,536 |
| 7 | 2013 Kia Sportage SUV Petrol Manual | 21 | 99.52% | £12,552 |
| 8 | 2010 Mazda6 Hatchback Petrol Manual | 21 | 99.56% | £6,633 |
| 9 | 2010 Peugeot 3008 Hatchback Diesel Automatic | 22 | 99.16% | £6,801 |
| 10 | 2013 Skoda Fabia Estate Diesel Manual | 22 | 98.17% | £7,745 |
Auto Trader’s forecourt management tool, i-Control, continues to give retailers a clear advantage in stock turn, with those using the tool turning stock within 26 days on average in April, compared to a whole market average of 63 days.
i-Control tracks live market movements, recommends what stock to buy, where to find it, how much to pay for it, and how much to sell it for taking into account regional differences in supply and demand – and is proven to improve stock turn by nearly 60%.
Karolina Edwards-Smajda said: “Those retailers that are placing digital at the heart of their business are reaping the rewards of a quicker turn around from stock to sell. Using data not only enables a dealership to stock cars that are in demand in their region but also to price them to the market. The retailers doing that will attract more interest from consumers researching online and they are far more likely to walk into their showroom looking to buy on their first visit.”
Using a combination of daily guide prices from over 4,500 dealer websites, the 500,000+ ads on autotrader.co.ukand price data from all major auctions, fleet & lease companies and manufacturers, i-Control provides accurate valuations ensuring retailers’ stock is competitively priced from day one.
*Please note that ranking for fastest selling is based on days to sell and the vehicle count with those cars enjoying the fewest days to sell and the highest vehicle count being ranked highest.
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