- One of the UK’s favourite small cars is fastest off the nation’s forecourts in May
- Vauxhall Corsa takes less than two weeks to blast out of showrooms into buyers’ hands
- Griffin-badged small hatch also quickest to sell in north east and ranks in seven other regions’ top ten fastest sellers
- Five body styles feature in UK’s top 10 fastest selling including Convertibles and Crossovers
- i-Control users enjoy better than 60% improvement on stock turn
The Vauxhall Corsa has powered into the nation’s fastest selling cars this month, taking an incredibly short 12 days to find a buyer to be the fastest off the UK’s forecourts in May.
The Luton-based company’s small hatchback has proved very popular as a city runabout, learner school wheels and first-choice car for a generation of drivers newly-qualified to drive.
Not only is the car the fastest off the UK’s forecourts but it’s also the quickest to sell in the North East plus it ranks in the top ten cars to find buyers in the shortest amount of time in seven other regions.
Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader Retailer & Consumer Products Director said: “The Vauxhall Corsa’s strong showing in May is reflected not only in its ranking as the UK’s fastest selling car, but also in its robust sales performance across the regions including taking the number one spot in the North East. It’s no surprise the small hatchback also currently ranks as the second most popular new car in 2016.”
“The Corsa is very popular with consumers as it offers low-cost motoring, is ideal for urban driving and can prove cheap to insure. Our consumer users scored it 4.5 out of 5 stars on average in our owner reviews, so clearly it’s a car they rate highly.”
The other models performing strongly in May include Nissan’s Qashqai+2, the taller and extended version of the company’s popular crossover that boasts seven seats. This one is in the 2013 petrol-powered model with the automatic gearbox and was originally launched back in 2008 to target families with several children or who value practicality and need the bigger boot space. In fact, across the nation’s regions the Nissan Qashqai had a storming performance ranking as the fastest seller in the East of England and London, as well as taking slots in seven of the UK regions’ top ten quickest sellers.
Ranking as the third quickest seller in the UK with 19 days to sell and one-place behind the Qashqai, is the 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLK convertible with diesel power and an automatic gearbox. It also appeared in the UK’s top ten last month in second place (where it took 18 days to sell) and reaffirms buyers interest in drop-top motoring as the summer weather settles in.
Land Rover’s latest all-new model, the Discovery Sport, also shows up in two of the region’s fastest sellers ranking second in the South and ninth in the South East. The premium 4x4 was a big hit with buyers when it first went on sale in early 2015 thanks to its smooth and frugal two-litre diesel engine, seven seats and luxurious interior.
Rank* |
Description | Average Days to Sell | Average Price Position | Average Retail Price |
| 1 | 2014 Vauxhall Corsa Hatchback Petrol Semi-Automatic | 12 | 97.85% | £6,138 |
| 2 | 2013 Nissan Qashqai+2 HatchbackdPetrol Automatic | 16 | 98.09% | £14,685 |
| 3 | 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLK Convertible Diesel Automatic | 19 | 98.62% | £20,535 |
| 4 | 2015 Hyundai ix35 Estate Petrol Manual | 19 | 99.33% | £13,098 |
| 5 | 2013 Kia Sorento SUV Diesel Automatic | 20 | 97.74% | £19,958 |
| 6 | 2014 BMW 5 Series Estate Diesel Automatic | 22 | 99.64% | £24,525 |
| 7 | 2013 Nissan Qashqai HatchbackdPetrol Automatic | 23 | 99.42% | £12,875 |
| 8 | 2013 Volkswagen Passat Estate Diesel Manual | 23 | 98.81% | £11,247 |
| 9 | 2013 Hyundai ix35 Estate Petrol Manual | 23 | 98.48% | £10,643 |
| 10 | 2013 Volkswagen Touran MPV Diesel Automatic | 24 | 97.32% | £12,986 |
The performance of retailers utilising i-Control improved again this month with an average time to sell of 27 days versus a market average of 63 days. This represents a reduction of three days for i-Control users in May 2016 compared to the same month last year and means those dealerships using our data insights tool outperforms the market by 57%.
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 desirability – and is proven to improve stock turn by nearly 60%.
Karolina Edwards-Smajda said: “This is great news for retailers that use i-Control to enhance their knowledge and expertise when stocking their forecourts with vehicles that are desirable to buyers in their area. The ability to turn stock quickly not only boosts revenue but can increase efficiencies to help reduce costs. The data powering i-Control supports retailers in selecting the cars that are in demand with consumers in their area and enables them to price those vehicles to the market. This helps generate more interest from consumers researching online, helping boost adviews for a dealership’s stock and, in turn, encourage consumers onto their forecourts.” Using a combination of daily guide prices from over 4,500 dealer websites, the 500,000+ ads onautotrader.co.uk and 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.
The car owners that powered the Awards were asked about the criteria that governs each of Auto Trader’s editorial reviews, which covers car ownership and driving aspects such as: running costs, handling, reliability, practicality, performance, equipment, interior and safety.
And it’s not just the judging process that has had a refreshing revamp. The Auto Trader New Car Awards celebrates the cars that champion the specific and current drivers for car purchasing, covering areas such as family life, city driving, buying your very first car or just opting for something a little greener.
Auto Trader research reveals that almost half (45%) of car buyers claim they don’t know what the traditional car type categories mean (e.g. SUV). And a third are open to buying new or used car, so providing guidance for consumers is key to helping in their decision making.
Auto Trader Cars Editor, Andy Pringle, said: “the aim of Auto Trader’s New Car Awards was to make car awards simpler and easier to understand for car buyers, but also to put the power in the hands of the consumer, providing an accurate reflection of the cars that are true consumer champions.”
The winners of the Auto Trader New Car Awards are:
