The threat of coronavirus and our response to this has changed much in the last six months of year, and a study conducted on behalf of Kwik Fit shows that car buying plans are no exception. While the end of the first lockdown saw a rise in car sales due to pent up demand, it seems the pandemic has changed the vehicle purchase intentions of as many as 13.9 million UK drivers.
Britain’s biggest new car discounters have been revealed ahead of the introduction of the new ‘20’ registration plate on 1 March, with Citroën dealers offering the biggest cash discounts on average, but with the Fiat Tipo attracting the biggest individual percentage discount, with close to 30 per cent available off its RRP. Research by What Car? – which guarantees shoppers on its website at least these savings – found Citroën dealers are slashing prices by an average of 16.44 per cent, meaning buyers save an average of £4431 on a new Citroën.
Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of car owners bought their last car outright using cash or a debit card, with over 55s the most likely to do this. The East of England is the region most likely to buy their car outright (70 per cent), and the North East the least likely to (51 per cent).
Despite the environment being the biggest driver for switching to an electric vehicle, new research by digital transformation agency, Somo, has identified that the interest in petrol vehicles is not declining. In fact, over half would consider purchasing a petrol engine vehicle next, and, surprisingly, a quarter are still considering diesel engines.
The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers across the UK, has announced the findings of consumer vehicle purchasing patterns in the UK.
The brands offering the biggest and smallest new car discounts have been revealed in market intelligence from consumer champion What Car?’s New Car Buying platform. Citroën topped the table, while Dacia offered buyers the lowest price reductions in the first six months of 2019.
The polished floors, shiny cars and bright lights of car salesrooms still appeal to the over 55s, but younger age groups are much more likely than older generations to buy their car elsewhere, according to a new Opinium survey of over 2,000 UK drivers.
New car buyers made savings of over £2300 on average at the end of last year, despite a gradual fall in manufacturer discounts during the last quarter, according to the latest What Car? Target Price Report.
The UK new car market enjoyed a boost in August, as year-on-year demand rose 23.1 per cent, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 94,094 new cars were registered in the month as the market responded to regulatory changes, with cost-savvy buyers taking advantage of some compelling deals in what is always one of the year’s smallest months.
