European brands lead strong September new car demand

UK new car demand has made a strong start to the key September plate-change month, with visits to Autotrader’s new car marketplace rising both year-on-year and month-on-month as established European manufacturers attract significant consumer interest.

New car visits increased by 4% year-on-year and 7% month-on-month in September so far, according to the latest Autotrader data, while new car stock volumes were also 4% higher than in August.

The figures point to strong levels of consumer engagement during one of the most important months in the UK car-buying calendar, as buyers explore the latest 76-plate vehicles.

European brands dominate buyer interest

Established European manufacturers feature prominently in the September rankings, with BMW accounting for 10.7% of all new car enquiries on Autotrader, followed by Volkswagen at 9.0% and Land Rover at 8.7%.

Volkswagen’s Golf was the most in-demand individual model across all fuel types, accounting for 4.9% of enquiries.

Land Rover also performed strongly, placing three vehicles among the six most in-demand models. The Range Rover Sport ranked second with a 3.3% share of enquiries, followed by the Range Rover in fourth and Defender 110 in sixth.

Jaecoo’s 7 was the third most in-demand model overall, accounting for 3.1% of enquiries.

BMW leads EV brand demand

European manufacturers also feature strongly in Autotrader’s electric vehicle rankings, with BMW generating 9.7% of all new EV enquiries.

Renault followed with a 6.6% share, ahead of Hyundai at 6.4%, BYD at 5.4% and Kia and Skoda, both at 5.2%.

At model level, the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric was the most in-demand EV in September so far, generating 5.7% of electric enquiries.

BMW’s iX1 ranked second with 3.7%, followed by the Hyundai INSTER and BMW iX3, both at 3.4%. Skoda also placed two vehicles – the Enyaq and Elroq – within the top 10.

The figures follow what Autotrader described as a record August for electric interest, when EVs accounted for 30% of all new car enquiries on its marketplace.

Petrol discounts rise as EV incentives ease

Average discounts across the new car market edged up from 10.5% in August to 10.7% in September, although trends differed between powertrains.

Average petrol discounts increased from 11.3% to 11.9%, as manufacturers sought to stimulate demand and support wider volume objectives.

EV discounts moved in the opposite direction, easing from 11.1% in August to 10.7% in September.

Autotrader said the reduction was partly driven by manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz and MG scaling back incentives as they move closer to their required Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate levels for the year.

Other manufacturers that still need to increase electric vehicle volumes continue to offer significant discounts to encourage demand and support their ZEV mandate targets.

Autotrader also pointed to higher petrol prices as a factor supporting consumer interest in electric vehicles, with fuel costs reaching a four-year high and continuing to rise during September.

Bex Kennett, Head of New Car at Autotrader, said: “The September plate change is delivering a clear boost in consumer activity, with visits and retailer listings up both month-on-month and year-on-year.

“What stands out most in this data is the overwhelming strength of the established European manufacturers with brands such as BMW, Volkswagen and Land Rover capturing significant buyer interest across both traditional fuel types and new electric models.

“While strategic discounting on petrol models is actively helping to keep the broader market moving, the sustained interest in premium European nameplates shows that brand strength and product appeal remain fundamental drivers of buyer intent as we head into the autumn.”