With March just around the corner, auto sales people are gearing up for what is traditionally one of the biggest months on the calendar.
That’s because it sees the arrival of a new license plate with newly registered vehicles that will display ’23’ as a replacement for the ’72’ plate starting in September 2022.
And dealers are optimistic, this March will see a return of sorts to the heady days of busy showrooms before the pandemic and supply shortages making it difficult for them to deliver new engines to buyers within 12 months of purchase. placing orders.
With supply chain issues lessening and dealers being able to deliver orders faster, mystery shoppers have identified which cars sales staff are willing to offer more discounts, claiming that drivers can haggle almost a 17 percent of the list price of some 23-plate engines.
Volkswagen’s sleek Arteon has the biggest discounts available, with one model, the 1.5 TSI R Line, available at 16.7% off list price.
Nissan’s Qashqai is in high demand. In fact, it was the best-selling new car of 2022. Still, dealers are slashing list prices by as much as 14.3%, says What Car?
Even electric vehicles are subject to savings. Buyers can negotiate up to 13.2% off a Nissan Leaf EV
Mystery shoppers have received a request from What Car?, Britain’s leading consumer champion and new car buying platform, to find out which models dealers are willing to offer the most discounts.
It found that despite the rising cost of living and high energy costs, manufacturers are offering significant savings on certain factory-order new models, including some electric vehicles.
The Volkswagen Arteon 1.5 TSI R Line Fastback leads the savings, with a cash discount of 16.7 percent. This translates to a saving of £6,332 from retailers.
Customers wanting a hybrid SUV could consider the Suzuki Vitara, which dealers are willing to discount by as much as 13.2%.
The Peugeot 5008 is a saloon with a lot of space. Dealers are currently offering up to 12% off the retail price
A Nissan Juke 1.6 Hybrid N-Connecta Auto has a list price of £27,525. However, the mystery shopper was able to bargain down to £24,342, a discount of 11.7%.
And deals can be struck on in-demand cars, including the best-selling new model in Britain last year.
Nissan dealers have been found to offer up to 14.3 per cent (or £4120) off the list price of a new Qashqai 1.3 DiG-T Acenta Premium.
Mystery shoppers discovered that Nissan was also willing to drop significantly on the asking price of a new electric Leaf.
The Leaf 110kW Acenta 39kWh is offered at the third highest saving of 13.2 per cent, or £3,815, off the list price of Britain’s fifth best-selling EV in 2022.
What car? It said the average cash discount on all makes and models before the plate change is 4 per cent, or £1,875 per car.
What car? says buyers will be able to negotiate around £2,100 off the £21,000 list price of a Seat Arona
If you like the feeling of the wind blowing through your hair, the BMW 4 Series Convertible will be perfect for you. Dealers will take 9.5% off list price
Renault’s compact crossover, the Captur, is available at up to 8.5%, bringing the list price of £22,395 down by £1,820.
It also found that certain models purchased through personal contract purchase (PCP) financing may end up costing buyers less compared to buying outright with cash, thanks to generous deposit contributions from manufacturers.
For example, buyers who opt for a Fiat 500 1.0 Mild Hybrid can save 7.3 per cent on list price when buying through PCP Finance, thanks to a £2,900 deposit contribution from dealers.
And the Ford Ecosport 1.0 Ecoboost 125 Titanium is available at a saving of 4.8% on list price, thanks to a deposit contribution of £1,250.
The Peugeot 3008 1.6 Hybrid4 is a popular conventional hybrid family car. Buyers can get up to 8% (or £3,900) off the list price of nearly £50,000
The Seat Ibiza is another very popular car in Great Britain. Distributors are cutting prices by up to 8%
Another in-demand supermini is the Toyota Yaris hybrid. What car? says dealers are willing to cut list price by as much as 7.5%
What car? Publisher Steve Huntingford said: ‘The March board changeover is usually the busiest time for the industry, and even with high energy costs for manufacturers, it’s clear there are some great deals on popular new models.
“After months of limited discounts in the face of tight supply, it’s great to see the buyer’s market return.
The What Car? constantly researches the market to keep track of the latest discounts and highlight them to UK car buyers.
Sue Robinson is the executive director of the National Franchised Dealership Association, which represents manufacturer dealerships across the country.
Earlier this month, he said: “Throughout 2023, we are confident that retailers will continue to show their resilience and ability to meet shopper demand with increasing levels of showroom footfall and an increasing online offering.” greatest of distributors”.
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