New car demand up more than a quarter on Auto Trader
New car demand on the Auto Trader platform has risen 28% month-on-month during February and three per cent year-on-year.
The most popular model among prospective buyers was the Volkswagen Golf, which accounted for one in 20 new car enquiries. It was followed by the Range Rover Sport (3.6%) and Defender 110 (3.5%).
Among electric car searches, the Renault 5 attracted 5.5% of all enquiries, followed by the Tesla Model Y (5.4%) and the Skoda Elroq (4.5%).
In terms of brands, Land Rover was the most popular manufacturer with 14.6% of all searches, comfortably ahead of both Volkswagen and BMW, while Chinese brands Jaecoo, BYD and Chery also featured in the top 10.
The data also found that average new car discounts across all fuel types increased from nine per cent last February to 10%, while average discounts on electric models rose to 11.6%.
Strong start
Bex Kennett, performance director, said: “February has built on the strong start to the year with our platform recording a 28% jump in new car visits compared to January. We’re seeing a fascinating mix of consumer enthusiasm for the incoming ’26 plates, alongside a highly competitive retail environment.
“The fact that a retro icon like the Renault 5 is going toe-to-toe with Tesla shows that consumers are craving personality and fresh design, alongside competitive pricing.
“With discounts creeping up, and the crucial plate change just days away, retailers who can offer the right mix of desirability and value will be the ones to capitalise on what we expect to be a highly active March.”
