Used car market on the front foot in 2026
The used car market has made a strong start to 2026, according to data from Percayso Vehicle Intelligence.
Following a dip in December, January has seen average retail advertised prices climb across almost all sectors, driven by a surge in consumer demand and continued restrained supply.
At the three-year age point, average retail values increased by 0.9% (£180), while younger stock saw even more significant gains, with one-year-old vehicles jumping by 1.5% (£450).
Diesel vehicles were the strongest-performing fuel type in January, with prices increasing by 1.8%, while average hybrid prices were up 1.4% and petrol vehicles saw an increase of 0.8%. However, used electric vehicles followed a two per cent fall in December with a 0.1% decline in January.
Very few negatives
Derren Martin, automotive expert at Percayso Vehicle Intelligence, said: “The used car retail market has started robustly, with January seeing average retail advertised prices increasing, as predicted. There have been very few negatives to report on in the first few weeks of the year, and plenty of positives, particularly for those continuing to focus sales on petrol, diesel and hybrid cars.
“EVs have not been subject to the same increases, but at least have seen a stable month pricewise. Audi leads the way in price increases, and several more mainstream brands have also performed well.
“February is traditionally another strong month for used cars, before focus turns to the plate-change month of March, so there could well be some further increases seen over the next few weeks.”
