7:31 am, June 7, 2012
EXPERIAN has published its latest Used Car Index revealing quarter one 2012 experienced the highest first quarter figures for three years.
The index uncovered that with 1,741,860 used cars sold from January to March, quarter one 2012 experienced the highest first quarter figures since 2009 when 1,813,588 units were sold.
The volume of used car sales showed healthy levels of growth for the first quarter of 2012 with figures showing a 14.7 per cent increase compared to last quarter and a 0.2 per cent increase compared to the same quarter in 2011.
All car segments enjoyed uplift in sales compared to last quarter with the exception of the 4×4 segment, says Experian. This segment, which includes the Range Rover Sport and BMW X5, experienced a 1.3 per cent drop.
The MPV segment which includes the Vauxhall Zafira and Renault Scenic, saw the biggest rise in sales with 103,415 units sold, a 26.7 per cent increase compared to last quarter.
In terms of fuel type, the electric category clearly led the upturn with both year-on-year and quarterly increases of 29 per cent and 19.2 per cent respectively.
With 78,812 units sold, the Ford Focus was the best selling model in quarter one 2012.
Andrew Ballard, principle consultant at Experian Automotive, said: ‘It’s encouraging that 2012 has started positively. We are pleased to be able to show uplifts in used car sales across the board as well as identifying high performing categories.
‘These include the increasing popularity of the MPV while environmental factors and the wider availability of alternative fueled vehicles seem to be driving growth of electric and hybrid models. By using this type of analytical sales data, spotting trends is made easier for dealers who can tailor their stock mix according to both their region and also the current sales environment.’
