10:57 am, July 21, 2025
Trade-to-trade platform Dealer Auction has revealed that the Ford Kuga offered dealers the highest profit potential in the sub-£10,000 retail bracket in June.
The popular family SUV has been a firm fixture in the table throughout the first half of 2025, and in June it secured an average retail margin of £2,600 – significantly higher than its £2,225 top spot in March 2025. It shows that the family Ford remains good for business, after being 2024’s overall top performer for return on investment.
The data comes from Dealer Auction’s monthly Retail Margin Monitor – a monthly report that analyses the average returns that dealers are making on auction-sourced stock.
Second in the June tables was the Peugeot 2008 with an average return of £2,425, followed by the Hyundai i30 – a new entry to the Top 10 – at £2,375.
Meanwhile, the Vauxhall Insignia (£2,300) entered the Top 10 for the second time on record and, surprisingly, was the top 10’s quickest seller – shifting in 27 days on average.
Dealer Auction’s Marketplace Director, Kieran TeeBoon, said: ‘June saw a mix of continuity and change. The Kuga was 2024’s overall top performer and [has been] strong so far in 2025, so it’s interesting to see it return to the top spot for the second time in 2025.
‘But while this trend and Peugeot’s performance persisted, we also observed emerging themes. The fact that after over three years of tracking the data, we’re still seeing new models enter the top 10 for margin speaks to the dynamic nature of the market and the exciting opportunities available.
‘Timing is everything; by keeping on top of the short- and long-term trends, dealers can lay the groundwork to meet shifting consumer demand and ensure they have the right stock at the right time.’
Looking at the top 10 for models retailing above £10,000, the Volvo XC90 topped the chart for the second time this year, clocking the highest margin of 2025 so far: £5,200. The XC90 has been challenging the dominance of long-term Retail Margin Monitor performers – the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque. In June, it surpassed the second-place Discovery Sport by £1,000. The latter achieved an average margin of £4,200, followed by the Evoque with £4,050.
Interestingly, 50% of the over-£10,000 top 10 were from mainstream brands, including the Kia Sportage, Volkswagen Tiguan, Nissan Qashqai, Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf, showing how different specs attract a wide appeal.
At brand level, BMW have achieved six consecutive months at the top of the chart for makes for models with a retail value of under £10,000. In June, the brand achieved an average margin of £2,425, followed by Mercedes-Benz (£2,350) and Volvo (£2,300).
TeeBoon concluded: ‘As we reach the 2025 midpoint, we’ve seen a brilliant performance across the trade network so far this year. It’s clear that the used car market is a stabilising force, as highlighted in Cox Automotive’s recent prediction of a used car market of 7.64 million units in the UK this year. This means dealers can have the confidence to stick to their guns when it comes to pricing, using these market dynamics and all the data available to boost their margins.’
