Mercedes GLA is May's fastest-selling used car as EVs rank among the slowest to shift

7:35 am, May 28, 2021

The Mercedes-Benz GLA SUV is currently May’s fastest-selling used car while the Subaru Levorg is the slowest, new data reveals.

Auto Trader found 2018 automatic versions of the baby Benz crossover take just 27 days on average to sell on dealer forecourts, ‘when priced to the retail market’, the firm said.

Auto Trader’s Index data shows that while the levels of supply of used diesel GLAs in the market was up nine per cent last week when compared to the same period in 2019, it was far outstripped by the huge level of consumer demand, which increased 67 per cent.

This not only helped the speed of sale, but also increased the average price of a GLA up five per cent year-on-year on a like-for-like basis.

The GLA was joined by a further five premium models including the larger GLE (2018, diesel automatic – 32 days), as well as an Audi A4 Avant (2018, petrol manual – 31 days), Land Rover Discovery 4 (2016, diesel automatic – 29 days), Range Rover Evoque (2018, diesel manual – 28 days), and the Volkswagen Touareg (2016 diesel automatic – 28 days).

SUVs led the way too with eight making their way on May’s top 10 list.

The body style was the most in demand last week, said Auto Trader, increasing 71 per cent versus 2019, while stock levels dropped four per cent.

The demand for 4x4s is also shared across the regions.

The company found the GLA took the top spot in East Anglia (2018, automatic diesel – 26 days), London (2019, automatic petrol – 27 days) and the south east (2018, automatic diesel – 24 days).

Ford’s Kuga was the fastest selling in Northern Ireland (2018, manual diesel – 39 days) and the East Midlands (2018, automatic diesel – 35 days), while the Land Rover Discovery 4 is currently leaving forecourts in the south west faster than any other model (2016, automatic diesel – 28 days).

However, it’s a different story in Auto Trader’s bottom 10 with 2020-registered Subaru Levorgs being the slowest to sell on forecourts, taking on average 150 days to sell.

The Levorg is joined by the XV crossover, the DS 3 Crossback and even one-year-old Nissan Leafs and Peugeot e-2008s.

Auto Trader’s director of commercial products, Karolina Edwards-Smajda, said: ‘Following the reopening of physical forecourts last month, we’ve seen the already very strong levels of consumer demand in the market accelerate significantly.

‘In fact, the number of visits to our marketplace increased 39 per cent last week when compared against 2019. It highlights that there are huge opportunities for retailers, but it also reveals just how fast the market is moving.

‘It is vital therefore, that retailers are basing their sourcing and disposing strategies on the latest data and insights, to ensure their forecourts keep up with the pace of change.’