7:17 am, February 23, 2023
Dealers are offering discounts of more than 16 per cent on new cars as they look to shift stock ahead of next month’s plate-change, it has been revealed.
Mystery shopping conducted by What Car? found that bargains are still out there amidst rising energy prices and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
There are significant savings to be made on a range of new factory order models, including a number of EVs.
The Volkswagen Arteon 1.5 TSI R Line Fastback tops the savings, with a cash discount of 16.7 per cent, or £6,332 from retailers.
Meanwhile, the while the ever-popular Nissan Qashqai 1.3 DiG-T Acenta Premium can be had with a 14.3 per cent saving, equating to £4,120.
The biggest offer the firm found on an EV was for the Nissan Leaf 110kW Acenta 39kWh, which is currently being offered with a 13.2 per cent saving, or £3,815.
The average cash discount across all makes and models ahead of the plate-change is four per cent, or £1,875 per car, What Car? found.
Reacting to the findings, What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: ‘The March plate-change is typically the busiest time for the industry, and even with high energy costs for manufacturers, it’s clear there are some great offers to be had on popular new models.
‘After months of limited discounts in the face of short supply, it’s great to see a buyer’s market returning.
‘What Car?’s Target Price team constantly mystery shops the market to keep track of the latest discounts and highlight them to Britain’s car buyers.’
As well as those buying a new car outright, there are also offers available on certain models purchased via PCP finance.
Among these was the Fiat 500 1.0 Mild Hybrid, offered with 7.3 per cent off the list price, thanks to a £2,900 deposit contribution from dealers.
Also, the Ford EcoSport 1.0 Ecoboost 125 Titanium is available with a 4.8 per cent saving over the list price, thanks to a £1,250 deposit contribution.
Which models come with the biggest discounts?
5. Peugeot 508
Edition: 1.2 Puretech GT Fastback EAT8
On the road: £34,395
Target price: £30,392
Discount: 12%
Cash saving: £4,003
4. Suzuki Vitara
Edition: 1.4 Boosterjet 48V Hybrid SZ-T
On the road: £24,249
Target price: £21,146
Discount: 13.2%
Cash saving: £3,103
3. Nissan Leaf
Edition: 110kW Acenta 39kWh
On the road: £28,995
Target price: £25,180
Discount: 13.2%
Cash saving: £3,815
2. Nissan Qashqai
Edition: 1.3 DiG-T Acenta Premium
On the road: £29,005
Target price: £24,885
Discount: 14.3%
Cash saving: £4,120
1. Volkswagen Arteon
Edition: 1.5 TSI R Line Fastback
On the road: £38,820
Target price: £32,488
Discount: 16.7%
Cash saving: £6,332
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