8:02 am, September 5, 2020
Carwow has reported delivering leads that generated seven per cent of all new car sales in August.
What’s more, the platform for buying cars from franchised dealers says it has also seen ‘a continued but dramatic’ rise in sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles, with electric cars registering a 51 per cent year-on-year rise and plug-in hybrids a whopping 70 per cent up on last August.
Top sellers among AFVs included the Renault Zoe, pictured, Nissan Leaf and Peugeot e208, said Carwow head of OEM Sepi Arani, adding: ‘Carwow itself also went from strength to strength, with 43.5 per cent and 39.9 per cent growth in reported sales year on year during June and July respectively.
‘This indicates a continued and evident growth in appetite from consumers seeking a single, one-stop platform for reviews, pricing and inquiries when buying a new car.
‘Our outlook for September sees manufacturers continuing to fight for share of voice during what would traditionally be the last “big” month of the year as we enter ’70 registration. Brands still need to recover sales lost during lockdown.’
And he praised manufacturers for some ‘innovative’ post-lockdown offers ahead of enhanced ones for new cars in September.
He said: ‘A lot of brands have already come to the market post-lockdown with innovative offers such as Audi’s “3 on us” or Citroen’s “123” offers. Other brands, like Volvo, continue with deposit contributions such as an enhanced £750 on the new XC90.
‘This offer-enhancing path is what most brands may use in September to give them the extra boost in the market. We have seen Mercedes-Benz play this exact strategy in the last few days with their GLC deposit contribution rising to £3,500 from £3,000.
‘Although there has been a reintroduction of manufacturer-led scrappage schemes, many expire at the end of September, putting further onus on consumers to complete their purchase in the plate-change month.
‘But some good scrappage schemes remain, with Mazda in particular operating a very generous scheme, offering a minimum of £3,000 off a new Mazda with minimal restrictions on the trade-in required.’
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