3:18 pm, February 18, 2019
DIGITAL automotive marketplace Auto Trader has found that diesel cars are still selling strong, despite continued negative media attention.
In January 2019, the site saw a 4.5 per cent price growth for used diesels, resulting in a £14,514 average value – this equates to the highest growth rate since August 2018.
In comparison, petrol car prices only rose by 3.7 per cent – meaning diesels are actually outperforming petrols in terms of price growth annual like-for-like. Average petrol car value was pegged at £11,374 for January.
All this comes as quite the surprise, considering percentages of searches are the opposite. As of now, diesel car searches are at an all-time low of 45 per cent, while petrol searches are at an all-time high of 48 per cent.
Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader’s commercial product director, said: ‘Fuel represents just one in five searches on our marketplace, so whilst the sustained decline in diesel is significant, it’s not representative of all consumers.
‘Our research consistently shows that they’re not limiting their search to a type, but instead considering all as part of their next car journey; new, used, petrol, diesel, or electric. Retailers should be marketing to them accordingly.’
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