10:30 am, February 14, 2022
The Volkswagen Polo has been this month’s most desirable car as dealers focus on stock worth less than £15,000, auction group Aston Barclay has said.
The firm’s used car desirability index found that dealers are desperate to get their hands on cheaper stock that is more likely to sell quickly.
It comes after data found that vehicles valued above £20,000 were taking longer than usual to sell in December and January.
The trend has led to a change in tack for retailers, with cheaper cars now the most sought-after.
Aston Barclay’s used car desirability index aims to help buyers make the best possible decisions when picking their latest stock from auction.
It takes into account three key metrics – web views prior to sale, number of physical and online bids per sale, and the sale price achieved as a percentage of CAP average.
All that data is then put together to give a model a desirability score out of ten.
This month’s winner has been the VW Polo, which tops the list with a score of 6.1
It is closely followed by the Suzuki Alto and VW Sharan which scored 6.0 and 5.8 respectively.
Older models like the Mercedes M Class and Skoda Yeti also appear in February’s index in a wholesale market where used prices remain at record levels.
The February index contrasts with the last few months of 2021 where it was full of higher value premium brand SUVs and saloons.
Models like the Audi Q5, Range Rover and Mercedes S Class still appear in the February index but have slipped down the pecking order.
Martin Potter, Aston Barclay’s MD – customer, said: ‘Part exchange sales have been extremely strong for the first six weeks of 2022 with retailers looking more to the value end of the market where cars will sell quickly.
‘Many retailers are now investing wisely buying two value cars rather than one expensive one and turning their stock faster.
‘It’s costly to have higher value used cars in stock for any length of time hence the change in approach.’
Aston Barclay’s ten most desirable cars
Volkswagen Polo
Desirability score: 6.1
Suzuki Alto
Desirability score: 6.0
Volkswagen Sharan
Desirability score: 5.8
Mercedes CLS
Desirability score: 5.7
Hyundai ix20
Desirability score: 5.3
Range Rover Evoque
Desirability score: 5.3
Audi Q5
Desirability score: 5.2
Jaguar XF
Desirability score: 5.2
Mercedes M Class
Desirability score: 5.1
Peugeot 208
Desirability score: 5.1
