New car sales in the UK have seen an overall drop of 6.7% in October on the previous year according to the SMMT (The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders). Whilst fleet sales are holding their own it is private sales that have taken a significant hit in October, down 13.2%.
UK buyers appear to have put 'put the brakes' on buying cars in the last quarter of 2019, with the uncertainty of Britain's exit from Europe and a general election just a few weeks away its understandable that the private sector is cautious.
Full Electric and Hybrid Cars See Upturn in Sales
Sales of traditional diesel cars have seen the biggest drop (down 28% on October previous year), this can be largely explained with a plethora of new mild hybrid diesel options available that are selling well. Mild petrol hybrids, full hybrids and full electric vehicles also see an upturn in sales on the previous year. There are also government incentives to 'go electric' with grants avaiable for home charging stations for example.
Options Available To New Car Buyers
Whilst the uncertainty in Britain is certainly playing its part in the public's cautious approach to making one of the biggest buying decisions most people will make, there are still options available for buyers to 'shop around'.
Traditionally in the UK, buying a new car meant walking into your local main dealer showroom with limited scope for a negotiation but today there are more options than ever before.
There are several established online new car retailers that offer discount new cars and/or a broker-like service. Online new car dealers like Broadspeed, New Car Discount and AutoeBid have been established for some time now, while newer players in the market like Carwow who have invested heavily, offer a broker-like service. All of these offer new car deals and an alternative to the traditional main dealer route.
UK Car Discount one of the leading new car dealers is a key player in the marketplace, they have a USP of not taking payment for the vehicle until after delivery and all new cars they supply are UK main dealer sourced with full manufacturer's warranty.
While Britain's European future is remains uncertain there are more options than ever before for UK new car buyers to shop around and get themselves on a good deal.
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