Auto Trader : KIA Sportage rolls off UK forecourts as 2017’s fastest selling used car

January 15, 2018

KIA Sportage rolls off UK forecourts as 2017's fastest selling used car

• 2015 Kia Sportage was on average the UK's fastest selling used car in 2017
• 2016 Audi A3 was the UK's fastest selling used car in December
• No diesels make the 2017 top 10, but dominate in December
• i-Control users enjoy 53% improvement on stock turn in December 2017

15^th January 2018 - London: Data from Auto Trader, the UK's largest marketplace for used and new cars, revealed that the 2015 Kia Sportage (petrol manual) was on average, the fastest selling used car in 2017, taking an average of just 24 days to sell. It was a great year for the Korean manufacturer with four models featuring on the 2017 top 10 - the 2014 Sportage (petrol manual) in fourth place, the 2014 Rio (petrol manual) in fifth, and the 2015 Rio (petrol manual) in ninth. It also marks the second consecutive year the Sportage has taken the crown as the annual champion; the 2014 model (petrol manual) took the top spot in 2016.

As highlighted by the Auto Trader Retail Price Index, despite the negative rhetoric that has surrounded the fuel debate in 2017, used diesels held their value last year, recording a like-for-like increase of 2%. However, the 2017 top 10 of fastest selling cars didn't feature any used diesels; with the exception of the 2014 Toyota Prius (hybrid automatic) in seventh place, the list was dominated by petrol variants.

However, it was a different picture in December, with the 2016 Audi A3 (diesel manual) taking first place as the UK's fastest selling used car, taking an average of 24 days to sell last month. In all, six diesel cars featured on the national top 10 in December; 2017 Skoda Yeti Outdoor (diesel manual) in third place, 2012 Peugeot 3008 (diesel automatic) in fifth, 2015 Hyundai i30 (diesel semi-automatic) in seventh, 2014 Citroen C4 Picasso (diesel automatic) in ninth, and the 2017 Skoda Kodiaq (diesel automatic) in tenth.

It was a similarly strong picture for diesel across the UK in December. Of the thirteen regions and countries tracked, diesels took the top spot in seven: East of England (2015 Ford Kuga, diesel manual, 31 days), London (2014 Mercedes-Benz C Class, diesel automatic, 12 days), Northern Ireland (2014 Volkswagen Golf, diesel manual, 40 days), Scotland (2014 Nissan Juke, diesel manual, 17 days), South (2014 BMW 4 Series, diesel automatic, 24 days), South West (BMW 1 Series, diesel manual, 25 days), and Wales (2014 Nissan Qashqai, diesel manual, 38 days).

Hitting targets will always be determined by how quickly a dealer can turn their stock around and using data is the key to speeding it up. Users of i-Control, Auto Trader's data management solution, took an average of just 32 days to sell a car in December, compared to a market average of 68 - 53% faster than those that don't use the data management tool.

Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader Retailer & Consumer Products Director, said: 'What a great year it's been for Kia and the Sportage in particular, which has consistently featured on the national and regional top 10 lists throughout 2017. And it's not a surprise. The Sportage offers great styling and family practicality, and of course Kia's industry-leading seven-year warranty. Last year we saw the effects of consumer uncertainty, so it's no wonder so many car buyers were attracted by the great value and peace of mind any new or used Kia can offer.

'We'll continue to see a number of challenges during 2018, not least the turbulence caused by Brexit. It's therefore more important than ever for retailers to stock the most desirable cars in their area and price them according to the live retail market. Not only does it drive customers to your forecourt, but it also builds that all important trust, which in today's increasingly competitive market, is essential. Using data management tools to complement your own experience can make all the difference, increasing efficiency and giving you the extra edge over your competitors.'

Paul Philpott, President and Chief Executive of Kia Motors (UK) Limited, commented: 'We are delighted that Auto Trader has confirmed that the Kia Sportage was the fastest selling used car for the second year running, and that Kia has four of the top ten fastest sellers. Customers tell us that they love the stand out design of Sportage as well as its ease of use and outstanding quality, which together make it an ideal choice as both a new and a used car. Our industry leading seven-year warranty which is fully transferable to future owners also makes Kia used cars an unbeatable proposition; why wouldn't you choose a 3-year-old Kia and get 4 years manufacturer warranty which is a year longer than most new cars!'

The UK's Top 10 Fastest Selling Cars in 2017:

Rank	Description	Average Days to Sell	Average Price Position	Average Retail Price
1	2015 Kia Sportage SUV Petrol Manual	24	98.44%	£13,690
2	2016 Ford Kuga SUV Petrol Manual	25	98.90%	£18,333
3	2014 Hyundai i10 Hatchback Petrol Automatic	25	99.15%	£7,295
4	2014 Kia Sportage SUV Petrol Manual	27	99.53%	£12,947
5	2014 Kia Rio Hatchback Petrol Manual	28	98.87%	£6,702
6	2012 Toyota Yaris Hatchback Petrol Automatic	28	99.56%	£7,044
7	2014 Toyota Prius Hatchback Electric Hybrid Automatic	28	101.27%	£14,428
8	2015 Ford Ka Hatchback Petrol Manual	29	98.89%	£5,865
9	2015 Kia Rio Hatchback Petrol Manual	29	99.35%	£7,896
10	2014 Hyundai ix35 Estate Petrol Manual	29	99.28%	£10,809

The UK's Top 10 Fastest Selling Cars in December 2017:

Rank	Description	Average Days to Sell	Average Price Position	Average Retail Price
1	2016 Audi A3 Saloon Diesel Manual	24	98.17%	£16,451
2	2013 Nissan Qashqai Hatchback Petrol Automatic	26	98.23%	£11,426
3	2017 Skoda Yeti Outdoor SUV Diesel Manual	26	98.91%	£18,300
4	2010 BMW 1 Series Hatchback Petrol Manual	27	98.80%	£6,152
5	2012 Peugeot 3008 Hatchback Diesel Automatic	27	99.73%	£6,893
6	2017 Peugeot 2008 SUV Petrol Manual	28	99.10%	£12,717
7	2015 Hyundai i30 Hatchback Diesel Semi-Automatic	28	96.12%	£8,917
8	2013 Vauxhall Meriva MPV Petrol Manual	28	97.17%	£5,737
9	2014 Citroen C4 Picasso MPV Diesel Automatic	28	98.12%	£9,831
10	2017 Skoda Kodiaq SUV Diesel Automatic	28	98.42%	£30,486

About i-Control:

i-Control is Auto Trader's data intelligence solutions, which tracks live market movements, recommends what stock to buy, where to find it, how much to pay for it, and how much to sell it for taking into account regional differences in desirability - and is proven to improve stock turn, as we've seen, by 53%.

Using a combination of daily guide prices from over 4,500 dealer websites, the 500,000+ ads on Auto Trader and price data from all major auctions, fleet & lease companies and manufacturers, i-Control provides accurate valuations ensuring retailers' stock is competitively priced from day one.

About Auto Trader

Auto Trader Group plc is the UK and Ireland's largest digital automotive marketplace. Auto Trader sits at the heart of the UK's vehicle buying process and its primary activity is to help vehicle retailers compete effectively on the marketplace in order to sell more vehicles, faster. Auto Trader listed on the London Stock Exchange in March 2015 and is now a member of the FTSE 250 Index.

The marketplace brings together the largest and most engaged consumer audience. Auto Trader has over 88% prompted brand awareness and attracts an average of 55 million monthly cross platform visits a month, with circa 70% of visits coming through mobile devices.

The marketplace also has the largest pool of vehicle sellers (listing more than 470,000 cars each day). Over 80% of UK automotive retailers advertise on autotrader.co.uk.

For more information, please visit http://about-us.autotrader.co.uk

For all trade media enquiries, please contact:

Andrew Nankervis - Senior PR Manager, Auto Trader

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