Honda e:Ny1 back on top as the 'hottest' new car on Auto Trader

Test drive your Honda e:Ny1 today: https://www.hshmotorgroup.co.uk/car-deals/new/honda-e-ny1-0-apr-representative

Honda’s fully electric SUV propelled to 7th most in demand brand new car in a month
• Cause for optimism ahead of plate change as new car advert views on Auto Trader rise c. 20% year-on-year. • More choice of new car as Auto Trader records 21% uptick in physical stock since January.

According to the latest data from Auto Trader, the Honda e:NY1 is July’s most in-demand brand-new electric vehicle (EV), and the 7th most in demand new car among all fuel-types, rising from the UK’s 254th in June. It means the battery powered SUV is this month’s fastest growing new car model overall, and for pure electric cars, generated more enquiries than any other model, accounting for more than one in every 10 EV leads sent to a retailer.

It marks the second time this year that Honda’s flagship EV has topped the charts, with its meteoric rise propelled on both occasions by an enticing combination of large discounts, deposit contributions and finance offers. It highlights the impact of affordability in driving consumer engagement for brand new EVs, and the steps manufacturers are taking to stimulate demand in response to this year’s ZEV Mandate targets.

Since July last year, average discounts have risen from 6.6% to 8.7%, with three quarters of all new cars now offering some level of discount. The average discount currently applied to EVs is 10.6%. However, as well improving affordability, brands are also responding to the challenge by improving consumer choice, with Auto Trader recording a significant uptick in the volume of new cars advertised on its platform in recent months, rising 21% between January and July.

Auto Trader’s data, which is based on circa 2 million monthly new car visitors, suggests that improved choice and affordability is proving a compelling combination for consumers. In fact, despite the disruption caused by the General Election, and major sporting events this month, including the Euros and Wimbledon, consumer interest for new cars remains stable, with visits to Auto Trader’s new car platform rising circa 6% year-on-year in July to date.

With the high-profile sponsorship of the Euros in June and July, BYD has employed a more high-profile tactic to raise brand awareness and drive consumer engagement with their cars. Over the course of the tournament, the brand saw a 33% increase in advert views for its new and used models versus the previous month. It’s helped to position the BYD Seal as the UK’s fourth most viewed electric car this month, and BYD as the seventh most viewed electric brand. However, with BYD still relatively unfamiliar with UK buyers, neither the Seal or the brand managed to make it on to July’s list of makes and models driving the largest share of enquiries.

Familiar ICE icons out in front

Outside of electric models, Volkswagen’s iconic Golf topped the charts for the second successive month as the most popular overall new car in July, generating a 4.3% share of all new car enquiries. It was closely followed by the Range Rover (3.6%) and Defender 110 (3.1%) into second and third place. At a brand level, the top three most in-demand marques this month are BMW (14.3%), Land Rover (12.7%) and Volkswagen (10.2%). They’re way ahead of the rest of the pack, with Audi in fourth generating a more conservative 6.6% share.

The new car market continues to face a challenging combination of new regulatory targets, increased competition, growing production, and softening retail sales. However, our data does offer some optimism as we approach the key plate change month of September. Manufacturers are working hard to stimulate demand, and we’re seeing consumers respond as a result.

Bex Kennet, Auto Trader Performance Director

"The new car market continues to face a challenging combination of new regulatory targets, increased competition, growing production, and softening retail sales. However, our data does offer some optimism as we approach the key plate change month of September. Manufacturers are working hard to stimulate demand, and we’re seeing consumers respond as a result.

It will be interesting to see what other tactics manufacturers deploy over the coming months to move the needle, as they try to balance volume with the increasing pressure of the looming ZEV Mandate requirements. More choice, better deals, and getting in front of more new car buyers will be key."

Test drive your Honda e:Ny1 today: https://www.hshmotorgroup.co.uk/car-deals/new/honda-e-ny1-0-apr-representative