Diesel used car sales rose in 2017 at Cox Automotive with both wholesale and consumer demand remaining strong.

Cox Automotive predicts a positive year ahead for used and aftersales

Predicting a positive year ahead for used and aftersales, Cox – the parent firm of Manheim – said used car interest in diesels had not gone the same way as new car registrations, which declined 17.1% last year.

Manheim recorded a 1% rise in sales volumes for used diesel vehicles – versus a 3% drop in used petrol vehicles – while Motors.co.uk reported positive growth for diesel vehicles in both the £20-£30k and £30-£40k price bands. The car sales website also reported 5% growth in electric vehicle volumes listed on the platform.

Commenting on the diesel figures, Philip Nothard, head of external relations at Cox Automotive, said: “There is clearly a continuing appetite for all variants which we expect to continue, specifically in the £20-40k price bands for diesel.”

However, he added that the continued political pressure and media focus on diesel will, at some point, see consumers in the used market mirror the shift already seen in the new car market.

Cox figures for 2017 also show growth across the board, with all businesses reporting a solid 12 months.

Overall volumes at year-end through Manheim’s online and physical lanes were within 1% of 2016 and vehicles sitting within the £10k-£20K price banding in particular saw strong growth, up 9% for the year. Average mileage of vehicles throughout the 12 months decreased 7% (from 60,714 to 56,419).

Looking ahead, Nothard said: “We expect 2018 to be a positive year for the UK automotive industry. The sentiment from dealers is that used vehicles will continue to take prominence, and further investment in providing top class aftersales service will be a key priority for 2018.”

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