Consumer interest in new car market remains steady in April
25th April 2025 – According to the latest data from Auto Trader, demand for new cars remains robust amongst consumers following the key plate change period, with visits to its new car platform increasing 11% year-on-year (YoY) in April.
Less discounting on electric as ZEV mandate rules relax
Whilst March was a strong month for discounting levels as the new ’25 plates entered circulation across the UK and manufacturers looked to entice buyers, discounts have softened this month. The average new car discount across all fuel types has edged lower from 9.3% off RRP last month to 8.6% in April so far.
For electric, the reduction was slightly higher, decreasing from 11.7% off RRP in March to 10.3%. This trend could continue over the coming weeks following the government’s recent changes to the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which aims to offer more flexibility to car manufactures, allowing them to shift more of their electric vehicle (EV) sales to later years when demand is expected to be stronger.
Retailers are taking advantage of interest amongst prospective buyers by advertising even more of their new car stock in front of the UK’s biggest audience of engaged car buyers. In April so far, the volume of new cars being advertised on Auto Trader is up 10% on the same period last year.
Chinese models making positive headway with consumers
When analysing the data across all fuel types, the Volkswagen Golf is currently the UK’s ‘hottest’ new car with a 4.1% share of all new car enquiries in April to date. As well as topping the pure EV charts, MG’s ZS is currently the second most in-demand overall new car, with a 2.6% share of total enquiries on Auto Trader. Land Rover’s iconic Range Rover placed third with 2.5% of leads.
Although the top five featured models from established automotive names, Chinese brands such as Jaecoo and BYD entered the top ten as they aim to convert more sales from consumers in the UK. Despite only being launched in 2023, Jaecoo looks to have already captured interest amongst prospective buyers in the UK market with its Jaecoo 7 receiving a 1.8% share of enquiries and becoming the seventh most in demand new car this month. BYD, which is fast becoming known amongst UK consumers over the last 12 months, placed ninth with its Seal U. The family sized crossover SUV generated a 1.6% share of enquiries in April so far, which was tied with Cupra’s new Terramar model, highlighting how responsive Auto Trader’s audience is to newly launched products.
A new leader was crowned this month of the hottest brand across all fuel types as the top three switched places with each other. BMW moved from second place to first in April generating a 14.6% share of enquiries. German rival Volkswagen also inched one place higher from third to second with a 10.2% share of enquiries whilst Land Rover dropped down to third from the top spot last month, with a 9.2% share.
Skoda continues to rise towards the top of the electric charts
For a third month running, the MG ZS is the most-in demand new electric car, commanding almost 8% of all new EV enquiries sent to retailers through Auto Trader. The popular compact SUV’s position at the top of the leaderboard is under threat however from the Skoda Elroq which moved one place higher into second place with a 6.4% share of enquiries in April so far. This was closely followed by BMW’s executive model i4 which received a 6.2% share. Both the Skoda Elroq and BMW i4 drove the fastest growth lead share this month across all electric models with the Elroq increasing by 2.1 percentage points month-on-month and the i4 increasing by 3 percentage points.
There’s been no change at the top of the leaderboard for the most popular new car electric brand as MG took first place with a 15.5% share of enquiries, although the gap has narrowed this month versus its nearest rival BMW. The Munich headquartered manufacturer generated an 11.7% share of enquiries. Skoda rounded off the top three with the Czech brand receiving a 7.1% share of leads in April.
New functionality from Auto Trader to help drive more new car sales for retailers
With the new car market up 6% year to date, Auto Trader also recently announced a new functionality called ‘New Car Offers’ that aims to boost lead conversations and enable retailers to display transparent new car finance offers on their Auto Trader adverts. The introduction of ‘New Car Offers’ is another key step from Auto Trader to support retailers to improve performance further. Whilst the functionality for retailers to upload their offers is now live, consumers will be able to see and interact with these offers later this month.
Although softening slightly on March’s strong plate change period, consumer interest for new cars remains robust. Along with the relaxation in ZEV targets, this should come as welcome news for manufacturers facing uncertainty around the introduction of new tariffs.
“Highlighting the speed in which the market is moving, we’ve seen a strong performance from new brands this month. We’ll be watching these marques closely over the coming months and their efforts to gain even more share of the increasingly competitive retail landscape.”
Most in demand new car electric models on Auto Trader in April 2025 ranked by enquiries/leads.
Most in demand new car electric brands[1] on Auto Trader in April 2025 ranked by enquiries/leads.
Most in demand new car models on Auto Trader in April 2025 ranked by enquiries/leads – all fuel types.
Most in demand new car brands on Auto Trader in April 2025 ranked by enquiries/leads – all fuel types.
[1] Based on brands’ electric models only
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