Welsh are hybrid happy
publication date: Mar 31, 2009
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author/source: Robin Roberts
The Welsh love their hybrid cars.
Latest figures from Experian show that in the last quarter of 2008, pre-owned hybrids from Honda, Toyota and Lexus saw a 55.6pc rise in popularity over the same time in 2007.
Honda dealers were the only ones to see all sales rise and then by just 1.2pc but Toyota forecourts suffered a 17.7pc decline, just behind the worst performing Nissan businesses.
Of the major marques, Vauxhall outlets sold 5.2pc fewer used cars but traditional market leader Ford saw a drop of over 11pc in used sales while BMW and Mercedes-Benz salesmen suffered as 10.1 and 13.1pc less used models were sold.
The most popular used models in Wales followed the national trend towards MPVs with a rise of 6.7pc, but sales of luxury cars in Wales were down almost 3pc while executive cars were battered by a near 14pc drop.
Used car buyers were increasingly looking for cars no more than 2 years old with sales of 2-6 year old models tumbling into double figures and the "dealer demonstrator" and low mileage nearly new cars up to six months old saw sales fall over a third.