AutoTrader Group plc has reported a positive start to 2026 for the new car market, with the volume of new cars advertised on Autotrader up 17% compared to last year. Visits to Autotrader's new car platform increased by 6% month-on-month in January, reflecting growing consumer interest ahead of the March '26' registration plate change. The Jaecoo 7 emerged as the most popular new car across all fuel types in January, accounting for 3.8% of all new car enquiries, surpassing established models from Land Rover. Average new car discounts softened slightly, decreasing from 10.2% in December to 9.6% in January, but remained higher than the 8.8% average discount recorded in January 2025. For electric vehicles, discounts declined from 11.8% in December to 11.3% in January, with average discounts unchanged year-on-year. The most in-demand new electric car model in January was the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric, followed by the Tesla Model Y and the Skoda Elroq. AutoTrader noted that new entrants such as BYD continue to gain market share, with BYD moving up the electric rankings to second place with an 8.5% share of enquiries.
Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. AutoTrader Group plc published the original content used to generate this news brief on January 23, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.
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