Improved stock availability lifted used car activity in March, with retail values reaching £52.6 million on Dealer Auction’s platform.
Dealer Auction’s Retail Margin Monitor showed a 20% increase in fresh stock listings, helping generate nearly 80,000 bids and a £10m uplift in total retail value, up from £42m in February.
At model level, the data highlighted a mix of consistent performers and new entrants in the profit top 10.
The Citroën C3 topped the sub-£10,000 retail bracket for the first time, while established models including the Peugeot 3008, Ford Kuga, Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage remained strong.
The Volkswagen Tiguan entered in third place, alongside new appearances from the Honda Civic and a returning Jaguar XF saloon.
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Stock is flying
Dealer Auction marketplace director Kieran TeeBoon said: “The Jaguar XF appearing in the sub-£10,000 retail bracket is interesting and representative of the healthy mix of profit performers in March. February was characterised by a flight to safety in reliable favourites, while in March, we saw different car types, fuel types and brands appear in the top 10.
“As well as stock variety, dealers are reaping the benefits of competitive pricing.
“Stock is flying – the ‘days to sell’ metric for vehicles sold via natural auction was 2.7 days in March.”
The Nissan Qashqai was the fastest seller among the top 10 profit-makers, averaging 25 days to retail.
It was also the third-fastest seller overall on the platform, behind the Mazda6 and Mazda3. The performance follows its recent position as both the UK’s best-selling and fastest-selling used car in a single month, according to Indicata Market Watch.
At brand level, Land Rover led the sub-£10,000 category, followed by BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It also topped the over-£10,000 segment, with Jaguar taking second place for the first time in over a year.
TeeBoon added: “It’s encouraging to see buyer demand increasing, especially amid the January caution of this year’s forecast drop in five- and six-year-old trade vehicles. It’s certainly been a strong start to the year – so far!”