Overview
Hatchbacks reclaimed prominence in Dealer Auction’s January used-car profitability rankings, with the petrol Renault Clio taking the top spot in the sub-£10,000 bracket for the first time. Compact models disrupted both price tiers, while SUVs continued to post strong results.
Sub-£10,000 highlights
- Renault Clio (petrol) ranked No. 1 for the first time in this bracket.
- Other hatchbacks in the top 10: BMW 1 Series (diesel) in 3rd and Peugeot 208 (petrol) in 9th.
- “Best Buy” metric: MG ZS named top pick; Nissan Leaf flagged as one to watch.
- Brand leaders by make: BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo featured prominently, indicating strong margins for older or higher-mileage premium-badged cars under £10,000.
Over-£10,000 highlights
- Hatchbacks took 40% of model share, aided by new entries from Vauxhall Corsa and Hyundai i10/i20.
- SUVs remained strong: Peugeot 2008 placed 4th, reinforcing its profitability momentum.
- Land Rover Discovery Sport led the tier with the strongest average margin at £3,990; Hyundai Tucson and Volkswagen Tiguan also ranked highly.
Cross-segment performers and speed-to-sale
- Nissan Qashqai sustained strong profit performance across both brackets and averaged 26 days to sell, supporting both turnover and margin retention.
What it means for dealers
- Market dynamics are shifting quickly; last year’s winners aren’t guaranteed this year.
- Compact cars are offering fresh margin opportunities, especially below £10,000.
- Maintain a balanced stock mix: profitable SUVs and crossovers still underpin gross margins.
- Prioritize speed to sale and leverage real-time data to navigate tight stock conditions—particularly important for independents focused on second- and third-owner vehicles.
Notes and caveats
- The summary did not include the full ranking table.
- Dealer Auction did not disclose the methodology behind its “Best Buy” metric.
- Comparable days-to-sell figures beyond the Qashqai’s 26-day average were not provided.
