Data from Auto Trader, the UK’s largest marketplace for used and new cars, revealed that the 2015 Kia Sportage (petrol manual) was the fastest selling used car in September, taking an average of just 15 days to turn.
It marks the second consecutive month the Korean SUV has taken the national top spot, after taking the least amount of days to sell in August (17), as well as taking the title for 2016’s overall fastest selling used car.
Last month the Sportage was followed closely into second and third place by the 2016 Ford Kuga (petrol automatic), and the 2015 Renault Captur (petrol manual), taking a respective 19 days to leave the UK’s forecourts.
From a regional perspective, it was the nippy hatchback that dominated, taking the number one spot in 10 of the 13 regions/countries tracked; East England (2016 Hyundai i10, petrol manual); London (2014 Mercedes-Benz B Class, diesel automatic); North East (2016 Honda Civic, diesel manual); North West (2014 Renault Clio, petrol manual); Scotland (2016 Fiat 500X, diesel manual); South (2015 Vauxhall Mokka, petrol manual); Wales (2016 Nissan Qashqai, diesel manual), West Midlands (2014 Vauxhall Astra, petrol manual), and Yorkshire (2012 Ford Fiesta, petrol manual).
Hitting targets will always be determined by how quickly a dealer can turn their stock around and using data is the key to speeding it up. Users of i-Control, Auto Trader‘s data management solution, took an average of just 27 days to sell a car in September, compared to a market average of 66 – 59% faster than those that don’t use the data management tool.
Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader Retailer & Consumer Products Director, said: “It’s great to see the Sportage take the number one spot once again this year, underlining just how popular its seven-year warranty is amongst consumers. Even a 2015 model still has five years remaining, offering a level of consumer confidence that many manufacturers would struggle to compete with.
“Looking at the national top ten, it’s hugely reassuring to see such an impressive speed of sale. However, looking across the UK, there are some cars taking up to 54 days to leave the forecourt. As our insight tells us time and time again, the most effective way to turn stock more quickly is using data to complement sales experience, helping dealers to make more informed decisions on pricing and choosing stock which is the most desirable in their area.”
Paul Philpott, President and Chief Executive of Kia Motors (UK) Limited said: “Once again, this is great news to hear. We know just how fast Sportage continues to sell as a new car, how its residual value makes it a great car for owners and so to see that demand for it as a used car is undimmed comes as no great surprise – and we don’t take that fact for granted!”
The UK’s Top 10 Fastest Selling Cars in September:
| Rank | Description | Average Days to Sell | Average Price Position | Average Retail Price |
| 1 | 2015 Kia Sportage SUV Petrol Manual | 15 | 99.00% | £13,779 |
| 2 | 2016 Ford Kuga SUV Petrol Automatic | 19 | 99.56% | £23,427 |
| 3 | 2015 Renault Captur Hatchback Petrol Manual | 19 | 99.52% | £9,989 |
| 4 | 2016 Hyundai i40 Saloon Diesel Automatic | 19 | 97.22% | £13,737 |
| 5 | 2014 Renault Captur Hatchback Diesel Automatic | 20 | 99.95% | £10,115 |
| 6 | 2015 Kia Rio Hatchback Petrol Manual | 21 | 99.18% | £7,849 |
| 7 | 2014 Mercedes-Benz C Class Saloon Petrol Automatic | 22 | 99.64% | £18,344 |
| 8 | 2014 Audi Q3 SUV Petrol Automatic | 22 | 99.61% | £21,810 |
| 9 | 2016 Renault Captur Hatchback Petrol Manual | 23 | 99.24% | £11,579 |
| 10 | 2015 Ford B-Max MPV Petrol Manual | 24 | 100.10% | £9,329 |
