Latest news with #carmarket
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
COE prices slide across the board in Singapore except motorcycles
SINGAPORE — Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums dropped across nearly all categories, in the latest round of bidding on Wednesday (4 June), signalling a potential cooling in the car market – but motorcycles bucked the trend with a surprise jump. Category A, covering smaller cars up to 1,600cc and 130 bhp and electric vehicles up to 110kW, saw the steepest dip, falling 5.4 per cent to $96,999 – the first time it's dipped below the $100,000 mark in recent tenders. This marks the second consecutive drop, offering some relief to budget-conscious car buyers. Category B, which is used for larger and more powerful cars, slipped 3.4 per cent to $113,000, while Open Category (Category E) COEs, which can be used for all vehicle types except for motorcycles, dropped 3.5 per cent to $113,900. Commercial vehicle COEs (Category C), which includes buses and goods vehicles, also edged down by 1.9 per cent to $62,000. But not every segment followed the same path. Motorcycle COEs (Category D) climbed 3.4 per cent to $9,000, the only category to post a gain – highlighting steady demand despite the overall downward pressure. While prices remain higher than a year ago, this across-the-board drop (barring two-wheelers) could hint at a stabilising COE market. The COE gives the owner the right to register and use a vehicle in Singapore for 10 years. It can be obtained through an online open auction conducted twice a month. Bidding exercises usually start at 12pm on the first and third Monday of the month, and last for three working days. Each bidding will end at 4pm on Wednesday, if there is no public holiday in between. The vehicle quota in each category will be announced before the start of each bidding exercise. After 10 years, when the COE expires, an owner can choose to de-register the vehicle or renew the COE. Since 1 February 2023, the number of COEs available for bidding in the corresponding vehicle category in each quarter is the rolling average of the number of vehicles deregistered over the previous four quarters. COE prices, of course, can drop – it is dependent on supply and demand. Since 2017, the Ministry of Transport has been freezing vehicle population growth for all categories except Category C for goods vehicles and buses. The current rates will be maintained until 31 January 2028. Singapore is one of the costliest places in the world to buy a car – in fact, in 2022, the Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report 2022, released by Swiss private bank Julius Baer, found Singapore cars were the most expensive globally.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Auto Trader shares fall 10% as it reveals dwindling retail sales
Auto Trader has claimed Britain's automotive market is in 'good health' with growing new and used car sales, defying another year of high interest rates and weak consumer confidence. The car selling platform said Britain's new car market grew 3 per cent over the last year, mainly driven by more sales for company fleet vehicles, but standard retail sales slipped 4 per cent year-on-year. Amid dwindling retail sales, Auto Trader shares fell 10 per cent in early trading on Thursday. It said it saw 'strong levels of demand for used cars', with 4 per cent more sales this year than last year, but supply levels remained below pre-pandemic levels. Auto Trader said used car pricing had been 'stable' over the last 12 months after declines in the previous financial year. The group said it saw a 5 per cent rise in the number of cars advertised through its platform, an average of 449,000 per month through the year. It said consumers made a record 81.6million visits to Auto Trader's platforms this year. Auto Trader's revenue came in at £601.1million for the year to 31 March, up 5 per cent compared with the previous year, while profits jumped 8 per cent to £376.8million. The growth in both markets came despite another year of high interest rates and inflation, which the company said put 'financial pressure' on customers. Auto Trader said that through much of the year, consumer demand exceeded the supply of used cars, meaning sales tended to happen faster. Nathan Coe, chief executive of Auto Trader, said: 'Despite broader macroeconomic uncertainties, the UK car market is in good health and we continue to deliver against our strategy to improve car buying and retailing'. He added that the company launched a new artificial intelligence product range called Co-Driver, which is helping to speed up searches on Auto Trader's platform. Coe said: 'The first wave of Co-Driver products has already successfully enhanced the quality of adverts, while reducing the amount of time it takes for retailers to advertise their vehicles. 'We see significant potential for the use of AI to improve the buying and selling of cars in the years ahead.' 'We remain confident in the outlook for the business given our strong market position, the value we deliver for customers, and our unique data and technology capabilities.' Having fallen 10 per cent earlier, Auto Trader shares were hovering down 9.78 per cent or 88.00p on Thursday. Mark Crouch, a market analyst for eToro, said:: 'Auto Trader has been something of a hidden gem for investors, though by now, the secret's well and truly out. 'The online car marketplace posted an 8 per cent rise in operating profit over the year, but shares stalled this morning after what many saw as an underwhelming earnings report. 'One of Auto Trader's biggest advantages, beyond its slick new AI-powered Co-Driver tools, is the sheer lack of serious competition. 'As Warren Buffett famously said, a great business has a 'moat' and Auto Trader certainly has that. With margins north of 60 per cent and a market cap ten times that of its nearest rival, makes it the clear go-to destination for online car sales in the UK. 'The UK's digital services tax has proved to be a bump in the road, however with that said, for long-term investors, it's been a smooth ride, and with the company still firing on all cylinders, today's dip may prove more of a pit stop than a sign of breakdown.' Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said: 'These numbers are middle of the road by the standards Auto Trader has set itself and the shares are being somewhat punished as a result. 'The sharp decline follows an increase of 23 per cent over the last year for the shares, as compared to a hike of 6.6 per cent for the wider FTSE 100, and continuing momentum which has seen a jump of 44 per cent over the last two years. 'Improving profits bring both higher expectations and indeed valuations and even after this latest drop, the shares are not obviously cheap on a historic basis. 'As such, the market consensus is likely to stay at a hold for the time being, albeit a strong one, as investors assess this disappointment even though the group's continued innovation and dominant UK market position bode well for prospects.'
Bloomberg
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
FTSE 100 Live: UK Stocks Poised to Join Rally After Trump Tariff Ruling
Auto Trader has given a relatively positive update, with revenue and profit growth, while it expects sales to strengthen in the second half of the financial year. Overall it sees revenue growth of 5%-7% in the 2026 financial year. Stock levels are expected to improve through the year, though still be marginally down for 2026, after an acceleration in the speed of sale impacted the second half of 2025. The car dealer said it sees overall new car registration volume growth due to a UK/US trade deal and the UK government's plan to soften the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate. CEO Nathan Coe said: 'Despite broader macroeconomic uncertainties, the UK car market is in good health and we continue to deliver against our strategy to improve car buying and retailing.'
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Half of new cars in showrooms are now SUVs as drivers are pushed into buying bigger vehicles
Britons are increasingly being pushed into larger vehicles as they now dominate manufacturer showrooms, making up more than half of all car options on sale. There are 193 different SUV and 'crossover' (conventional hatchbacks with increased ride height) variations across the 35 most popular brands sold in the UK in 2025. This is an uplift of 543 per cent compared to 2000 when just 35 SUV variants were available, a comprehensive review of the new car market has revealed. Online marketplace CarGurus also found that every mainstream maker now offers at least one SUV in their vehicle line-ups, with most (three in five) having at least five different jacked-up options. In 2000, less than half of manufacturers sold a single SUV. The three most in-demand premium German marques - Audi, BMW and Mercedes - now have 46 SUV options to pick from, as they offer far more SUV options than rival manufacturers. This SUV saturation of the market is likely to anger eco and safety campaigners who in recent months have raised major concerns about them being more polluting, overcrowding streets, being too large for parking spaces, creating potholes and increasing risk to pedestrians, cyclists and particularly children. However, the transition to electric cars is partly responsible for the growth in EV options as makers find themselves embroiled in a 'range race' to produce models that can be driven furthest between charges. Data shows the number of SUV options being added to the market has continued to accelerate over the last 12 months. Between 2024 and 2025, SUV availability grew 18 per cent. Having analysed the 35 auto makers with the highest volume of UK sales, the study found 52 per cent of model variants sold are SUV or crossover cars. And a third of all SUV models are powered by batteries and e-motors. Of the 193 different SUVs you can buy in the UK today, 64 are EVs. This is because their wider and longer chassis allows more space to fit larger battery packs, which in turn provide longer ranges between charges. And the wave of emerging brands from China is also playing a part in the SUV takeover - relative newcomers including BYD, GWM, Omoda, Jaecoo, and Leapmotor all included at least one in their launch line-up. HOW MANY SUVS MODELS DO THE POPULAR BRANDS SELL TODAY? Brand SUV models 2000-04 SUV models 2005-10 SUV models 2011-15 SUV models 2016-22 SUV models 2023 SUV models 2024 SUV models 2025 Alfa Romeo 0 0 0 2 2 2 3 Audi 0 2 5 12 15 15 18 BMW 2 6 6 15 15 15 15 Citroen 0 1 0 3 4 4 6 Cupra n/a n/a n/a 2 2 2 4 Dacia n/a 0 1 1 1 1 2 DS n/a n/a n/a 2 2 2 2 Fiat 0 0 1 1 1 2 3 Ford 1 2 3 6 4 4 7 Honda 2 3 2 2 4 4 5 Hyundai 3 4 3 4 4 4 7 Jaguar 0 0 0 3 3 3 0* Jeep 3 6 6 5 5 5 5 Kia 1 3 3 6 7 7 7 Land Rover 4 10 10 7 7 9 9 Lexus 0 4 4 9 9 5 5 Mazda 0 1 3 5 4 4 5 Mercedes-Benz 2 3 6 13 12 12 13 MG n/a n/a n/a 3 2 2 3 Mini 0 1 2 2 1 2 3 Nissan 3 9 6 5 4 4 4 Peugeot 0 2 2 5 4 6 6 Polestar n/a n/a n/a 0 1 0 2 Porsche 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 Renault 0 1 2 4 3 4 7 Seat 0 0 0 3 3 3 2 Skoda 0 1 1 5 4 5 6 KGM (SsangYong) 1 0 0 0 3 4 6 Subaru 1 0 0 0 3 3 3 Suzuki 2 3 5 3 3 3 3 Tesla n/a n/a 0 0 1 1 1 Toyota 2 7 5 4 5 5 6 Vauxhall 0 1 3 8 4 5 6 Volkswagen 1 2 2 8 8 9 9 Volvo 1 2 2 4 5 5 7 TOTAL: 30 75 85 157 157 163 193 Source: CarGurusn/a refers to brands not being available in the UK *Jaguar has ceased sales of all cars between 2024-2026 This expansion in SUV choice is being reflected in sales data as motorists are given fewer alternative options. Last year, 'multi-purpose vehicles' - including SUVs and crossovers - for the first time on record became the most popular new model type, official records show. These overtook superminis to take the crown as the most-bought vehicle segment - a reign that looks set to continue well into the future as the concentration of SUVs gets stronger. Society of Motor Manufacturer and Trader (SMMT) figures also show eight in 10 of the most-bought models in 2024 were SUV-type machines. Only the Vauxhall Corsa and Volkswagen Golf hatchbacks bucked the trend as once-popular traditional body styles saw a sharp decline. Coincidentally, SUV dominance has sparked a dramatic decline in other once-popular body styles. The number of new MPVs has fallen most - by 70 per cent in the last decade - while conventional hatchback options have decline by 46 per cent since 2015, shrinking from 100 variations to just 54 today. HOW SUVS HAVE GONE FROM TAKEN OVER THE NEW CAR MARKET BODY SYLE 2011-2015 2016-2022 2024 2025 SUV & crossover 85 149 163 193 Hatchback 100 104 67 54 Saloon 71 72 42 39 Estate 51 68 45 36 MPV 75 75 29 22 Convertible 48 45 22 14 Coupe 51 55 30 12 Source: CarGurus Chris Knapman, CarGurus editorial director, said: 'Features like the high driving position, flexible interior space, big boot, and potential off-road capability make SUVs an appealing body style to consumers, so it's no surprise that manufacturers have been racing to meet this demand with an increasingly varied supply of new models. 'This increase in appetite for SUVs has meant there's been less demand for other types of cars, with the choice of MPVs in particular having dwindled on the new car market. 'Buyers after one of these less in-demand body styles would do well to look to the used market instead, where there are still plenty of models - SUVs and otherwise - to suit all price points and needs.' Campaigners have been calling for an SUV cull SUVs are controversial. Mike Hawes, the SMMT's chief executive, says there are more on sale today because manufacturers have been 'responding to consumer demand' for motors with increased 'practicality, comfort and a good view of the road'. However, campaigners have been advocating for their demise for a variety of concerns. A report by the International Energy Agency last year claimed large, heavy passenger vehicles were responsible for 'over 20 per cent of the growth in global energy-related CO2 emissions' in 2023. 'If SUVs were a country, they would be the world's fifth largest emitter of CO2,' it stated. '[They] weigh 200-300kg more than an average medium-sized car, and typically take up nearly 0.3 m2 more space – emitting roughly 20 per cent more carbon dioxide. 'The trend towards heavier and less fuel-efficient cars increases energy demand, including oil and electricity use, as well as demand for basic metals and critical minerals needed for battery production. 'Over the course of 2022 and 2023, global oil consumption directly related to SUVs rose by a total of over 600,000 barrels per day, accounting for more than a quarter of the overall annual growth in oil demand,' it said. A report by the International Energy Agency last year calculated that if SUVs were a country, they would be the world's fifth largest emitter of carbon dioxide behind China, USA, India and Russia As well as lambasting examples with combustion engines, which are heavier and more polluting, Greenpeace argue EV variants consume significant resources in relation to their size. Because they command larger batteries packs, this further increases the demand for critical minerals, putting even more pressure on the planet. Other green transport groups, namely Transport & Environment, has criticised mega SUVs like Range Rovers being oversized that they're now too big for city streets and kerbside parking spaces, and are 'forcing cyclists off the road'. Councils and car park operators have responded to their increasing dimensions too, adding size restrictions for vehicles using their locations, with some banned from using some local car parks. In Paris, the mayor has trebled parking charges for SUVs in an effort to force them out of the French capital. SUVs might be popular but local authorities across the UK are considering implementing additional parking charges and bans on models deemed too large for bays and too polluting for urban areas... Wide load: Transport & Environment says the wider cars are not only unable to park in on-street bays, they are leaving less room for other road users Their bulkier weight is also being linked to the rise in potholes across the country, with think tank Clean Cities claiming that a two-ton off-road vehicle cause 16 times more road damage than a one-ton hatchback. Greenpeace UK's senior transport campaigner, told This is Money: 'SUVs create bigger potholes and bigger safety risks, given they take up more room on the road.' Most recently, a university study suggested they are far more deadly than traditional body styles. Analysis by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Imperial College London published last month said that the likelihood of death is 44 per cent higher if vulnerable road users are hit by 4X4-style vehicles over standard cars. And this figure rises to 82 per cent for children, the report warned. Researchers gathered data from more than 680,000 road collisions over the past 35 years - a period of time that coincides with the dramatic increase in popularity of SUV-type vehicles.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Is diesel dead? We reveal which used examples are rocketing in value
By Britons are finding it increasingly difficult to buy new diesel cars as the industry sounds the death knell on the 'dirty' fuel type. Motorists are 'running out of options' as manufacturers continue to delete diesel engines from ranges, seeing availability tumble to record lows. Market analysis shows almost half of mainstream brands have killed off diesel powertrain availability already. This is reflected in registration data, which shows that just one in every 18 new cars bought this year (to the end of April) are diesels - a 13 per cent decline on the first five months of 2024 as supply dwindles. But the used car market presents a different perspective on the level of demand for diesel as drivers continue to see their advantages, especially long-distance fuel economy. The biggest second-hand car stockist in Britain says the average value of diesels have grown 1.6 per cent in the last 12 months - more than any other fuel type. We reveal the ones that are appreciating most in value... A severe lack of new diesel options The choice of new diesel cars has shrunk by 68 per cent in less than a decade , analysis by second-hand marketplace Car Gurus revealed last year. Its review of the mainstream car market found just 65 diesel options across the 30 most popular manufacturers. That's scarce availability compared to a decade ago; in 2015, there were 202 different diesel models on sale in UK showrooms when around half of new car registrations were diesels. And some major names have culled diesel engines completely. Vauxhall, which had eight different new cars in 2015 with the choice of a diesel engine now has zero. Toyota has also gone from a selection of seven diesel models to none in the same period, and Volvo (eight diesel variants available in 2015), Hyundai (seven), Fiat (seven), Nissan (six) and Honda (four) have also followed suit. Mini too has killed off its 'D' variants. Ford has also gone from 13 different diesel options in 2015 to just two presently, while Peugeot has downgraded from 11 models to only a couple. Kia and Renault, which a decade ago offered a broad selection of diesels, are down to only one in their ranges today. The rapidly diminishing choice of new diesel cars partly explains why diesel registrations have fallen off a cliff edge. Winding the clocks back to 2014, official figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows 1.24million diesel cars were sold, accounting for more than half (50.1 per cent) of all new passenger vehicle registrations that calendar year. Back then, they were heavily incentivised by the Government's emissions-based car taxation (Vehicle Excise Duty) system that rewarded the lower CO2 emissions of diesel cars cheaper annual VED costs for owners. However, everything changed in 2015 when the emissions cheating scandal was unearthed, sparking an environmental agenda against 'dirty diesels'. Hiked VED rates for diesels followed, along with the introduction of low emission zones, such as London's ULEZ, which have much tougher compliancy rules for diesel cars than petrols, making them far less attractive to people living and commuting into cities. Pressure has also mounted on manufacturers to down tools on diesel development, with governments around the world setting dates to outlaw the availability of internal combustion engine cars between 2030 and 2035. As a result, diesel registrations in the UK have nosedived. Last year, just 123,104 were sold - a tenth of the volume entering the road a decade earlier - which was a 14 per cent decline on 2023 sales. Used diesel market paints a vastly different picture A monumental decline in new car registrations isn't mirrored on the used market. Of the 7.6million second-hand transactions recorded last year, almost 2.7million were diesel - that represents a third (35 per cent) of all used cars to change hands in 2024. A year earlier, 2.75million pre-owned diesels found new keepers, which was representative of 38 per cent of the 7.2million second-hand models bought and sold throughout 2023. With over 2.7million drivers still happy to snap up a used diesel, it suggests there's plenty of appetite amongst Britons. And Auto Trader data - shares exclusively with This is Money - supports this theory. The nation's largest second-hand car marketplace revealed to us that the average price of a used car in April was £16,948 - a 0.1 per cent decline on the same month a year earlier. However, the value of used diesels rose 1.6 per cent over the same period to an April average price of £14,383. That's almost equivalent to the average second-hand petrol car price (£14,912), which has grown just 0.5 per cent year-on-year. In contrast, the average price of a used electric vehicle slipped 7.6 per cent over the 12-month period, and plug-in hybrids dropped by 3.4 per cent. Average sale times also show the there's plenty of diesel demand. Used examples were snapped up on average in 27 days (two days faster than April 2024), which is on par with petrols (26 days) and faster than EVs (30 days). The used diesel that sold quickest last month was the Dacia Duster (five to 10-year-old examples). Buyers on average bought one just 18 days after it was first advertised by the vendor, Auto Trader says. Marc Palmer, head of strategy and insights at Auto Trader said there's 'no sign on the diesel death rattle just yet'. He told us: 'There remains a segment of the market that still value diesel cars, particularly among those drivers who regularly drive long distances. 'It's a shrinking segment none the less as choice becomes ever more limited as manufacturers prioritise low emission vehicles. 'Anyone hoping for a significant fall in diesel prices, however, will be disappointment. 'As brands continue to move away from producing brand-new models, the second-hand market will be squeezed further, which as we're already seeing on our platform, will help keep prices stable.' The second-hand diesel cars going UP in value To understand what direction second-hand diesel demand is going in, which contracted the help of Cap Hpi, which specialises in tracking used car values by monitoring trade sale prices. It told us the average price of a three-year-old used diesel with 30,000 miles on the clock has fallen by just 0.6 per cent between 2024 and 2025. To put that into perspective the same age group of petrol cars is down 0.3 per cent, while EVs have dipped by 10 per cent. Chris Plumb, head of current car valuations told us: 'The performance of diesel vehicles remains strong in the used market, primarily driven by the continued decline in the availability of both new and used diesel models.' Cap Hpi's details which specific three-year-old diesels have seen the largest inflation in price over the last 12 months. The biggest mover is the Audi A8 (2017-current) executive saloon. While a three-year-old example would have cost £31,941 in April 2024, last month the average value of a 36-month-old diesel A8 was £34,944 - a £2,904, or 9 per cent, increase. And it's not just luxury models that are in high demand. The previous-generation Honda HR-V SUV (2019-2021) has also seen a 9 per cent spike, while BMW X3s of the same era (2017-2025) with diesel powertrains have risen by 8 per cent. Three-year-old Audi Q2 (2016-2022) diesels are up 7 per cent, too, meaning buyers are having to pay £1,221 more for one today than they would have done 12 months ago. 'While the industry is shifting toward electrification, there remains consumer demand for diesel vehicles, as they continue to offer attractive fuel efficiency, stronger torque for towing, and a longer driving range compared to petrol - making them a practical choice for long-distance and high-mileage drivers,' Chris said.
