Kia Sportage takes the top spot for August’s fastest selling used car

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 August, taking an average of just 17 days to turn. It’s the first time this year the Korean SUV has taken the monthly top spot, but took the crown for 2016’s fastest selling used car.

Following hot on the heels of the Sportage was the 2012 Vauxhall Insignia (petrol manual) and the 2016 Ford Kuga (petrol automatic), which took 20 and 21 days to sell respectively. Perhaps the most notable addition to the national top 10, is the 2015 Renault Zoe (electric automatic), which was positioned fourth, taking 21 days to leave the forecourt. It’s the second time ever a fully electric car has made it onto the national top ten list, the first being the 2016 BMW i3 in January 2017.

August’s results also mark the third time this year that diesels have failed to make the national top 10 list. However, regionally it was an almost equal split, with diesel powered engines positioned first in seven of the 13 regions/countries tracked.

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 29 days to sell a car in August, compared to a market average of 65 – 55% faster than those that don’t use the data management tool.

Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader Retailer & Consumer Products Director, said: “The Sportage continues to offer consumers exceptional value and peace of mind, not least because of Kia’s superb seven-year warranty.

“The addition of an all-electric vehicle for the second time ever, coupled with the lack of any diesels in the national top 10, does suggest we’re seeing an important development within the UK used car market. With the ongoing negative rhetoric directed towards diesel and the continued sophistication of EV technology, I’m confident we’ll see more of this over the coming months.”

Paul Philpott, President and Chief Executive of Kia Motors (UK) Limited said: “Once again it is fantastic news to hear that Sportage is the fastest-selling used car on Autotrader! It doesn’t surprise me too much because Sportage continues to be a great performer, old or new, and we know that motorists love its blend of style, performance, packaging and value. In fact I am almost surprised Sportage lasts that long.”

The UK’s Top 10 Fastest Selling Cars in August: