Some times of the year are more favorable than others to buy a car at a good price. As a general rule, December is usually a good month to save a considerable amount on the purchase of a new or second-hand vehicle, since it coincides with the close of the fiscal year of many dealers and automobile manufacturers, which prompts them to offer discounts. and special promotions to reach your annual sales goals.
This spring is also a good time to change your car. Data from manufacturers’ associations (Anfac), dealers (Faconauto) and sellers (Ganvam) confirm an upward trend in the market. Registrations of passenger cars and SUVs in Spain reached 92,000 units in April, 23.08% more compared to the 74,747 vehicles sold in the fourth month of 2023. Between January and April, 7.8% more vehicles have been sold than in the same period of the previous year.
The greatest increase in sales occurs in the pre-owned car segment. The acquisition of passenger cars and SUVs between one and three years old shot up by 85.6% during the month of April, according to MSI data released by the sector’s employers’ associations.
This increase in pre-owned vehicles boosted used passenger car operations by 34.7% last month, and so far this year the second-hand market has accumulated an increase of 10.7% to reach 672,866 units.
Employers attribute this growth in pre-owned operations mainly to the entry into force of community regulations, by which all new vehicles sold from July onwards must incorporate advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS).
This causes a renewal of ranges by manufacturers, which in turn generates a stock of vehicles framed in the previous regulation that distributors sell at affordable prices.
These ADAS, which have been mandatory for newly approved cars since July 2022 and for all new vehicles starting July 7, include a variety of advanced technologies designed to improve safety on the road.
Among these mandatory ADAS are the intelligent speed assistant, the reversing detector with camera or sensors, the warning system in case of drowsiness or driver distractions, the black box and an emergency braking signal.
The increase in pre-owned sales in April is significant. From the 8,931 copies sold in April 2023, this has increased to 16,575 registered last month, representing 9% of the market. In this way, used ones between one and three years old are those that have accumulated the highest percentage of growth so far this year, with an increase of 35.7% until April.
Used vehicles from rent a car were the ones that increased their sales the most last month. Specifically, they grew more than 101% in April, reaching 11,547 units. For their part, used sales from rental fleets increased by 43.6% last month and are those with the highest growth rate so far this year. In this way, they grow at a rate of 27.6% until April, with a total of 55,254 units.
