Used car sales rose by 30 per cent following the re-opening of showrooms according to a new report by Cazana.

The uplift in sales of nearly a third compared to the week before showrooms opened their doors on April 12th is welcome news for automotive retailers.

The report suggests that with other non-essential retailers also opening up, any bounce back might have been stifled by alternative purchases, but those fears were alleviated with the analysis by the automotive industry insights specialist.

The average price of used cars in the latest period was £13,517, an increase of 5.9 per cent.

While overall sales of used cars were up by a third, sales of petrol hybrid cars accelerated by a whopping 65.6 per cent on the previous week. This could imply that consumers who were not comfortable buying this type of vehicle online and had taken advantage of the newly reopened showrooms.

“It is encouraging to see some significant activity return to the market; often new and used car sales represent a good marker for wider consumer confidence, and that is beneficial to the whole automotive sector."

Vince Powell, Managing Director of AX Innovation at AX

“The report by Cazana seems to indicate a possible drop-off in interest in online car buying as consumers rediscover the test-drive. While buying online is a great option for many, sales staff and customers can glean a huge amount of information from a test-drive.

“This is particularly the case with extended drives, and when the test vehicle is equipped with telematics, which provides real insights, it improves the customer journey substantially.”