Britain’s fastest-selling used cars revealed with in-demand French hybrid cleaned out in days

BRITAIN’S top fastest-selling used cars have been revealed with an in-demand French hybrid leading the pack.

Research from Auto Trader has revealed which second-hand cars are flying out of dealerships and which are sat gathering dust on forecourts.

The data suggests Britons are turning to cost-effective used hybrids, with the top 10 dominated by the green fuel type.

The Peugeot 3008 is currently the fastest selling used car in the UK according to Auto Trader’s latest data based over the four weeks between March 14 and April 11.

People are so keen to get their hands on the compact crossover petrol-hybrid  SUV aged up to a year, it is taking just 12 days on average to leave forecourts.

This is a fortnight faster than the current national average.

Underpinning the big consumer appetite for hybrid vehicles, the 3008 was joined by five more hybrids in the month of April.

The data – which is based over the last four weeks – puts the Mercedes GLC coupe in second place.

And a respectable third place went to the Cupra Formentor – a strong standing for the sporty Spanish brand.

In joint fourth were the Mercedes-Benz CLA Saloon and Seat Leon PHEV.

Meanwhile, the Ford Gran Tourneo Connect, Seat Leon Estate PHEV also flew out of dealerships in joint sixth.

Making up the rest in a shared eighth position were the Ford Focus Estate diesel and the Volvo XC60 diesel.

Rounding off the top 10 was the Hyundai Tucson petrol hybrid.

The data shows that hybrids have become the fastest selling fuel group taking just 24 days to sell.

The other hybrids are: The Mercedes GLC (diesel hybrid), Mercedes CLA (petrol hybrid), Seat Leon hatchback and estate (both petrol plug-in hybrid) and the Hyundai Tucson (petrol hybrid). 

Used petrol cars are taking an average of 25 days to sell, with diesel at 28, while used electric cars are currently taking around 29 days.

Body shape-wise SUVs weren’t entirely dominating, despite manufacturers rolling them out left, right, centre.

Just four of the top 10 were this 4×4-esque body shape. 

Richard Walker, Auto Trader’s Data & Insights director, said: “The speed in which used cars are selling is a good barometer of the underlying health of the used car market, and since the start of the year, we’ve seen them leave retailers’ forecourts at a record pace.”

Auto Trader data shows that, based on this April, year-on-year consumer demand for hybrids is up a whopping 55 per cent.

Overall used car appetite is at an all-time high, with March recording the fastest used car sales pace Auto Trader has ever seen – 25 days – with April just one day slower.

After hybrid cars, petrol is the next quickest fuel type to sell (25 days), followed by diesel at 28, and electric cars are currently taking around 29 days. 

Demand for used electric cars on Auto Trader continues to far outpace that of their internal combustion engine counterparts.

With current levels up 59 per cent year-on-year compared to a more conservative growth of 7.7 per cent for petrol and a decline of -6.9 per cent for diesel. 

Unsurprisingly older used cars are taking longer to shift, with those aged between 10 to 15 years old are currently taking the longest to sell  – 32 days.