Three Audi variants proved to be the fastest selling cars on Auto Trader in April. Figures from the country’s leading digital automotive marketplace revealed a clean sweep for the German car maker, however regionally the data painted a very different picture.
In four regions, the 2012 Nissan Qashqai topped the list of speedy sellers, with both diesel and petrol variants performing well. However this strong regional performance was not quite good enough to elevate either car into the national top ten.
“The April data continues to demonstrate the importance of pricing to the live retail market to optimise speed of sale,” commented Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader Trade Solutions Director. “On average cars in the top ten were 99% aligned to their optimal price position, based on our comprehensive retail price intelligence.
“But the regional figures also underline the need to adopt a local view to demand and sourcing strategy based on regional desirability. The 2012 Citroen DS3, for example, may have been the fastest selling car in Yorkshire, but it only appeared in 178th place nationally.”
Auto Trader will publish monthly figures for the top ten fastest selling cars on a monthly basis from now on.
Top ten fastest selling cars (national) – April
| Model | Variant | Days to sell | Price position | Average retail price | |
| 1 | Audi Q7 | 2013 Audi Q7 SUV Diesel Automatic | 22 | 99.01% | £37,004 |
| 2 | Audi A4 Avant | 2013 Audi A4 Avant Estate Diesel Manual | 23 | 98.98% | £20,823 |
| 3 | Audi Q5 | 2012 Audi Q5 SUV Diesel Manual | 23 | 97.72% | £22,976 |
| 4 | Mercedes-Benz SLK |
2013 Mercedes-Benz SLK Convertible Diesel Automatic | 24 | 98.02% | £22,951 |
| 5 | Nissan Note | 2012 Nissan Note Hatchback Petrol Automatic | 24 | 97.90% | £7,623 |
| 6 | Toyota AYGO | 2012 Toyota AYGO Hatchback Petrol Semi-Automatic | 24 | 99.95% | £6,354 |
| 7 | BMW 1 Series | 2012 BMW 1 Series Hatchback Petrol Automatic | 24 | 100.99% | £16,945 |
| 8 | Ford Focus | 2013 Ford Focus Estate Petrol Manual | 24 | 97.77% | £14,477 |
| 9 | Volkswagen Polo | 2012 Volkswagen Polo Hatchback Petrol Automatic | 24 | 99.49% | £9,699 |
| 10 | Mercedes-Benz B Class | 2012 Mercedes-Benz B Class Hatchback Diesel Manual | 24 | 98.94% | £14,446 |
Fastest selling car in each region – April
| Region | Variant | Days to sell | Price position | Average retail price |
| East of England | 2012 Nissan Qashqai Hatchback Diesel Manual | 25 | 98.99% | £12,552 |
| East Midlands | 2012 Vauxhall Astra Hatchback Diesel Manual | 24 | 98.50% | £9,533 |
| London | 2012 Ford Focus Hatchback Petrol Manual | 16 | 94.87% | £8,895 |
| North East | 2007 Vauxhall Corsa Hatchback Petrol Manual | 17 | 95.90% | £3,437 |
| North West | 2012 Peugeot 208 Hatchback Petrol Manual | 18 | 97.68% | £7,465 |
| Northern Ireland | 2014 Seat Leon Hatchback Diesel Manual | 37 | 105.13% | £13,115 |
| Scotland | 2012 Nissan Qashqai Hatchback Diesel Manual | 15 | 96.64% | £11,735 |
| South | 2012 BMW 1 Series Hatchback Diesel Manual | 22 | 103.03% | £13,886 |
| South East | 2014 Mercedes-Benz A Class Hatchback Diesel Automatic |
23 | 97.80% | £21,522 |
| South West | 2012 Nissan Qashqai Hatchback Diesel Manual | 24 | 101.42% | £12,593 |
| Wales | 2014 Ford Fiesta Hatchback Petrol Manual | 30 | 95.95% | £10,354 |
| West Mids | 2012 Nissan Qashqai Hatchback Petrol Manual | 15 | 99.81% | £11,860 |
| Yorkshire | 2012 Citroen DS3 Hatchback Petrol Manual | 18 | 96.89% | £8,900 |
