5th May 2026
Car market shrugs off Iran turmoil - Autotrader SMMT reaction
Ian Plummer, Chief Customer Officer at Autotrader, the UK’s largest automotive marketplace, commented:
“Despite a backdrop of geopolitical instability, UK car buying positivity continued apace in April with the UK's new car market seeing a massive year-on-year increase, and an April monthly performance that is the nearest we’ve been to pre-pandemic highs. While this year-on-year growth is in part driven by comparison with last years' changes to VED rates and Expensive Car Supplement, with new car enquiries surging by 43% on Autotrader, it looks increasingly as if the higher levels of competition from new brands entering the market, a continued surge of exciting new launches - as well as enhanced consumer offers - are driving car buyers back into showrooms in ever bigger numbers.
“As well as a strong month for electric sales, April also marked two consecutive months of average new EV pricing sitting below petrol, ending the month with a £455 price gap – up from £296 in March.