2024 Trends: SUVs Dominate, Electric Cars Gain Momentum

Auto Trader has released information relating to automotive trends that have emerged throughout 2024. As Auto Trader averages over 82 million visits and 203 million advert views per month, the team had a huge amount of data at their disposal to spot patterns in consumer behaviour.

SUVs Overtake Hatchbacks

SUVs were the most popular body type, with 708 million views on the platform. Last year’s most popular, the hatchback, couldn’t retain its title as SUVs powered past. On the other end of the scale, hearses were the least viewed category, with just 1,091 views.

Electric Vehicles Surge in Popularity

The electric vehicle (EV) market continued to grow, with the Hyundai IONIQ 5 being the most viewed new electric car, generating 536,000 views. Following closely behind were the Kia EV9 and Porsche Taycan, with over 500,000 and 462,000 views respectively. Meanwhile, the Tesla Model 3 was the fastest-selling used EV, typically selling within just 19 days.

“Peak Petrol” Declared

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class was crowned the fastest-selling petrol model, selling in an average of 17 days. However, as drivers transition to electric vehicles, the UK has reached “peak petrol,” with 18.7 million petrol cars still in circulation. However, this is now expected to decline.

Black Leads Colour Preferences

Black cars remained the most sought-after colour for the fourth consecutive year, with over 600 million views. Grey and white followed, attracting 467 million and 362 million views, respectively. Notably, green-coloured cars saw a 24% spike in interest in June 2024, influenced by the popularity of Charli XCX’s “Brat” album, which brought the vibrant “brat green” into the spotlight.

Top Cars and Quirky Listings

The Volkswagen Golf was the most popular used car with 64 million views, while the Land Rover Range Rover led in the new car category with nearly 2.2 million views. Unique listings on the platform included a 1969 Volkswagen Beach Buggy from the TV show The Bugaloos, priced at just under £20,000.

Fiestas and Defenders in the Limelight

Despite production ending, the Ford Fiesta remained the most advertised car, with 106,000 listings. Interest in the Land Rover Defender increased by 39%, partly due to its appearance in the BBC series The Traitors.

BYD Rides the Euro 2024 Wave

Chinese EV manufacturer BYD saw a massive 69% weekly increase in advert views during the Euro 2024 tournament, thanks to its partnership and advertising presence during the matches.

Record-breaking Prices and Bargains

On the luxury end of things, a Pagani Huayra was listed for £3 million, making it the most expensive car on Auto Trader in 2024. A 2009/2010 Vauxhall Astra was the cheapest, listed for just £75. Other models also saw pricing shifts, with the Peugeot 308 Sport rising by 73%, while the Honda Civic Executive saw a 53% price drop.

Celebrity Spotlight

The personal Honda NSX of the late F1 legend Ayrton Senna sold for £500,000, giving one lucky buyer a genuine piece of motorsport history.

It will be interesting to see what trends emerge as we head into 2025!