SUV prices fall, with further reductions expected in 2006

New Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) have become more affordable over the past year, according to EurotaxGlass’s. The latest Glass’s New Car Market Trends report indicates that, while list prices across the UK’s new car market as a whole have increased by 1.4 per cent year-on-year to the end of November, those for SUVs have headed in the opposite direction, falling by 0.2 per cent.

EurotaxGlass’s says SUV prices are likely to fall at an even faster rate in 2006 due to a marked increase in competition within the sector and the launch of more affordable models from volume and budget marques.

"There will be at least 25 new SUVs arriving next year – far more than in any other market segment," comments Alan Cole, Editor for Glass’s Market Intelligence Service. "With many of these vehicles expected to compete with affordable hatchbacks and saloon cars, the net effect will be to bring the price of the average SUV down further still."

Headline figures

The list price of the average new car rose by 1.4 per cent year-on-year to the end of November 2005, equivalent to a rise worth £193.

The segment that saw the greatest price increases over this period was the large executive sector (BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, etc), with an average list price rise of 3.4 per cent, or £964. The greatest falls were in the supermini segment (Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, etc), with list price reductions worth 1.3 per cent, or £122, on the average car.

There were other list price increases beyond the 1.4 per cent market average in the following segments:

Lower-medium (Renault Megane, Vauxhall Astra, etc): up 3.2 per cent
Upper-medium (Ford Mondeo, Toyota Avensis, etc): up 2.9 per cent

Additional below average rises in list prices were found in the following segments:

Large MPVs (Renault Espace, Volkswagen Sharan, etc): up 1.2 per cent
Compact executive (Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3 Series, etc): up 0.6 per cent
Compact MPV (VW Touran, Citroen Picasso, etc): up 0.2 per cent
The biggest list price changes

A realignment of list prices and changes in specification by Audi puts its A6 model at the top and bottom of the price change league table last month. The single largest list price rise in November was for the Audi A6 2.0T FSI S Line Saloon, which increased by £1,320 to £27,600. The greatest list price fall was for the Audi A6 3.0TDI quattro SE Saloon, which had a reduction of £835 to £30,825.