December 29, 2017
BMW is a driver of luxury auto sales. Image credit: BMW, pictured: BMW 3 Series
For seven consecutive years, German automaker BMW’s 3 Series has retained its title as the most-searched for model in the United Kingdom, according to Auto Trader.
Auto Trader found that the BMW 3 Series was searched for more than 40 million times on its Web site in 2017, with Volkswagen’s Golf model taking the second spot for nine years running. Auto Trader’s annual top 10 ranking reflects UK drivers’ interest in premium models, with BMW and Mercedes-Benz featuring five times on the list.
Mobility ranked
With the BMW 3 Series in first place and Volkswagen’s Golf in second, Mercedes’ C Class appears third.
The Ford Focus appears fourth with BMW’s 1 Series and 5 Series following in the fifth and sixth position. Ford Fiesta ranks seventh an Audi’s A3 comes in eight.
Taking the final two spots is Mercedes’ E Class and Vauxhall’s Astra.
Auto Trader also found that the BMW 3 Series was the most-searched for diesel automobile, followed by the Volkswagen Golf and BMW 5 Series, respectively.
As hybrids gain in popularity, Auto Trader saw more luxury automakers in the top 10. This year’s list was topped by Toyota Auris and Prius, but Mercedes-Benz E Class and C Class took the third and fifth spot, respectively.
Lexus CT 200H and the BMW 3 Series also appear on the top 10 hybrids searched on Auto Trader.
When looking specifically at electric vehicles, the most-searched or model was Nissan’s Leaf, followed by the BMW i3 in second place and Mercedes’ B Class in third.
BMW i3, an electric model. Image credit: BMW
“These results show that British car buyers are very keen on spoiling themselves, with premium manufacturers featuring very heavily in out list of most-searched for cars,” said Ivan Aistrop, road test editor at Auto Trader, in a statement.
“In fact, if you look at the list of most-searched for diesel cars, you’ll see it contains more premium products than for any other fuel type, suggesting that diesel cars are still desirable for buyers despite recent negative press coverage,” he said.
“At the same time, one look at the list of the most-searched for electric cars shows you that the market now offers some really capable an desirable choices, putting us in a great place to take the step toward an all-electric future.”
BMW, for example, sold more than 100,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in 2017 and celebrated by transforming its headquarters in Munich into batteries.
The landmark milestone comes at a time when auto brands are flocking to electric while consumers are still holding back (see story).
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