According to Autovit.ro, prices for cars that Romanians put up for sale online have risen significantly in recent years, reaching an average of €7,700 at the end of 2020 to €11,500 per ad. SUVs have a record presence, but the number of used electric cars is also on the rise. What has changed in the market? What brands and models are in high demand?

Average price growth slowed in 2023

The average price of cars posted on the Autovit.ro platform has increased by a total of 6% over the past year.

The total number of ads placed on the platform increased by 2% from January to September 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.

At the end of 2022, the average price of cars listed on Autovit.ro registered a significant upward trend. The average price was €11,198, up 3% from early 2022 and up 18% from December 2021. Used cars entered the market with higher prices in early 2022, but subsequent fluctuations were minimal throughout the year.

Compared to the end of 2020, the average car price has increased significantly by almost 50%, rising from €7,664 in December 2020 to over €11,500 in October 2023.

Cars between 5 and 10 years old experienced the largest percentage price increase. In December 2022, the average price of this category increased by 23% compared to December 2021 and by 49% compared to December 2020. In contrast, prices for cars older than 10 years remained stable with minimal changes.

Models and brands are required

The Dacia brand, together with Skoda and Toyota, recorded a significant increase in volumes and strengthened its position in the top of the most sought-after brands on the online platform.

Which models have grown a lot? Dacia Duster – 10% of the 10 most popular cars, Skoda Octavia and Dacia Logan registered the biggest increase in popularity on the Autovit.ro platform.

In the top 10 most popular used car brands, BMW is in first place with more than 400,000 unique views on Autovit..ro, followed by Volkswagen (355,050 unique views), Audi (340,005), Mercedes-Benz (324,566), Skoda (172,133), Ford (169,101), Renault (159,447), Dacia (141,270), Volvo (126,168) and Toyota (125,441).

The most viewed models are Hyundai Tucson and Suzuki Vitara in the category of new cars, BMW 3 series and Volkswagen Golf in the category of used cars.

SUVs are in the spotlight

Average prices for different car categories increased in different ways, with notable increases for convertibles, minis and station wagons, while SUVs, diesel cars and petrol cars saw slightly more moderate changes.

As for SUVs, prices rose modestly with little variation compared to other categories. This is partly due to the steady demand for this type of vehicle and the extensive production that supports sufficient supply in the market.

As in 2022, SUVs were the most popular body styles on Autovit.ro and also had the most ads on the platform – 2022 – over 67,000 ads, representing 32% of the total; The year 2023 is almost 36% of the total number of offers available on the site.

A slight increase in average prices was observed for diesel cars. “This could be influenced by increasingly stricter emission standards and the shift to petrol or electric cars, which have become more popular. Volkswagen, Audi and BMW remained the most popular diesel brands,” says Autovit.ro.

The second-hand market for all-electric cars is developing

The data shows that the share of electric cars on Autovit.ro has been steadily increasing, going from 0.9 percentage points of the total number of ads last year to 1.5% in 2023.

“One of the main reasons for this increase can be attributed to the fact that owners of older electric cars are deciding to sell their vehicles to upgrade to newer models with improved technology and range. In addition, in recent years, several government policies were implemented that subsidized the purchase of electric vehicles, which contributed to the popularization of this type of vehicle among consumers,” says Avtovita.

The share of new cars on the Autovit.ro platform is growing, reflecting the increased interest of consumers in “fresh” cars with advanced technologies, Autovit.ro representatives say. The data shows a 17% increase in new car listings, from 2.7% of total listings in 2022 to 3.1% today.

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