Monthly Market Update: Which used cars are selling quickly across Europe?

03 February 2026

In Europe, new-car list prices continued to rise as consumer price indices (CPIs) stuck close to record levels. As affordability pressures increase, used-car demand could grow in 2026. Against this backdrop, which models are already selling quickly this year? Tom Hooker, Autovista24 journalist, investigates.

Major European automotive markets entered 2026 following elevated CPI results in 2025. In December, the EU was 12 basis points (one basis point equals 0.01%) off a record high, Trading Economics reports.

The UK’s Office for National Statistics saw its CPI index continue to climb compared with 2015. Switzerland stood out as an exception, with inflation remaining stable year-on-year in December, according to Trading Economics.

Meanwhile, new-car list prices continued to climb compared to 12 months ago across all observed markets. Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the UK all recorded year-on-year increases in January. Spain saw the biggest new-car list price increase with 8.9%, followed by Austria at 8.4%.

At the same time, major used-car markets have recorded growing sales volumes. As new-car prices and CPIs climb upwards, the used-car market may present a more affordable option for consumers. With this in mind, what used models are already selling quickly this year?

Fastest-selling used cars in 2026

Across observed markets in January, the fastest-selling two-to-four-year-old used car was seen in Austria. The Audi Q3 took an average of just 27.7 days to leave forecourts. However, the average was recorded across just 15 units in the month.

In the UK, the Tesla Model Y led the fastest-sellers chart. It posted an average turnover rate of 29.6 days from 458 units. The battery-electric vehicle (BEV) placed ahead of the MG ZS, which was the country’s fastest-selling used petrol car.

The Tesla Model Y was also Switzerland’s fastest-selling two-to-four-year-old used car, taking 34.4 days to change hands. Yet, this was based on a much lower sales total of 25 units.

In Italy, the Dacia Sandero topped the chart, shifting 229 units in an average of 33.3 days. It was also the country’s fastest-selling compressed natural gas (CNG) model. Its sibling, the Dacia Duster, secured second place overall while leading the diesel chart.

Toyota Yaris’ speedy turnover

Roughly half a day separated the top two fastest-selling models in France during January. The Toyota Yaris led the leaderboard, moving 1,360 units in an average of 38 days. The Hyundai Tucson trailed with a much smaller transaction total of 288 units, recording a turnaround rate of 38.6 days.

Volvo’s XC40 was the fastest-selling model in Germany. The SUV took 39.6 days to leave dealer forecourts, with 242 sales recorded. Close behind was the Mercedes-Benz EQA with a 40.2-day turnover rate on average.

In Spain, Toyota took four of the five fastest-selling model positions. The Corolla led the pack, moving 63 units in an average of 42.3 days. The C-HR came second, while the Yaris took third. This meant that out of all observed markets, the hatchback appeared in the top five fastest sellers table in three different countries.

The only non-Toyota in Spain’s fastest-sellers list was the Peugeot 5008 in fourth. The model also topped the standalone diesel standings. Fifth went to the Toyota Yaris Cross.

Seasonal effects in Austria

‘Austria’s sales-volume index (SVI) for two-to-four-year-old passenger cars weakened sharply in January due to seasonal effects. Compared to December, the SVI dropped by 28.7%, reflecting a pronounced seasonal slowdown at the start of the year,’ outlined Robert Madas, regional head of valuations.

‘Yet, the index declined only by 5.5% year on year. This underlined that demand was just a bit softer than a year ago, despite some stabilisation in prices,’ he commented.

The active-market volume index (AMVI) also eased slightly month on month, falling by 1.2% compared to December. However, supply was 1.1% higher year on year. This indicated that stock levels remain relatively well balanced and slightly above last year’s level.

The average time needed to sell a used car increased further in January, rising to 69.6 days. This represented an increase of around one day compared to December and a nearly three-day deterioration year on year. Compared to the beginning of 2025, this signalled slower turnover and weaker buyer activity.

Among powertrains, full hybrids (HEVs) took the lead in turnover speed, taking an average of 62.7 days to sell. This was followed by diesel-powered cars, which took an average of 63.2 days to sell. Then came petrol-powered models at 69.6 days and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) at 71.8 days.

BEVs showed significantly worse turnover speed compared to the previous month and one year prior. The technology continued to take the longest time to sell at 89.8 days.

Short-term price support

The residual value (RV) of 36-month-old cars at 60,000km, expressed as a percentage of original list price (%RV), was 47.8% in January.

‘This marked a 0.5 percentage-point (pp) increase compared to December. However, it also equated to a 0.4pp decline year on year. This suggests short-term price support despite a structurally softer market,’ highlighted Madas.

In absolute terms, the absolute trade RV rose to €22,742.9. This was up 2.5% month on month and 7.4% higher than a year earlier. The increase was partly driven by higher list prices, which climbed to an average of €47,573. This was up 8.4% year on year.

HEVs retained the highest trade value at 50.2%, followed by petrol cars at 49.9%. Then came diesel models with 48.6% and PHEVs with 45.4%. BEVs held the lowest %RV once again, at 38.6%. However, this was a slight improvement of 0.1pp month on month.

Looking ahead, %RVs are expected to decline slightly in the next few years. In December 2026, a 0.7% decline compared to December 2025 is forecasted. A 0.6% decrease is expected to follow in 2027.

Declining residual values in France

%RVs decreased slightly in France during January, while list prices remained stable. Overall, used-car volumes are always lower in January than in December, with the former being a historically quiet month.

Compared to December 2025, all powertrains took longer to sell on average. This was except for BEVs, which already took 90 days on average.

Petrol-powered cars followed the general trend of the month, while the RVs of diesel-powered vehicles were slightly less impacted. Used diesel models are still in demand in France as the volume of new internal-combustion engine (ICE) cars shrinks.

‘HEV %RVs decreased year-on-year. This marked a departure from the recent trend over the last few months, where the technology held value relatively well. This is also linked to the increasing number of HEV models offered in France. Most of these new entrants are from mainstream brands,’ said Ludovic Percier, senior RV analyst for France.

‘These cars do not hold RVs as well as Toyota’s HEVs, with the carmaker being the pioneer of this technology. In fact, three of the top five fastest-selling HEVs came from Toyota,’ he noted.

Overall, used HEVs are in demand in France, but carmakers cannot risk adding big price premiums to these models. This would jeopardise the powertrain’s RVs.

Are used PHEVs struggling?

PHEVs saw some worse results, with used-car buyers not accepting the powertrain’s higher prices. As a result, stock days increased compared to last year, reaching 71.2 days on average.

‘Many brands have seen list prices increase, as some PHEVs now feature longer ranges. In turn, this has impacted all PHEVs, with vehicles offering an electric-only range of below 60km most affected. PHEV demand and supply remain unbalanced. In previous years, many vehicles were sold to fleets on the back of fiscal advantages,’ said Percier.

‘However, private used-car buyers have no interest in paying such a high price for the technology. Year on year, the powertrain saw the SVI fall by 10%. Smaller and cheaper PHEVs in the C-SUV segment were the easiest to sell,’ he highlighted.

At 35.4%, BEVs retained the lowest percentage of their original list price after 36 months and 60,000km. Fleet users have seen high tax rate increases for all vehicles except for BEVs. These models only experienced a very slight increase, provided that they met France’s environmental score criteria.

This is helping keep the technology’s new-car volumes stable compared to last year, when social leasing was supporting volumes. This scheme will increase BEV volumes on the used car market in the future.

Reinforced fiscal BEV advantages for fleets will also help to push registrations forward. Overall, the new and used BEV markets continue to be crowded.

Conversely, ICE-powered models have faced heavier penalties and declining registrations since the beginning of 2025 in the new-car market.

Alongside increasing all-electric volumes, these two trends will likely accelerate the flow of BEVs into an already oversupplied used-car market. Social leasing will only exacerbate this situation when it is reintroduced.

Germany’s weakening used car demand

Following a solid end to 2025, used-car demand in Germany weakened noticeably in January. This reflected a seasonal slowdown at the start of the year. The SVI fell sharply to 71.6, down 28.4% month on month. Yet, on a year-on-year basis, demand only declined by 1%.

‘In contrast, supply conditions continued to improve, with the AMVI rising by 2% month on month. Compared to January last year, the AMVI surged by 18.8%. This confirmed a sustained recovery in used-car stock availability, particularly within the core age brackets,’ stated Madas.

The average number of days needed to sell a used car increased to 61.7 days in January. This marked around a one-day rise month on month and an increase of two days year on year. Benchmarked against the end of 2025, this signalled a slight slowdown in market liquidity.

Tesla and Volvo’s fast-selling BEVs

The average turnover speed of BEVs decreased slightly month on month. However, the technology was again the fastest-selling of any powertrain, taking just 55.3 days to leave forecourts. This was driven in part by bestsellers like the Tesla Model Y and the Volvo XC40.

Then came PHEVs at 56.1 days. Diesel-powered cars followed at 61.9 days, while HEVs took 63.6 days to sell. Petrol-powered cars sold the slowest, at 64.7 days. 

Elsewhere, RVs came under renewed pressure. %RVs declined to 46.9% on average, down 1.2pp month on month and 0.8pp year on year. However, in absolute terms, trade RVs increased marginally to €21,617.6, supported by rising list prices. This translated to a 0.2% rise month on month and a 2.3% uptick year on year.

Petrol-powered cars led the market with a %RV of 48.3%, closely followed by diesel-powered models at 48.2%. HEVs were also not far behind, holding an average %RV of 47.9%. Meanwhile, PHEVs were a bit further back at 44%. BEV values decreased slightly and again retained the lowest %RVs at 36.8%.

‘Looking ahead, RVs are expected to remain under pressure, in line with previous forecasts. By the end of 2026, %RVs are projected to decline by 1.4% compared with December 2025 levels. Pressure is predicted to ease somewhat in 2027, with a smaller decline of 0.7% expected,’ forecasted Madas.

Italy’s continued residual value drops

In January, the dashboard displayed an increase in some metrics compared to December. Despite this, 2026 clearly carried on an RV trend observed at the end of 2025.

‘The rise recorded in January is a recurring pattern in the Italian market. This should be interpreted mainly as a seasonal effect. For an accurate reading, it is essential to compare RVs with those of last January,’ outlined Marco Pasquetti, cluster head of forecasting for Spain and Italy.

%RVs declined by 4pp year-on-year, corresponding to absolute values falling by €1,405 year on year.

At this stage, the market moved exactly as expected, following a trajectory of progressive RV declines that are expected to continue throughout 2026. Current forecasts for the end of the year point to a decrease of around 5.2%. This trend is likely to persist into 2027 before stabilising by 2028.

‘January’s %RV decline was broadly uniform across all powertrains. This was except for HEVs and PHEVs, which both showed a more pronounced contraction of 5.2pp. In contrast, LPG‑powered vehicles displayed remarkable stability, with a very modest reduction of just 0.6pp,’ noted Pasquetti.

BEVs continue to retain the lowest %RV of all powertrains. After three years and 60,000km, the powertrain retained only 29.5% of its original list price. This confirmed that the technology remains the most affected by current market dynamics.

Used cars show strength in Spain

Even in a month when operations tend to slow down, Spain started 2026 showing the same strength observed throughout 2025.

After intense activity at the end of 2025, promotional pressure eased in January as prices continued to rise. This was especially true for diesel-powered models, which saw absolute RVs increase by 1.9% compared to December and 9.7% year on year. Overall, used-car demand remains high.

HEVs were the only powertrain to not experience an increase in absolute trade RVs during January. Compared to December, this metric dropped by 0.5%.

Used hybrids in high demand

‘However, this effect is more closely linked to changes in the data basket. It should not be seen as a genuine deterioration of HEVs in the used-car market. Instead, the decline was more of a representation of new brands and models entering the mix with weaker RV performance,’ explained Ana Azofra, head of valuations and insights for Spain.

‘In fact, HEVs remained the most in-demand technology in Spain, with a positive RV outlook in the years ahead. The powertrain’s average turnover rate was just under 55 days in January, around 19 days faster than the market average,’ she stated.

Moreover, the average HEV selling pace was almost half the time it takes to sell a BEV. The all-electric technology experienced slightly higher sales and RV pressure at the start of the year.

In line with current trends, three Toyota models topped the January ranking for the fastest turnover performance. This was the Toyota Corolla, the Toyota C-HR and the Toyota Yaris.

Switzerland’s seasonal slowdown

After a lacklustre finish to 2025, used-car demand in Switzerland weakened further in January. The SVI fell sharply by 33.3% month on month, reflecting a pronounced seasonal slowdown at the start of the year.

Compared to January 2025, the SVI was 5.4% lower. This confirmed that demand remained under pressure despite some stabilisation seen late last year.

In contrast, the AMVI improved in January. Supply increased by 4.6% compared to December, while the AMVI rose by 6.1% year on year. This indicated that stock availability improved notably and was clearly above last year’s level.

‘Meanwhile, %RVs showed a modest recovery month on month. The average %RV of 36-month-old cars at 60,000km stood at 42.5%. This was up 0.1pp compared to December,’ said Madas.

‘However, compared to January 2025, %RVs were 3.4pp lower, underlining the ongoing depreciation pressure in the Swiss used car market,’ he commented.

Weaker used car pricing power

In absolute terms, trade RVs increased to CHF 26,736, rising by 1.4% month on month. Year on year, however, values were 1.1% lower, reflecting weaker pricing power despite higher list prices.

HEVs retained the most value of any powertrain in November by far at 47.1%. Then came petrol-powered cars at 44%, diesel-powered models at 42.3% and PHEVs at 40.2%. BEVs continued to be the worst-performing powertrain. Despite a slight month-on-month recovery, the powertrain retained 36.2% of its original list price.

The average number of days to sell a used car improved slightly in January. At 76.7 days, turnaround times shortened by around one day compared to December and improved significantly by nearly five days year on year.

BEVs continued to improve and sold fastest at 69.8 days, driven by bestsellers like the Polestar 2 and Tesla Model Y. This was followed by petrol-powered models at 74.9 days and HEVs at 75 days. Then came PHEVs, which took 81.8 days to leave forecourts, followed by diesel-powered models at 84.2 days.

Looking ahead, %RVs are forecast to decrease further in the coming years, but at a slower pace. By the end of 2026, %RVs are expected to fall by 1.3% compared to December 2025. A further 0.4% drop is anticipated in 2027.

UK’s deceptive residual value result

‘The average three-year-old car in the UK retained 49.9% of its original cost-new price in January 2026. This represented a slight month-on-month uplift of 0.4pp,’ highlighted Jayson Whittington, regional head of valuations for the UK.

‘However, this was the result of a new plate effect. A like-for-like comparison with January 2025 shows that values have declined by 2.8pp,’ he explained.

All powertrains recorded modest increases over December. This was except for PHEVs, which saw a marginal decline of 0.2pp. Petrol-powered cars and HEVs both rose by 0.4pp, as values of diesel-powered vehicles increased by 1pp. Meanwhile, BEVs led the market with a notable 1.9-point improvement.

Retail dynamics in January’s dashboard reflected typical seasonal trends. The average number of days it took dealers to sell a used car increased by nearly five days compared with December’s dashboard.

‘This is not unusual, as the 30 days measured in this report cover the festive period, where demand usually slows. However, a comparison with a year earlier shows that cars were sold around three days faster,’ stated Whittington.

Used car sales volumes slip

Sales volumes also slowed, with 10.7% fewer used cars sold. Diesel demand dropped by 8.1% while petrol-powered cars suffered a 11.2% fall. PHEVs saw the SVI decline by 12.6% and HEVs by 18.5%. BEVs were the only powertrain to record growth, albeit marginally, rising by 0.2%.

‘Overall, used-car supply is not expected to exceed demand throughout 2026. Consequently, RVs should remain broadly stable. A slight decline in average RVs of around 1% is forecast in December 2026 compared to 12 months prior,’ projected Whittington.

‘Meanwhile, BEVs continue to differ from the general market. Undoubtedly, used BEVs are increasing in popularity. They continue to be the fastest-selling powertrain, and quite clearly, dealers are feeling more comfortable stocking them,’ he commented.

Compared to twelve months ago, the AMVI rose by 38.8%. However, BEV RVs are expected to fall slightly more than other powertrains. By the end of 2026, a year-on-year drop of 2% is forecasted.