If you’ve tried to buy a new car in recent times you will know that supply issues mean you might not get it until the end of the year, or even 2023.
The ongoing shortage of semiconductors has caused significant disruptions for car makers, with BMW announcing just a week ago that it had been forced to suspend production at the Mini factory in Oxford due to the lack of chip supplies.
Some brands are now quoting up to a year waiting times on some of the most in-demand models – but does that means you can’t negotiate a discount on a new motor now that the new ’22’ plate has arrived in March?
Motorists can negotiate savings up to almost 16 per cent for particular vehicles, according to What Car?…
Deals on wheels: The new cars you can negotiate big discounts on in March as the new 22-plate arrives – but you might have to wait weeks – or months – for them to arrive…
The website uses mystery shoppers to contact dealers to find out which models they’re willing to discount most in March, which is one of the biggest months for car showrooms.
It, along with September, sees the arrival of a new number plate and with it – traditionally – lots of deals to tempt motorists into dealerships.
However, a drip-feed of new models means sales staff are far less likely to be offering big savings on new models while their order books are bursting at the seams.
The ongoing semiconductor shortage has not only impacted lead times for delivery but also vehicle specification levels, with some manufacturers removing features to lessen the demand for chips.
It means buyers need to be aware of what they’re buying, if they are tempted to place a factory build slot this month.
And there are some franchised dealers that will still offer significant savings on certain new models.
| Make Model | Trim | OTR | % Cash Saving | Target Price Cash Saving | Price with discount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep Renegade | 1.0 T3 GSE Limited 5dr | £26,310 | 15.9% | £3,963 | £22,347 |
| Nissan Micra | 1.0 IG-T 92 N-Sport 5dr | £18,905 | 13.0% | £2,434 | £16,471 |
| Peugeot 508 Fastback | 1.5 BlueHDi Allure Premium 5dr EAT8 | £33,100 | 12.5% | £4,014 | £29,086 |
| Peugeot 3008 | 1.6 Hybrid4 300 Allure Premium 5dr e-EAT8 | £43,045 | 11.8% | £4,963 | £38,082 |
| Renault Captur | 1.3 TCE 140 R.S.Line 5dr | £26,290 | 11.7% | £2,981 | £23,309 |
| Renault Clio | 1.0 TCe 90 Iconic 5dr | £18,690 | 11.5% | £2,093 | £16,597 |
| Seat Tarraco | 1.5 TSI EVO SE 5dr | £30,785 | 10.1% | £3,056 | £27,729 |
| Citroen C4 | 1.2 PureTech [130] Sense Plus 5dr Auto | £25,290 | 9.8% | £2,365 | £22,925 |
| Suzuki Vitara | 1.4 Boosterjet 48V Hybrid SZ-T 5dr | £23,749 | 9.7% | £2,231 | £21,518 |
| Nissan Leaf | 110kW Acenta 40kWh 5dr Auto [6.6kw Charger] | £28,495 | 9.0% | £2,564 | £25,931 |
| BMW 5 Series | 530e xDrive M Sport 4dr Auto | £55,370 | 8.7% | £4,723 | £50,647 |
| MINI Clubman | 1.5 Cooper Exclusive 6dr | £27,105 | 7.1% | £1,855 | £25,250 |
| Source: What Car? | |||||
What Car? says you can get up to 16% off a Jeep Renegade at the moment, which can translate to a cash saving of almost £4,000
Nissan’s Micra has always been popular among Britons. Order one in March and you can get a discount of 13%
Steve Huntingford, What Car?’s editor, said: ‘The semiconductor shortage means manufacturers have less incentive to discount new models for the March plate change, but as our research shows there’s still some fantastic offers available on new factory order vehicles.
‘With lead times exceeding several months in some instances, it’s important buyers prepare themselves for a longer than usual wait for their vehicles as the shortage is affecting nearly every manufacturer.’
The average new car discount across all makes is four per cent, which is down from seven per cent this time last year.
It means the average cash saving for Britons is £1,666.
A hybrid Peugeot 3008 SUV that usually costs £43,045 can be reduced to £38,082 with an 11.8% discount at the moment
Like the Nissan Micra, Britons love the Renault Clio. This month, dealers will knock a tenth off the OTR price
Across all brands, Renault dealers have been found to offer the highest savings, with average cash discounts of 9.1 per cent, followed by Suzuki (8.4 per cent) and Jeep (8 per cent).
Premium brand BMW is among the top 10 brands offering the best cash deals ahead of the March-plate change.
Diesel models come with the highest average discounts at 4.4 per cent, followed by plug-in hybrid models at 4.4 per cent and hybrids (4.3 per cent).
Petrol models come with an average cash discount of 4.2 per cent, while fully electric models are discounted by just 2.1 per cent.
The biggest deals can be negotiated with Jeep dealers for their Renegade SUV.
What Car? says it can guarantee buyers a saving of 15.9 per cent, which translates to a £3,963 discount, reducing £26,310 on the road (OTR) price for a 1.0-litre petrol model to £22,347.
Nissan dealers will shave 13 per cent off the OTR price of a Micra supermini, while Peugeot’s 508 Fastback and 3008 SUV – both family models – can be had with 12.5 per cent and 11.8 per cent discounts respectively.
The fully electric Nissan Leaf is also among the top 10 best discounted models, with Nissan dealers offering 9 per cent off, equating to £2,564 saving.
If you want a large, roomy and stylish SUV, the Seat Tarraco is a good option. Even more so with a 10% discount
Even electric models are being discounted – the Nissan Leaf is subject to 9% discounts
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