WE’RE STILL SUCKING DIESEL...
SALES of electric cars might be going through the roof this year, but it is from a very low base – and despite another strong trend, the move to petrol/electric hybrids, a majority would still opt to buy diesel cars.
That’s the main finding in a survey commissioned by SEAT to mark the launch of its new Tarraco seven-seat SUV. Half of respondents said they would opt for diesel, with just 32% saying they would favour the traditional petrol engine, and the rest opting for other powertrains.
Perhaps driven by the rise in popularity of personal contract plans (PCPs), which let you either make a balloon payment at the end of a three-year finance package, or take a new car, most said they would like to change their cars every three years.
Three-quarters said they understood all the finance options open to them, which is heartening, as another downturn might leave some unable to make the PCP repayments.
The most important factor in the decision about which car to purchase was space, with many saying they made the decision to change to bigger cars as their families grew. That was not without creating another problem, namely how to keep children not only safe, but also entertained on long journeys. The Tarraco, which costs from €34,700, has a five-star rating from the European New Car Assessment programme (EuroNCAP), with a child safety rating of 84%, which is at the high end of the scale for cars tested. Over half those questioned lived in two-car households, and a large 86% said they used their cars every day, whether on the work commute, the school run or just on short local journeys.
Their biggest concerns were insurance premiums, fuel costs and motor tax, the latter of which also explains the fondness for lower-emission diesel models that attract lower rates of tax.
Neil Dalton, head of marketing and product at SEAT Ireland welcomed the results, saying: ‘There is still a huge appetite for diesel models among Irish motorists but, not surprisingly, Irish motorists are also starting to consider hybrid and electric models. This is good news for us here at SEAT because this is the direction the brand will take in the very near future.’