The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Hybrids prove the smartest of buys
NEW research from automotive data experts at hpi shows that three petrol hybrid 4x4 vehicles top the league for a smart buy. The Lexus NX, Rav4 and Kia Niro all show industryleading low levels of depreciation.
Top performer is the Lexus NX, which retains an impressive 72% of its value from new after three years and 60,000 miles, losing on average £11,611.
In second place is the Toyota Rav4 hybrid, which retains 69% of its value and loses an average of £10,341 over three years and 60,000 miles.
Relative newcomer, the Kia Niro retains 67% of its value and loses £8,677 over the same period.
Commenting on the trend Mark Bulmer, senior valuations editor at hpi said: “As more drivers seek lower emission vehicles it is clear that demand is starting to exceed supply and create some strong used values for these type of vehicles.
“As the London Ultra Low Emission Zone expands this year and regional cities firm up plans for clean air zones, we expect this trend to accelerate.”
The SMMT reported a 23% increase in sales of new petrol-electric vehicles in 2018 with 81,156 registered. The mix of battery and conventional power is the most popular of all types of electric cars.
Battery only electric vehicles accounted for 15,474 registrations in 2018.