The first ten days of 2015 have hit record levels on all key metrics of traffic, page views and dealer leads, according to Motors.co.uk research.

Key search data from Motors.co.uk reports increased buying intent across all brands, with page views 2.5 times greater across the first ten days, year-on-year. However, page views for premium brands, such as BMW, Mercedes Benz, Audi, Jaguar and Land Rover have more than trebled.

The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has also upgraded its economic forecast for the UK from 2.7% to 2.8% - a seven year high.

Managing director of Motors.co.uk Andy Coulthurst said: “We can always count on a sharp step up from Boxing Day onward, however the shift we are currently observing is more pronounced than usual and tracking at higher levels compared to the start of any month in 2014, pointing to what could be a record month for dealers.

“We believe a combination of an improving economy and the lower cost of fuel is bolstering the market. Additionally, our dealers will be benefitting from our unique market position which ensures maximum visibility of our dealers’ stock across multiple sites at every stage of the digital car buying journey.”

Commercial director at Motors.co.uk Phill Jones said: “Motors.co.uk currently lists 5,671 Mercedes Benz vehicles under three years old for sale – which is 20% more than Autotrader and over five times the offering from the Mercedes Benz UK site.

“Consumers realise that it’s not possible to research the market in one place. The old days of setting the weekend aside to go shopping for cars is long gone and the modern consumer now completes the majority of their research online, with multiple classified, OEM and dealer websites replacing dealer forecourts.

“Modern dealers realise it’s critical for their stock to be exposed across the widest selection of these new ‘digital forecourts’ as possible, and we aim to make this easy for dealers as we continue to extend the Motors.co.uk network.”