Land Rover Discovery Sport tops profits for sixth consecutive month

The Land Rover Discovery Sport continues to reign supreme in the used car market, marking its sixth straight month as the most profitable vehicle, according to Dealer Auction’s Retail Margin Monitor for August.

With an average retail margin of £3,775, the Discovery Sport not only leads the pack in profitability but also remains the fastest-selling model in the top 10, averaging 27 days on the market.

Kieran TeeBoon, marketplace director at Dealer Auction, said: “The Land Rover Discovery Sport is a truly formidable offering, with consumers continuing to be drawn to the all-round experience offered by this luxury SUV.

"We’re seeing many pricing strategies being guided by these strong profit pockets, so the data for the Discovery Sport is definitely something for dealers to take note of.”

The Discovery Sport was followed closely by another Land Rover model, the Range Rover Evoque, with an average margin of £3,675, and the Volvo XC60, securing £3,075 in retail margin.

The top 10 chart is predominantly filled with premium brands, with two models each from Land Rover, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Notably, the Ford EcoSport, which made its debut in the top 10 in July, earned a respectable average margin of £2,575, taking ninth place.

In the broader brand analysis, Land Rover continued to lead, with an impressive average profit of £3,800, followed by BMW (£2,975) and Jaguar (£2,950). Volkswagen also made a notable appearance, securing eighth place with its highest-ever average margin of £2,300.

TeeBoon highlighted the importance of strategic insights in dealer decisions: “It’s clear that dealers are using data and insights to explore all avenues of profit, reflected in the strong levels of engagement we’ve seen this month. As we enter Q4 – historically a challenging quarter for the industry – these unique opportunities for profit could make all the difference for vendors.”

Richard Walker, director of data and insights at Auto Trader, added: “We’re well into the latter half of 2024 now, and despite plenty of distractions – from the election to the Olympics – the used car market has maintained its momentum.

“Demand is robust, but the market remains heavily nuanced. As we continue to see in the Retail Margin Monitor, along with our own data, there are plenty of pockets of profit potential if you take a data-based approach.”

With Q4 approaching, these insights suggest that the Discovery Sport and other premium models will continue to provide strong returns for dealers navigating the nuanced and competitive market.