The Mercedes-Benz A-Class attracted more enquiries from leasing customers than any other vehicle during 2019, according to data compiled by Leasing.com.

The online comparison website has reported that both the German premium hatchback and Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) new Range Rover Evoque knocked the Volkswagen Golf off top spot as the UK’s most enquired about vehicle after five years of dominance from the big-selling VW.

It also found that the average car leasing consumer is now a 25 to 34 Londoner looking for an automatic Mercedes-Benz A-Class on a three-year lease deal with an annual 10,000 mileage allowance.

Paul Harrison, head of strategic partnerships, said: “The Volkswagen Golf has been the number one lease car for a long time, but the new car finance market is changing.

“More people across all demographics are saying goodbye to car buying and opting to lease online.

“Our rebrand, new partnerships and ongoing marketing activities are helping our advertising partners to tap into this growing and diverse consumer demand.

“At a manufacturer level, Mercedes-Benz continues to dominate but Land Rover has also had a great year with the new Range Rover Evoque.”

Leasing.com’s leasing sector market leaders in 2019 were:

1.            Mercedes-Benz

2.            Volkswagen

3.            BMW

4.            Land Rover

5.            Audi

6.            Volvo

7.            Nissan

8.            Seat

9.            Skoda

10.          Vauxhall

Leasing.com’s top 10 personal lease enquiries for 2019 were:

1.            Mercedes-Benz A-Class

2.            Range Rover Evoque

3.            Volkswagen Golf

4.            Mercedes-Benz E-Class

5.            Nissan Qashqai

6.            Mercedes-Benz C-Class

7.            Volkswagen Tiguan

8.            Mercedes-Benz GLA

9.            Seat Leon

10.          Mercedes-Benz CLA

Leasing.com’s research also found that alternatively-fuelled vehicles (AFV) continued to grow market share in the leasing sector during 2019, reaching 8.3% to outstrip growth in the overall new car market.

Fully electric vehicles (EV) outperformed hybrid models in 2019, it said, accounting for 5.6% of all enquiries, helped in part by the success of the Tesla Model 3.

Harrison said: “More consumers opting for fully electric vehicles over hybrids shows that leasing is allowing people to transition into zero emission vehicles more quickly and to trial new technology and brands, without the long-term commitment of buying.

“With a whole host of new electric models due to launch in 2020, including the all-new, Golf-sized Volkswagen ID.3, this transition is set to continue.”

The popularity of AFV leasing could be an indicator that consumers wish to test new drivetrain technology without the commitment of ownership, a theme which would play into the hands of certain new market entrants in 2020.

Polestar and Lynk&Co are among the AFV-led brands set to enter the UK market this year, with a strong emphasis on digital retail and subscription-type mobility solutions.

Leasing.com’s 2019 ranking of the UK’s cities in order of leasing popularity was as follows:

1.            London

2.            Birmingham

3.            Manchester

4.            Leeds

5.            Liverpool

6.            Glasgow

7.            Bristol

8.            Nottingham

9.            Newcastle-upon-Tyne

10.          Edinburgh