At a glance:
- The Land Rover Discovery hits the top spot in the sub-£10k retail chart
- The Discovery Sport led another record-breaking retail margin month for the year
- A new record reached with the total retail value of vehicles sold hitting £53.7 million
- Two hybrids break into the £10k+ retail chart
July 2026 – Dealer Auction’s Retail Margin Monitor for June has delivered some record-breaking results as the used car market heads into the second half of the year.
Land Rover made a standout return to the top of the latest rankings, with models leading both retail value categories. The Discovery Sport claimed first place in the sub-£10,000 chart and also secured second in the over-£10,000 category, while the Range Rover Sport topped the latter.
While long-time Dealer Auction Retail Market Monitor readers will remember when Land Rover regularly dominated the brand rankings, its latest success is particularly noteworthy. Since the data was split into sub-£10,000 and over-£10,000 retail value categories, the leaderboards have become far more diverse, with a wider range of manufacturers and models sharing the top positions. To see Land Rover reclaim the number one spot in both segments is therefore a significant achievement, demonstrating the enduring strength and desirability of the brand across multiple price points.
The Discovery Sport’s performance also marked the second consecutive month of record retail margins in the sub-£10,000 chart, eclipsing May’s previous high. The average retail margin of £4,000 is the highest recorded since Dealer Auction introduced separate rankings for vehicles retailing above and below £10,000.
It was also good news across the platform as a whole. June saw Dealer Auction record the highest retail value of vehicles sold (£53.7 million). The number of auctions ending and bids placed both increased during June, highlighting sustained demand. Meanwhile, the volume of fresh stock entering the platform rose again this month, providing increased availability and choice for those active buyers.
Dealer Auction’s Marketplace Director, Kieran TeeBoon, said:
“As we reach the halfway point of the year, it’s fantastic to see the momentum of the used car market, with record retail margins and growth across the board. It provides a strong foundation for the second half of the year, and it’ll be fascinating to see whether this positivity continues.”
Turning our attention back to June’s sub-£10,000 chart, SUVs once again proved their popularity, with familiar favourites such as the Nissan Qashqai and Ford Kuga making an appearance. It was also a standout month for the Vauxhall Mokka and the Mokka X, with both model variants featuring in the top 10, securing fourth and eighth positions.
In the over-£10,000 chart, the increasing diversity of the used car market was exemplified, with two mainstream hybrid models – the Toyota Yaris and Nissan Qashqai – earning places in the top 10. Their inclusion highlights the growing appeal of electrified vehicles among both dealers and consumers.
At manufacturer level, Land Rover reclaimed the number one position in the top 10 makes with models retailing under £10,000, delivering an outstanding average retail margin. Volvo and BMW completed the top three, demonstrating the continued strength of premium brands.
TeeBoon concluded:
“To reach the halfway stage of the year with margins at record levels is hugely encouraging. It’s equally positive to see greater diversity in the vehicles achieving the strongest returns, particularly with more electrified models entering the charts. As demand continues to grow, it’ll be interesting to see whether even more dealers turn to hybrid and electric vehicles to maximise profitability, and how their sourcing strategies evolve in response.”
ENDS
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About Dealer Auction
Dealer Auction is the UK’s leading digital remarketing platform. We give buyers and sellers more choice, better insight and greater margins. Dealer Auction is an independent company, created through a joint venture between Cox Automotive and Autotrader. For more information, visit www.dealerauction.co.uk.
Launched in January 2022, Dealer Auction’s Retail Margin Monitor tracks the potential retail margin that can be achieved on vehicles bought via Dealer Auction’s open network. We track models meeting two key criteria: more than 20 units sold with a retail price of less than £10,000 (we also track any standout models that retail at more than £10,000). We then compare the sold price for each model with the Autotrader market average to reveal the potential margin. For the brand table, we compare models with more than 50 units sold of models retailing at less than £10,000. We crunch the numbers at the start of every new month.
This edition analyses data from 1 to 30 June 2026.
