Motorists must wait longer than ever for new cars to be built, with only one popular model now available to buy new from a physical dealership and receive in time for Christmas.
BuyaCar.co.uk researchers investigated ‘lead times’ – how long it takes between ordering a new car and receiving it – for a number of popular models and discovered that only the Kia Sportage can now be bought before Christmas.
Most popular models are now taking from two to three months, sometimes longer, to be built and delivered.
One of the reasons for long lead times is slower car production in the UK, which manufacturers have blamed on global and domestic economic uncertainty, with 14.4% fewer cars built so far this year according to official figures.
In October alone 10% fewer cars were built for the UK market, continuing a trend that has gone on for nearly two years. It means car makers and their traditional dealer networks are unable to hold large amounts of stock, forcing consumers to wait.
Christofer Lloyd, editor of BuyaCar.co.uk, said: “Few things highlight the difference for consumers between using an online car sales marketplace and the traditional dealer than contrasting the number of car shopping days left before Christmas between the two.
“With so much continued uncertainty affecting the new car market we don’t envisage things changing anytime soon and all the signs are that 2020 will see internet car shopping moving a step closer to being the ‘normal’ way people buy cars.”