Market: Online car buying still in vogue
NEW WAY TO A NEW CAR The trend toward using the Internet is also reflected in the car market. In 2020, demand for cars was around six percent higher than in the previous year. German manufacturers are particularly popular.Corona has also infected the Swiss car market. At around 237,000 units, the number of new cars registered in 2020 was the lowest since [...]
Corona has also infected the Swiss car market. At around 237,000 units, fewer new cars were registered in 2020 than at any time since the oil crisis in the 1970s. By contrast, a contrary trend is emerging in the online car market.
Last year, 5.8 percent more people searched for cars online than in 2019, according to an analysis by online comparison service Comparis with Switzerland's largest online car marketplace.
Significant increase already in spring lockdown
Demand for cars slumped for the time being during the spring lockdown. This was followed by a steep rise: In May, 15.6 percent more people searched for cars than in the previous year.
With 28.5 percent, Comparis recorded the highest increase in user queries in June compared to the same month last year.
Automobiles have gained in popularity
Comparis mobility expert Andrea Auer: "Due to the cancellation of the spring shows and the closed sales rooms, the high demand in May and June can be classified as a kind of catch-up effect. In addition, fear of a viral infection in public transport has made the car more popular."
Five of the ten most popular car brands in 2020 come from Germany.
Škoda in fourth place for new cars
Škoda, the brand with the best-selling model in 2020 among new cars, is in eighth place in the ranking of online searches. In the statistics for new car registrations, the manufacturer can even be found ahead of Audi in fourth place. This is an indication that the brand is more popular as a new car than as a used one.
Fiat models are particularly in demand in Ticino
Fiat is in demand in the canton of Ticino. As in the past two years, the traditional Italian brand makes it into the top 5 of the car ranking. In addition, the brand has advanced northward.
Fiat is now in the top 10 in the cantons of Graubünden and Uri, which border on Ticino, and in Glarus, which is a little further north.
While Subaru was still represented in the top 10 mountain cantons in previous years, the brand has disappeared from the canton rankings. Instead, Suzuki, another Asian brand known for all-wheel drive, made it into the top 10 of the cantons of Graubünden and Valais.
