It might be time for Abarth and DS to give up on the UK

This you need to know: Lexus, Kia, BYD, Omoda, Suzuki and BMW, are, in that order, the overall ‘top-ranked’ manufacturers selling cars in Britain. At the opposite end of the scale, the bottom six are Alfa, Fiat, SEAT, Abarth, Citroen and rock-bottom DS.    

Who says so? A tough, shrewd, clued-up bunch, known as franchised car dealers. Recently, in a uniquely detailed survey, they’ve been candid about everything from profit margins to product.

Some networks are deliriously happy with the brands they represent. But others seem thoroughly despondent with some aspects of the relationship.

According to the National Franchised Dealers Association survey, best for ‘total profit margins on new vehicles’ are Kia, Mercedes and Toyota. So they have the greatest flexibility to offer discounts, right? Worst/least profitable are Audi, Ford and last-placed Land Rover dealers. Now you know.

In terms of the ‘product value and pricing’ of showroom models, retailers for Omoda, Kia and Dacia seem delighted. DS, SEAT and Audi franchisees are anything but. The fact that Audi dealerships are so dissatisfied is surprising. In huge volumes, they sell a wide range of premium EV and ICE cars that are generally high priced and therefore should be blessed with healthy profit margins. So what’s the problem on the Audi frontline?

BYD, Kia, and Renault outlets are very happy with the pure-electric cars in their showrooms – not surprising given the excellent EVs all three have recently launched. But dealerships representing SEAT, Nissan and Mazda say they’re far from impressed.

Nissan’s dealer network perplexes me. It’s been selling pioneering pure EVs longer than all of its rivals. Its Mk 3 Leaf is only weeks away from showrooms. And the firm’s Government-subsidised British factory will soon be mass-producing Leaf and Juke EVs. It doesn’t get much better than this, does it? So why the doom and gloom?

It’s intriguing that BYD impresses most, and Nissan least, with the frequency of their new-model introductions. And it’s inevitable, perhaps, that Lexus is rated unbeatable at tech support and making parts available, while Citroen ranks worst in these two areas.

Also puzzling is how poorly Volkswagen Group firms such as Audi, Cupra and SEAT fare in so many rankings, when VW itself and Skoda do far better. But it’s Stellantis that should worry most. Jeep, Peugeot and Vauxhall seem happy. The other French and Italian brands are not. Time to pull long-struggling DS and Abarth from the UK, perhaps?

So now you know the happiest and grumpiest, most optimistic and pessimistic dealer networks with the best-value products, fairest warranties and highest and lowest profit margins. Armed with this knowledge, you should have a far better idea of who to shop with – and who to steer clear of – when ordering your next new car.

Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express? We’ll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too.