Demand is weak, but there are hardly any discounts - the automotive industry is largely foregoing discounts at the start of the year.
The car manufacturers have not offset the increase in VAT at the turn of the year with higher discounts. The average discounts at Internet brokers have even fallen slightly by 0,3 percent compared to the previous month, as the Center of Automotive Research (CAR) has determined. Various dealer bonus programs from the previous months have not been extended either, according to the researchers. This narrows the scope for discounts in the dealership.
“January shows that despite the low order backlog, car manufacturers are starting the new year more slowly with incentives,” says institute director Ferdinand Dudenhöffer. Those who urgently need a new car are in good hands with car subscriptions. "Not only in terms of conditions, but also in terms of purchasing convenience and the fact that risks are excluded, car subscriptions are a good fit for the difficult Corona period," said Dudenhöffer. In January, his institute found numerous offers for which the subscription fees were well below the monthly costs for a cash purchase.