Take a look at the latest new vehicle sales stats for July and you will see the normal SUV models topping the charts, with 7 of the top 10 selling models falling into this class. However, this is only part of the story, as when it comes to popularity with used car buyers it is the humble hatchback that is making waves. 

A good indicator of what is selling through used car dealers are the figures for used car imports, the source of many used cars in Ireland. After hovering at just under 6000 cars per months this year, July saw used imports smash through this barrier at 6803, meaning a total of 40,698 imports so far this year, mostly from Japan and the Far East.   

The significance to the independent aftermarket is that these cars will be ones that offer immediate potential for independent garages, so the make-up of these imports is important. 

The first thing to note is that only 4.4% of these imports are pure battery electric. 43% are petrol powered, 24% diesel and 29% some form of hybrid. This shows that used car buyers currently have a limited appetite for pure EVs. 

With regard to the type of cars being imported, an amazing 56% are classed as hatchbacks. 21% are classed as estates, 15% as saloons and only 4% as MPV. 

Several factors are at work which explains why SUVs are popular with new car buyers, but hatchbacks remain the favoured option for used car buyers. The first is that new car buyers tend to be older, with more to spend and probably more people to transport. Used car hatchback buyers will often be first time buyers, looking for a manageable vehicle on a smaller budget. This makes a hatchback the favoured option. 

Anecdotally it would also appear that a lack of affordable accommodation for students and young employees is forcing many young people to remain at home and travel further, hence the demand for small affordable cars. 

It would also seem that young buyers often prefer smaller cars for other reasons. Firstly, a generally greener attitude to travel means they see smaller cars as more sustainable, even with a petrol engine, with many younger buyers not fooled by the “green credentials” of giant electric SUVs. It also seems that many young buyers shy away from SUVs because they see them as the cars their parents drive and do not want to be associated with such designs. 

Indeed, it does appear that carmakers are increasingly waking up to the preferences of younger buyers and are now introducing more new hatchback and compact EVs, such as the Renault 5 EV, Citroen e-C3, Corsa Electric, Kia EV3 and Hyundai Inster. 

However, when it comes to hatchbacks hitting the aftermarket right now, here are the top imports to look out for: 

• VW Golf
• VW Polo
• Audi A3
• Honda Fit
• Mercedes A Class
• Nissan Note 
• Toyota Vitz