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More car buyers are looking to purchase a new SUV or 4×4 than six months ago despite rising fuel costs, according to Motoring.co.uk.
The website looked at what consumers searched for in March compared to six months before and found searches for new MPVs have risen nearly 5 per cent, those for new 4x4s by by 12 per cent and for new green cars by 30 per cent.
Chris Green, co-founder and sales director of Motoring.co.uk , said: “You might expect to see a large drop in demand for 4x4s and SUVs on the back of high fuel prices, but both vehicle segments are experiencing heightened popularity.
“This may be due to fact that many 4×4 manufacturers have put in smaller, more fuel efficient engines into their new models. And of course, we can’t ignore the impact of severe winter weather conditions over the last three years.”
Green said demand for green cars is on the increase, partly due to the improvement of reliability and performance. Vehicles like the Toyota Prius have gone a long way to prove that hybrids are a viable alternative to conventional vehicles.
Demand for green vehicles, he said, is set to grow in the future and they will take a much bigger share of the market over the next five years.