New car buyers are more inclined to seek shorter lease deals, with enquiries for 18-month lease lengths with a one-month initial payment up 190% year-on-year in March.

Volvo topped the list for the most popular choice on this type of lease deal, with prices starting at £500 a month for its V60 model. However, leasing enquiries for 18-month lease deals with one month upfront on Volvos cost between £300 and £400 a month.

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This is according to new figures from Leasing.com, which attributes the new trend to ongoing Brexit and general new car market uncertainty.

Paul Harrison, head of strategic partnerships at Leasing.com, said: “As uncertainty takes a bite out of consumer confidence, it appears more and more people are favouring shorter term contracts with no large initial payment.

“These are likely to be consumers coming out of existing finance deals who wants or need a new car, but do not want to commit to large initial payments or lengthy contracts in a very uncertain market. There is a clear demand for short-term flexibility, but ultimately the monthly price for this flexibility has to be right for consumer budgets.”

The Mercedes A-class remained the most popular car to lease in March, with four other Mercedes models appearing in the top 10.

 

Top 10 personal lease enquiries for March

  1. Mercedes-Benz A-Class
  2. Volkswagen Golf
  3. Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  4. Volkswagen Tiguan
  5. Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  6. Seat Leon
  7. Nissan Qashqai
  8. Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
  9. Volvo S90
  10. Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

 

Top 10 personal lease enquiries for year-to-date 2019:

  1. Mercedes-Benz A-Class
  2. Volkswagen Golf
  3. Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  4. Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  5. Volkswagen Tiguan
  6. Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
  7. Seat Leon
  8. Volvo S90
  9. Nissan Qashqai
  10. Audi A5

 

Top 10 manufacturer enquiries for year-to-date 2019:

  1. Mercedes-Benz
  2. Volkswagen
  3. Volvo
  4. Audi
  5. BMW
  6. Land Rover
  7. Seat
  8. Nissan
  9. Jaguar
  10. Ford