Covid, semiconductor chip shortages, the cost of living crisis, the threat of fines for failing to sell electric cars when the demand is not there: any one of these feels like a once-in-a-decade shock, yet the fact that these events have all come on top of each other has removed any semblance of normality in the UK new car market.

It’s easy to get sucked into short-term challenges, but take a step back and it’s clear the UK market itself has changed dramatically since 2019 and is now much more competitive than ever.

New research from Auto Trader reveals that the 2.31