Residual values remained broadly stable across European used-car markets in April. The UK saw the largest decline in absolute residual values, down 2.3% month on month to £15,460. With the exception of Austria’s 1.8% fall to €22,623, nearly all other observed markets recorded drops under 1%. Spain was even able to record a 0.9% increase in absolute residual values compared with March.
Residual values presented as a percentage of retained list price after 36 months and 60,000km also remained stable in April. Compared with March, the UK once again saw the largest drop, from 48.4% to 47.4%. Declines in these values were more substantial compared with April 2025. Italy recorded the largest decline, down 3.8 percentage points to 44.6%.
Austria’s sales-volume index for two-to-four-year-old passenger cars continued its upward trend in April. The metric increased by 11.7% compared with March, while demand was 12.2% higher year on year. Robert Madas, regional head of valuations, said this underlined a clear improvement compared to early 2025 and confirms that market momentum has only strengthened.
Supply conditions eased slightly. The AMVI fell by 1% month on month. Nevertheless, stock levels remained 1.2% higher than a year earlier. This indicates that supply remains broadly balanced and above last year’s level despite the marginal monthly contraction. Turnover speed improved again in April. The average time needed to sell a used car declined to 66.5 days, a month-on-month improvement of two days.
Full hybrids took the lead in turnover speed at 53.1 days, marking a significant improvement compared to March. The Toyota Yaris was a major motivating factor behind this trend. Then came diesel models, needing 63 days to sell on average. This was followed by battery-electric vehicles at 67.7 days, after a significant improvement compared with March.
Pricing trends softened in April. The average absolute trade residual value of 36-month-old cars at 60,000km declined to €22,623. This was down 1.8% month on month but was still 5.4% higher than in April 2025. Full hybrids retained the highest percentage of residual value at 51.1%, followed by petrol cars at 49.6%. Then came diesel models with 46.9% and plug-in hybrids with 44.2%. Battery-electric vehicles held the lowest percentage of residual value once again, at 38.5%.
Austria’s residual value outlook remains broadly unchanged. Percentages of residual value are forecast to decline gradually over the coming years as supply normalises further. In December 2026, a 0.5% year-on-year decline is forecast. A 0.7% decrease in 2027 is expected to follow. The used-car market in France also saw stable residual values in April, maintaining the levels recorded at the end of 2025.
Values of petrol-powered models followed the general market trend. The fuel type has seen mostly stable residual values, even as other powertrains experienced larger decreases.
In Germany, used-car demand continued to improve in April, building on the recovery seen in the first quarter. The sales-volume index increased by 9.7% compared with March. However, the demand metric remained below last year’s level, with the index 5.5% lower year on year.
Related: UK new LCV market sees modest growth in May
Battery-electric vehicles were again the fastest-selling technology, taking 58.4 days to leave forecourts. Then came plug-in hybrids at 58.9 days. Diesel cars followed at 61 days, while petrol-powered cars took 66.1 days to sell. Full hybrids sold the slowest, at 67.3 days. Gradual downward pressure on percentages of residual value is still expected as supply normalises further. By the end of 2026, percentages of residual value are projected to decline by 1.6% compared with December 2025.
In Italy, used car residual values fell in April. Percentages of residual value reached 44.6%, down 0.4 percentage points compared with March. This reflected a seasonal pattern that was broadly in line with expectations. Average days-to-sell for used cars reached 55.4 days, improving by 3.4 days compared with March. However, turnover remained marginally slower than a year ago, with an increase of 1.1 days.
Spain’s new-car market continues to grow at a steady pace despite the ongoing global situation. Specifically, sales in March rose by 11.7% compared with March 2025, and year-to-date growth stands at 7.6%. Electric vehicles, covering battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, powered this growth. The powertrain grouping saw registrations increase 62.2% year on year, driven by growing interest in electrification.
Transactions of used plug-in hybrids grew by 51.3% while battery-electric vehicles saw an increase of 48.8% in the first quarter. However, electric vehicles still only accounted for 4.2% of Spain’s used-car market in the period. Ana Azofra, regional head of valuations and insights, explained that this demand is not clearly reflected in the average electric vehicle transaction price.
Following a recovery in February and March, used-car demand in Switzerland continued to improve in April. The sales-volume index rose by 3.3% month on month. Demand was 2.1% higher compared to April 2025, confirming a gradual but sustained recovery following weakness in January. Percentages of residual value continued to decline in April. The average percentage of residual value for a 36-month-old car at 60,000km dropped to 41.3%.
Full hybrids retained the most value of any powertrain in April at 46.2%. Then came petrol-powered cars at 42.6%, diesel-powered models at 40.9% and plug-in hybrids at 39.2%. Battery-electric vehicles continued to be the worst-performing powertrain, holding only 35.6% of their original list price. The April 2026 Monthly Market Dashboard showed that demand improved in the UK’s used-car market. This was even as percentages of residual value softened across most fuel types.
Month on month, the average percentage of residual value of a three-year-old car at 60,000km slipped by one percentage point to 47.4%. However, compared to 12 months earlier, it was 3.4 percentage points lower. The stability in used-car residual values across European markets in April suggests that despite some fluctuations, the market is generally holding its ground. As the market continues to evolve, it will be important to monitor how different powertrains perform and how residual values are affected by supply and demand.
European used-car markets are seeing a mix of trends, with some countries experiencing growth and others decline. The UK’s used-car market, for example, saw improved demand in April, while Italy’s used-car residual values fell. The market in Germany continued to recover, with used-car demand improving in April.