Strong start to 2023 for Bradys of Arva

TRENDS One in three new vehicles sold now electric

2023 has started on a positive note for Bradys of Arva, Volkswagen dealers, according to Martin in the sales department.

“We’ve had a good start to 2023 with both cars and commercials. There’s good demand for the new ‘231’ Volkswagen range, whether it’s petrol, diesel or electric.

“The ID 4, ID 5 and the ID 3 are all doing very well for us. So are other models such the Tiguan, T Roc, and the Arteon.”

Electric vehicles are an increasingly important part of Bradys’ business, according to Martin. “We have seen a big shift towards electric vehicles over last few years. The market has been probably doubling year on year for the last number of years. Five years ago, it made up a very small portion of our sales.

“Last year like our electric car business was 35% of our business and it probably would have been a bit more if we have had more supply and but it was still very strong,” he revealed.

In the last couple of years, Volkswagen has been one of the manufacturers leading the way with electric cars and they have been the best selling electric car brand in Ireland.”

This is largely due to improved technology meaning that electric vehicles are more appealing to customers.

“They’re coming out with quite a long range. Now we’re seeing cars that are able to produce 350-400 kilometres of range on a single charge. People feel more comfortable with them. The price of fuel has also really pushed people towards electric vehicles,” Martin finds.

Finance

Customers are also available to purchase vehicles using finance.

“We have a very strong finance offer with Volkswagen Financial Services,” according to Martin.

Supply issues due to the war in Ukraine have improved in recent months, meaning most vehicles are becoming available faster.

“There is an improvement in supply compared to last year. More vehicles are coming through in a better time frame. We can see improvement in availability across the board on most models,” he said.

A new version of the Amarok, a favourite among Volkswagen customers, will be available later this year, which Martin says he is looking forward to.

“We’re looking forward to the new Amarok that will be here with us later this year. It is always a very popular model. We haven’t had it for the last number years but it’s back with the new model.

“It has always had a loyal customer base and it’s good to have it back,” said Martin.