The Coronavirus pandemic continued to affect the Motability Scheme in April, May and June 2021, but things started to return to something approaching 'normal' as the third nationwide Covid-19 lockdown came to an end and Motability-accredited car dealership showrooms opened their doors to the public again.
During quarter 2 2021 the car industry had to deal with a global shortage of semiconductors (or ‘chips’) which had a huge impact on new vehicle production. This meant that there were shortages of some cars, and many Motability customers had to be flexible if they wanted a vehicle quickly or face a long wait for the delivery of their car.
New models added to the Motability Scheme on April 1 included the Fiat 500 Electric, the Peugeot 508 (including the 508 SW estate), the Citroen C5 Aircross PHEV, the DS7, the Mercedes-Benz A Class PHEV, the Hyundai Kona N-Line, the Volvo XC40 Recharge PHEV, the Volkswagen Passat saloon, the Volkswagen Golf estate, the Volkswagen Golf GTD and the Ford Mondeo.
Vehicles that were dropped from the Motability price guide in quarter 2 2021 included the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, the Audi A1 Citycarver. the Dacia Sandero, the Nissan X-Trail, the Renault Kadjar, the Mini Countryman PHEV, the Skoda Kodiaq, the Volkswagen Sharan MPV and diesel versions of the 8 and 9 seat Vauxhall Vivaro Life.
ALFA ROMEO – At the start of the new quarter Alfa only had the Alfa Romeo Giulietta 5 door hatch available to order, priced at £1295 Advance Payment (down from £1995 the previous quarter). Part way through the quarter Alfa decided to remove all vehicles from the scheme price list.
AUDI – In quarter 2 there were 4 Audi models to choose from on the Motability Scheme. The Audi A1 could be ordered with £150 Advance Payment (up from £0 last quarter), with the sporty Black Edition trim available from £599. Prices for the Audi A3 Sportback and Saloon all increased by £1000. The A3 Sportback started at £1699 for the Technik trim (up from £699 in quarter 1). Audi Q2 prices came down £100 on most models, with the range starting at £349. The Q2 35 TSi Black Edition was £1199. Prices for the Audi Q3 range were the same, with models priced from £1299 (or £1699 for the lowest priced automatic).
BMW - The BMW 1 Series range still started at £1499 Advance Payment this quarter, and they added 2 new diesel Sport trims to the list, increasing the number of models available 6. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe increased in price again. It was a minimum of £1999 if you wanted to order this model, up from £1799. Prices for the BMW X1 came down a little, with the entry Sport model £1999, or £2149 for the automatic version. X2 SUV models also dropped a little, starting at £1849. Unfortunately, the electric BMW i3 didn’t make it back onto the scheme this quarter.
CITROEN – The Citroen C3 Aircross range started at £0 Advance Payment for the Flair and Shine trim, and it was £295 if you wanted an automatic. The C3 Aircross Shine Plus automatic was £295 (down from £795). Advance Payment prices for the Citroen C5 Aircross SUV started at £395 for the C5 Puretech Shine or Flair, but it was a minimum of £1745 if you wanted to order an automatic version. The Plug-In hybrid version of the C5 Aircross returned, priced at a £4895. The seven seat Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer range started at £1845 (was £1995), while the larger 8 seat Space Tourer started at £4595 (down from £4895). Prices came down on the 5 and 7 seat Berlingo range, which began at £595 Advance Payment for the 5 seat Feel trim (or £895 for the 7 seat Feel XL). There was also the new C4 and electric E-C4, both of which were added towards the end of 2020. Prices for many trims came down, with the C4 Sense Plus automatic great value at £295 (down from £495). The electric e-C4 was also better value this month, with the range starting at £1295 for the e-C4 Shine Plus trim (down from £1595).
DS AUTOMOBILES – In April some DS3 Crossback models came down in price, with the DS3 1.2 PureTech Prestige £499 and the 100% electric DS3 Crossback E-TENSE Prestige trim £699. The larger DS7 was also back on the scheme, priced from £3999 for the Performance Line version.
DACIA – There was no Dacia Sandero in this quarter, but the new Dacia Duster was available, priced from £249.
FIAT – Fiat prices were competitive again in this quarter, with versions of the new 500, the larger 500L, the 500X, the Panda and Tipo all available to order with £0 Advance Payment. We thought that the Fiat 500X Sport was great value again at £0 Advance Payment. If you wanted to go 100% electric, the Fiat 500 Electric was available for the first time, priced from £495 (for the Passion trim).
FORD – On April 1 the Ford Mondeo (saloon and estate) was back on the Motability Scheme, priced from £2895 for the hybrid Titanium Edition automatic trim. The Ford Puma range started from £195 Advance Payment (down from £495) for the Titanium trim, with the automatic version £795. The sporty Puma ST-Line X 125PS was £495, down from £795. Advance Payment prices for the Ford Kuga SUV started at £1045 for the Zetec diesel trim (down from £1295). The Ford Focus range began at £95 Advance Payment, with estate versions available from £195. The Ford Focus Estate Active X Vignale Edition diesel automatic was £945, down from £1095. Prices for the large seven seat Ford Galaxy and S-Max ranges started at £2345 and £2645 respectively. The 7 seat Ford Grand Tourneo Connect could be ordered with £1095 (up from £695), while the lowest-priced Ford Tourneo Custom was £3845.
HONDA – There were some great price reductions this quarter. It was £749 for the standard Honda E (versus £999 last month and £1849 in quarter 4 2020) and £2249 for the better Advance trim. The new Honda Jazz SE automatic was still £0 Advance Payment, but the higher-spec EX came down by £200 to £599 Advance Payment. The Crosstar trim was £899, down from £1199. Honda’s CR-V hybrid range started at £1399 for the S automatic trim (down from £1999), while Honda Civic prices all increased by around £1000.
HYUNDAI – Some Hyundai i10 and i20 models could be ordered in quarter 2 with nothing to pay upfront. Prices dropped on many of the i20 trims, with the SE Connect automatic priced at £0 Advance Payment (down from £299). The Hyundai IONIQ Hybrid range started at £0 Advance Payment, with the full electric version of the IONIQ available for £499 (down by £1000 when compared to the previous quarter). The 100% electric Kona was £399, a whopping £2300 less than last month. The facelifted model was added halfway through the quarter, with the top-spec Ultimate trim available for £499. The updated Kona (with the new MHEV mild-hybrid petrol engine) started at £399, with the newly-introduced N-Line trim £1299. Prices for the new 2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV were unchanged, with the range starting at £999.
JEEP – Advance Payment prices for the Jeep Renegade range went down on many models, notably the popular Jeep Renegade Night Eagle special edition, which you could order for £195, (down from £495 the previous quarter). The automatic version was £1295, reduced from £1695. Jeep Compass prices also came down, with the Compass Night Eagle reduced from £1995 to £1295. You would have had to find almost £3000 for a Compass with an automatic gearbox.
KIA - The popular Kia Sportage SUV ‘2’ was priced at £299 (reduced by £350), with the all-wheel-drive version of the '2' £999. The Kia Niro self-charging hybrid - one of the Motability Schemes most popular vehicles last year – was available for £199, reduced from £799. The Niro PHEV plug-in hybrid was still £3049 for the ‘2’, or £3699 for the higher ‘3’ trim. The Kia Soul EV ‘First Edition’ was £1999 this month, down from £3499.
MG MOTORS - The MG HS Crossover was one of our best buys in quarter 2. The popular HS Excite trim was £0 Advance Payment, and it was just £249 for the automatic version (down by £50). The Exclusive automatic trim was £899 (down from £999). The electric MG ZS EV Excite was also £0 Advance Payment, with the better Exclusive trim £199 (reduced from £299). The all-new MG5 EV electric estate was also a little bit cheaper, with the range starting at £499 (was £599).
MAZDA – There was a drop in the Advance Payment prices for the new Mazda MX-30, with the range starting at just £299 for this impressive (if low range) electric model from the Japanese carmaker. The Sport Lux trim was £599, £1400 less than the previous quarter. The price of most Mazda CX-30 models also reduced significantly. The CX-30 range started at £299 for the SE-L trim (down from £699), and it was £499 for the higher-spec SE-L Lux. The biggest price drop though was on the Mazda CX-5 range, but the model was removed completely after a few weeks.
MERCEDES BENZ – Some Mercedes-Benz Motability prices improved in quarter 2, with the starting price for the Mercedes Benz A-Class down to £1749 (for the A180 AMG Line Executive) and the A-Class Saloon range starting at £1549 (for the A200 Sport, down from £1949). A Class plug-in hybrids were also introduced in April, priced from £5499. Mercedes-Benz GLA Advance Payment prices started at £2599 for the GLA 180 Sport automatic trim (reduced from £2899). The Mercedes-Benz CLA 180 AMG Line Premium automatic was £3499 this quarter.
MINI – The 3 door and 5 door Mini could both be ordered in the Cooper Classic trim with £0 to pay upfront. It was an extra £249 if you wanted the automatic version of either model. Pricing for Countryman SUV started at £749 for the Mini Countyman Cooper Classic. Again, it was an extra £250 for the automatic version. Prices for the all-new Mini Electric were unchanged, starting at £249 for the entry Mini Electric ‘Level 1’.
MITSUBISHI – While it was announced that there wouldn't be any more new Mitsubishi cars introduced to the UK market, some models could still be ordered this quarter, including the popular Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV plug in hybrid, priced from £899 for the Verve trim (down from £2999).
NISSAN – The Nissan Qashqai was still one of the best value SUV’s on the scheme in quarter 2, with the Qashqai Acenta Premium 1.3 DIG-T 160 automatic competitively priced at £199 Advance Payment. Availability was the issue, as vehicle stocks were low as Nissan prepared for the introduction of the all-new Qashqai in July. Nissan’s two 100% electric models – the 5 door Leaf and the E-NV200 Combi MPV - started at £0 and £4099 respectively. The Nissan X-Trail SUV was no longer available to order.
PEUGEOT - In Quarter 2 the electric Peugeot e-208 range began at £599 (down from £999), while the e-2008 range started at £999 (was £1899). The impressive e-208 GT Premium was £899, reduced from £1999 the previous quarter. Prices also came down a little on the conventionally-powered 2008 range. The Peugeot 3008 SUV range started from £549, while the larger 7 seat 5008 range began at £999 (was £1699). The 8 seat Peugeot Traveller was also better value in April, with models priced from £3399. The Rifter range could be ordered with £599 Advance Payment, with 7 seats versions available from £799. The 508 'Fastback' and SW estate were also added to the scheme price list in April.
RENAULT - The 100% electric Renault Zoe Iconic could be ordered with £0 Motability Advance Payment in April. The Renault Clio 5 door range was great value again, with the RS Line E-TECH Hybrid automatic just £195 (down from £245). The Renault Captur range started at £195, with plug-in hybrid versions priced from £2495 (for the Launch Edition). The Renault Kadjar SUV was no longer available to order.
SEAT – Advance Payment prices for the new SEAT Leon hatchback started from £0 Advance Payment in this quarter. The Leon FR Sport eTSi automatic was £349, £50 less than the last quarter. The Leon XCELLENCE eTSi automatic estate was £599. Ateca prices increased a little bit. The updated Ateca SUV range started with the SE Technology at £299 (an increase of £50), but we liked the look of the Ateca EVO FR DSG automatic at £1149. If you wanted something a bit bigger, the 7 seat SEAT Tarraco range could be ordered in quarter 2 for £1749 (for the SE trim).
SKODA - Some Skoda KAROQ SUV prices fall this quarter. The entry model - the 1.0 TSi 110 SE – was £0 Advance Payment, while the Skoda KAROQ SE Technology was £195 (£200 less than the previous month). The smaller Skoda KAMIQ range came down in price, with the KAMIQ TSi SE L DSG automatic priced at £245 (down from £595). There was also a new KAMIQ Monte Carlo special edition introduced – which benefitted from 18 inch black alloys, ‘Amundsen’ satellite navigation, virtual cockpit and a panoramic glass roof – for just £195 Advance Payment. Skoda KODIAQ models were also down in price by around £400.
SMART - Both the smart FORTWO and FORFOUR could be driven away with £0 Motability Advanced Payment. There was also a new smart FORTWO bluedawn special edition available this quarter, which came with unique BRABUS styling and a velvet blue matte finish. They could all be leased by Motability drivers under the age of 25.
SUZUKI – The Suzuki Vitara SZ4 and SZ-T Boosterjet 48v hybrid trims were both very competitively priced at £0 Advance Payment. The SZ5 trim was £499. The Suzuki Swift Hybrid SZ-5 automatic was £0 Advance Payment, while both Suzuki Swace estate trims – new additions during the previous quarter – increased in price by £300.
TOYOTA - The Toyota C-HR Hybrid range started at £495 Advance Payment in quarter 2 (up £200) for the ICON trim. Other trim levels also increased in price, many by more than £1000. The new Yaris Hybrid 5 door started at £0 Advance Payment. Toyota Corolla prices also began at £0 for the hatchback and saloon versions, while the touring sports estate models started at £245. The RAV4 range started at £2345 for the ICON trim, down from £2645.
VAUXHALL - In quarter 2 2021 the 100% electric Vauxhall Corsa-e automatic could once again be ordered with nothing to pay upfront. The new Vauxhall Mokka range started at £699 (down from £999), or £1199 if you wanted an automatic. It was £1849 if you wanted the entry version of the all electric Mokka-e, down from £2149 the previous month. Prices for the Vauxhall Grandland X range started at £499 Advance Payment for the SE Premium and SRi Nav diesel trims. It was £799 for the lowest-priced Elite Nav trim. Prices came down a little on some of the facelifted Vauxhall Crossland models, with the top-spec Ultimate Nav automatic priced at £49 Advance Payment. The Vivaro Life (with 8 or 9 seats) was no longer available with a diesel engine, but you could order the electric Vivaro-e Life with £1249 Advance Payment (down from £3999).
VOLKSWAGEN – The Volkswagen Passat saloon was back on the scheme in April, priced from £2099 for the TSi R Line trim (or £2299 for the automatic version). The Volkswagen Golf started from £199 Advance Payment for the impressive 1.5 TSi R Line, but after a few weeks this popular trim level was dropped from the price list. The Volkswagen T-Roc 1.5 TSi EVO SEL automatic at £499 and the T-Roc R Line at £999 were great value for money. The seven seat Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace was slightly better value in quarter 2 with the range starting at £1649, while the recently updated Tiguan range began at £799. In April the electric Volkswagen ID.3 was priced from £999, with a £0 Advanced Payment version added to the price guide during May.
VOLVO – The Volvo XC40 T3 R-Design went up to £2599 Advance Payment (it was £2499), while the T3 Inscription was £2699 (up from £2599). It was £300 extra if you wanted the automatic version of either model. Volvo also added new Plug-In PHEV versions of the XC40 in April. These new XC40 PHEVs – known as the XC40 Recharge – started at £2899 Motability Advance Payment.
By the end of the quarter, only the PHEV versions of the Volvo XC40 were available to order.
Here you'll find some of the printable Motability price guides that car manufacturers released at the start of quarter 2 2021.
