AS MANY as a third of would-be car buyers in the UK are planning to purchase a smaller model, according to a survey published today.
A total of 36 per cent of these consumers cited fuel efficiency as the most important consideration when buying a new vehicle, according to the survey from price comparison company uSwitch.com.
The company also calculated that the 2p a litre government fuel duty increase, starting next week, will mean UK drivers spending more than €41 million more on petrol and diesel during September.
The 2p rise will also result in every motorist spending around €33.11 more in the next year, with drivers forking out an extra €1.32 for every tank of petrol.
The survey also noted that prices at the pump had risen 15.6 per cent in the last six months, with the prospect of an extra 3p a litre being added due to rising oil.
Mark Monteiro, of uSwitch.com, said: “As Chancellor Alistair Darling comes under increasing pressure to scrap next week’s fuel duty increase, the outlook for drivers remains bleak. With petrol prices rocketing 15.6 per cent in just six months adding recessionary insult to injury, it is unsurprising that consumers are finding themselves financially squeezed.
“It is not surprising that, for drivers looking to buy a new or second-hand vehicle, size increasingly matters. Getting from A to B is more about MPG (miles per gallon) than ever before and . . . drivers are right to think about the total running costs of a vehicle before making a final decision on the forecourt,” he said.