An explosion in the number of new vehicles available in the UK has improved choice for car buyers, but has also made the task of selecting a new model and pricing a used one much more of a challenge, according to Glass's Information Services.

Over the last five years there has been a 24 per cent increase in the number of vehicle model ranges.

In addition, there has been a marked increase in the number of individual models that are available within each range. In September 1997 new car customers had the choice of 3,200 models to choose from, but by September 2002 this number had escalated to more than 4,600 models, a rise of more than 46 per cent.

The main reason for this trend is that, in an increasingly competitive market, vehicle manufacturers are finding they need to maximise the opportunities for a sale from every customer enquiry.

Adrian Rushmore, managing editor at Glass's Information Services, said: "However, carmakers now need to work harder and spend more on every model launch in order to attract the attention of prospective buyers.

"As well as competition from rival manufacturers, individual models also face competition from within the marque. For example, a carmaker's hatchback, compact MPV, estate and saloon may all compete for the attention of the same buyer.

"What aggravates this problem further is the huge choice of options and trim combinations that were not available five years ago."