Australia Sees Best October Vehicle Sales Since 2007; New Zealand Slips 3.7%

Australia’s new-vehicle sales rose 5.3% from like-2010 to 85,196 units in October, putting the industry firmly on course to top 1 million deliveries for the year,

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries CEO Ian Chalmers says auto makers are reporting a steady increase in demand.

Adelaide-built cars accounted for 58% of GM Holden sales through October.

“So far this year, 837,324 new vehicles have been sold,” Chalmers says in a statement. “While this is 2.8% fewer than for the same period in 2010, last month’s figures are the best October sales result since 2007 and suggest a return to pre-GFC (global financial crisis) sales volumes.”

October saw new-car deliveries rise 5% to 47,536 units, SUVs up 5.4% to 19,348, light- commercial vehicles up 5.7% to 14,857 and heavy-duty vehicles up 6.4% to 2,403 units.

Through the year’s first 10 months, new-car deliveries fell 5.1% to 466,838 units, SUVs rose 0.8% to 197,587 and LCVs slipped 0.3% to 150,142.

Chalmers says relatively stable fuel prices in October combined with a perceived return of business confidence were likely contributors to the strong sales.

Toyota led the month with 17,239 sales, ahead of GM Holden with 10,209 and Hyundai with 7,507.

The Toyota Corolla was the top-selling model in October with 3,593 units, followed by the Toyota HiLux pickup truck with 3,480, Volkswagen Golf with 3,337, Mazda3 with 3,185 and Holden Commodore with 3,018.

David Buttner, Toyota sales and marketing senior executive director, says October was the third month in a row where total industry sales were higher than the corresponding month of the previous year.

“This trend augurs well for the final two months of the year and the likelihood of annual sales topping 1 million for only the fourth time,” he says in a statement.

The Holden Commodore was the best-selling model through in the first 10 months with 34,995 units. Combined with the Cruze sedan, GM Holden says its Adelaide-built models accounted for about 58% of the company’s sales through October.

The General Motors subsidiary says it achieved a 12% market share in October despite constrained availability of the Cruze and Captiva SUV, with demand outstripping supply.

Philip Brook, GM Holden sales director, says the arrival of the new ’12 Cruze hatchback and Barina sedan, which go on sale in Australia Nov. 8, will help bolster the auto maker’s lineup for the months ahead.

Hyundai saw its best-ever October sales result since the brand was introduced to Australia in 1986, finishing in third place overall with an 8.8% share. Deliveries jumped 18.1% from a year earlier.

Neighboring New Zealand’s Motor Industry Assn. says that market’s new-vehicle sales remained soft in October as buyers focused on the recently completed Rugby World Cup. Total deliveries fell 3.7% to 7,026 units, with new-car sales down 7.5% to 5,428 but commercial vehicles up 11.7% to 1,431.

“We were disappointed in the overall sales numbers, as the Japanese industry has finally got back on its feet following the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami,” MIA CEO Perry Kerr says in a statement.

“Production of (pickup trucks) now is taking a hit due to the extensive flooding in Thailand, which has closed the vast majority of parts manufacturers,” he says. This has resulted in the vehicle manufacturers ceasing production.

Toyota topped New Zealand’s new-car sales in October with 1,333 units, followed by Hyundai with 657 and GM Holden with 597.

Year-to-date, Toyota led the car segment with 8,589 deliveries, ahead of Holden with 5,379 and Hyundai with 5,289. Toyota also led overall sales with 13,626 units for a 19.24% share of the market’s 70,836 deliveries. Ford was a distant second with 7,128, followed by Holden with 6,564.

New Zealand’s top-selling model for October was the Toyota Corolla with 528 units, a number boosted by retail rental sales. The Hyundai i30 followed with 309 deliveries, ahead of the Toyota Yaris with 305.