New Zealand LVs Post Double-Digit Sales Gain in July

New Zealand’s new-vehicle sales continue to outpace market expectations, rising 11.6% in July to 11,570 units to raise the year-to-date total 6.2% to a record 80,612.

Accompanying the sales growth is a change in consumer preferences, with sales of SUVs outstripping all other light-vehicle segments.

“For July, there were 7,702 passenger and SUV vehicle registrations and 3,868 commercial-vehicle registrations, which were the highest July numbers on record for CVs,” Motor Industry Assn. CEO David Crawford says in a statement.

SUVs accounted for 34% of sales in July, cars 32% and CVs 28%. July’s best-selling models either were SUVs or CVs, with only three car models making the top 15.

The SUV segment “accounted for only 12% of the market in 2002 and 18% during the global financial crisis, but by the end of 2016 is likely to be 37% of the market,” Crawford says. That would make 2016 the first year in which SUVs outsold cars over a 12-month period.

Toyota was the overall market leader for July with 2,024 deliveries (17% market share), ahead of Ford with 1,550 (13%) and GM Holden with 980 (8%).

Toyota led the car segment with 1,321 sales, followed by Mazda (686) and GM Holden (663).

Ford regained the CV sales lead from Toyota with 972 units to Toyota’s 703, with GM Holden a distant third with 317.

Year-to-date, Ford had a slight lead in CV sales with 5,357 to Toyota’s 5,318.

The Toyota Corolla was New Zealand’s top-selling car in July with 486 units, followed by the Kia Sportage (378) and the Toyota RAV4 (326).

The Ford Ranger retained its position as the top-selling CV in July with a record 925 deliveries and was the country’s top-selling model overall. The previous record belonged to the Toyota Hilux with 847 sales in June 2014.

Year-to-date, Ranger has outsold the Hilux, 4,925 units to 3,749. But after seven months, Toyota led the overall New Zealand market with 13,607 sales, ahead of Ford (9,777), GM Holden (7,190), Mazda (6,327) and Mitsubishi (5,144).