Oz Sets Third LV Sales Record in Four Years in 2016

Australia sets its third new-vehicle sales record in four years as 2016 deliveries rose 2% to 1,178,133 units and a pickup topped the market for the first time.

The year ended with December deliveries off 0.9% at 98,763 units.

With the Toyota HiLux’s 42,104 units topping the sales charts, it was the first time a light-commercial vehicle led the market in Australia, prompting Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries CEO Tony Weber to say the past decade has seen a remarkable change in the composition of the country’s vehicle market.

He cites the success of the HiLux, which also set a national record for sales of all-wheel-drive vehicles, and the ever-growing strength of SUV sales.

“Calendar year 2016 marks the seventh year in a row that the Australian new-car market has topped 1 million sales,” Weber says in a statement.

He predicts the growth seen in 2016 in SUVs and LCVs, particularly dual-cab utilities, will continue in 2017.

“New models with significant performance and comfort attributes, combined with the existing vehicle mix, continued to make Australia one of the most competitive new-car markets in the world,” Weber says. “It’s this level of competition, and the diversity of more than 400 models on offer, which drives value for the Australian consumer.”

SUV sales in 2016 rose 8.0% year-over-year to 441,017 units and accounted for a 37.4% market share, up from 35.4% the year before.

LCVs, up 9.4% to 217,750 units, took 18.5%, up from 17.2%.

The car segment fell 5.7% to 486,257 units for a 41.3% share, down from 44.6%.

Business deliveries increased 13% and rental sales rose 6%, but private and government purchases fell 5.8% and 1.4%, respectively.

Toyota again led the market in 2016, up 1.6% to 209,610 units for a 17.8% share, followed by Mazda (118,217) and Hyundai (101,555). Two automakers joining Toyota in ending local manufacturing trailed: GM Holden with 94,308 sales, down from 102,951 in 2015, and Ford with 81,207, up from 70,454 prior-year.

Trailing HiLux among individual models was the Toyota Corolla – the top model the previous three years – with 40,330 deliveries, followed by the Hyundai i30 (37,772), Ford Ranger (36,934) and Mazda3 (36,107).

The December market saw Toyota record 19,925 sales, double No.2 Mazda’s 9,771. GM Holden (7,725), Hyundai (7,052) and Mitsubishi (6.752) followed.

Toyota’s Camry was December’s top seller with 4,850 units, followed by HiLux (4,086), Ranger (3,367), Mazda3 (3,141) and Corolla (2,927).

It was the 20^th time in the past 26 years that Toyota has topped the Aussie market, including the past 14 years in a row. Toyota’s best annual result since 2013 marked the 12th time the brand has sold more than 200,000 vehicles in a year in the country.

During its unbroken run as market leader since 2003, Toyota has sold more than 2.9 million vehicles in Australia – more than 1 million units ahead of any other brand.

Mazda set an annual record with 2016 sales up 3.7% to 118,217 units, giving it a 10% market share for the first time, Mazda was Australia’s second most-popular automaker for the second year running, and the No.1 full-line importer for the 12th consecutive year.

Hyundai finished in third place in Australia for the first time as its 101,555 deliveries gave it an 8.6% market share. It was second in the car segment with 68,063 units for a 14% share.

Subaru set its 17^th annual sales record in the past 19 years, improving 7.8% to 47,018 units.

Its SUVs sold particularly well, with the Outback up 11.7% to a record 12,207 units and Forester, the brand’s best-seller, up 11.5% at 13,407.

Mitsubishi Australia, which halted local production in 2008, posted its best-ever Australian result as a pure importer with sales up 2.3% at 73,368 units. Record combined SUV and LCV sales of 62,868 gave Mitsubishi second place in the SUV/LCV segment.

Honda Australia notched its best December result in almost a decade to end the year up 1.8% at 40,838 units for its highest total since 2009. December sales jumped 27.4% to 4,228 units.