Oz Market Continues Torrid Pace

The Australian new-vehicle market continues to roar, with July sales up 7% to 86,641 units and year-to-date deliveries 9.9% ahead of like-2011 to 634,495.

Aussies’ preferred new wheels are increasingly small, sporty and diesel, data indicates.

Growth in deliveries of small SUVs rapidly is outpacing larger models, VFACTS data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries shows.

While sales of SUVs in all categories have grown 31.9% year-on-year, to 177,100 units, volume in the small SUV segment has surged 61.6%, to 35,794 units.

FCAI says SUV growth is being driven by private and non-private customers, both of whom are beginning to favor diesel-powered models. Private purchases of diesel SUVs climbed 59.9% through the first seven months, while non-private sales gained 36.3%.

SUVs now make up 27.9% of new-vehicle sales year to date, compared with 23.3% a year earlier.

Passenger vehicles still represent 51.9% of new vehicle demand and are up 1.9% year-to-date at 329,472 units.

Light-commercial vehicle sales rose 6.8% through the first seven months to 110,900 units.

New-car deliveries fell 5.1% in July to 43,354 units, while light CVs soared 25.6% to 16,903 and SUVs jumped 23% to 23,845.

The Toyota HiLux led July sales with 4,163 units, ahead of the Mazda3 (3,355), Toyota Corolla (2,985), Holden Commodore (2,399) and Nissan Navara (2,164).

Toyota was the best-performing brand in July, delivering 17,780 units, outpacing second-ranked GM Holden (8,936) and third-place Mazda (7,951) combined.

In fact, Toyota’s sales rate of 580 units a day so far this year, is close to double that of any other brand. Volume has been buoyed by a continued resurgence in arrivals of the HiLux, up 24% to 4,163 units, as the auto maker puts the Japan earthquake and Thailand flood disasters behind it.

Continued strong performances from Toyota's cars and SUVs – particularly the Corolla, Camry, Yaris, RAV4, Prado, Kluger and LandCruiser – have lifted total light-vehicle sales 26.2% this year to 123,815 units.

Toyota Australia Sales and Marketing Executive Director Matthew Callachor says the excitement of vehicles such as the new 86 sports car (Scion FR-S in U.S.) are helping to revitalize the Toyota brand.

“In the past five months alone, we have introduced three models that are totally new to our line-up – (the) 86, Prius C and Prius V,” Callachor says in a statement. “We have also revitalized our entire range of locally produced cars – Camry, Camry Hybrid and Aurion, as well as the popular Yaris.

“These launches, as well as Toyota's quicker-than-expected recovery from last year’s natural disasters, have underpinned the growth in sales this year.”

Mazda Australia boosted deliveries 14% to a July record 7,951 units and says it remains on target for another record-breaking year, with 7-month sales up 18.3% to 60,084 units.

Hyundai finished in fourth position in July, with deliveries up 5.3% to 7,607 units. It was No.2 in car sales in the month, with 5,707 units and a market share of 13.2%.

Nissan Australia had its third record sales month in a row on a volume of 6,148 units in July, up 18% from prior-year.

Ford is in fifth place in sales year-to-date at 50,333 units, with Nissan (46,034 units) breathing down its neck.