New car sales were down 9.1% for the month of October, with declines being recorded in every state and territory.

82,456 new cars were sold for the month, bringing the annual total to 893,920, the lowest total January-October figure since 2011.

SUVs are still the vehicle type of choice according to the sales results, accounting for 46.9% of all vehicles sold for the month.

The October results showed a decline for the 19^th consecutive month, the longest downturn since the Global Financial Crisis a decade ago.

Poor sales results are being attributed to waning consumer confidence and tightening lending requirements driving buyers away, according to Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries CEO Tony Weber.

“While the drought and other domestic conditions are impacting the market, our key concern is the effect over-regulation of the financial sector is having on new vehicle sales,” said Mr Weber.

“The FCAI and our members have been concerned about the risk-averse approach to lending in Australia for some time and see improved access to finance as a key to driving economic growth in 2020.”

Toyota was once again the leading manufacturer, holding a 20.6% share of the market despite a 4.6% drop in sales to 16,988. Leading the way once again for Toyota was the HiLux model, selling 3,516 units to finish as the highest selling model, while the all-new RAV4 saw a 34.8% increase in sales to finish fourth with 2,132 sales.

Hyundai, Kia and Mercedes-Benz Cars and Vans all bucked the declining trend, recording sales increases.

Hyundai finished second in the manufacturer’s rankings, selling 7,455 units for a 0.3% increase, while Kia reported strong growth, finishing fourth for the month with 5,062 sales, good for a 10.5% increase. Mercedes-Benz shot into the top 10 with 3,204 sales, up 13.4% to finish tenth.

Mazda lost ground on Hyundai in the battle for second, dropping by 22.6% to 4,811 to finish third, with Ford (fifth – down 8.8%), Mitsubishi (sixth – down 22.6%), Volkswagen (seventh – 12.7% decline), Nissan (eighth – down 5.4%) and Subaru (ninth – down 24.4%) also featuring in the top ten.

Holden (11^th) suffered their second-weakest tally in the VFACT records, suffering a decrease in sales of 41.3% to sell 3,086 units.

In the rankings for top models, the Hyundai i30 sold 2,216 units, up 8.2% to finish in third behind the HiLux and the Ford Ranger (3,160, down 10%).

The Kia Cerato was the biggest mover in the top 10, selling 1,827 units (up 36.5%) to finish in sixth.

In Hybrid news, sales of electric and plug-in hybrid cars were 273 units, excluding Tesla’s results who don’t publish figures. Hybrid cars nearly doubled their October 2018 result, recording 2,749 sales.

Highest Selling Manufacturers List – October 2019

1. Toyota – 16,988
2. Hyundai – 7,455
3. Mazda – 6,370
4. Kia – 5,062
5. Ford – 4,891
6. Mitsubishi – 4,811
7. Volkswagen – 4,220
8. Nissan – 5,011
9. Subaru – 3,303
10. Mercedes-Benz Cars and Vans – 3,204

Highest Selling Vehicle Models – October 2019

1. Toyota HiLux – 3,516
2. Ford Ranger – 3,160
3. Hyundai i30 – 2,216
4. Toyota RAV4 – 2,132
5. Toyota Corolla – 2,117
6. Kia Cerato – 1,827
7. Mazda CX-5 – 1,708
8. Hyundai Tucson – 1,693
9. Nissan X-Trail – 1,592
10. Mitsubishi ASX – 1,517

 

Original source: Caradvice | VFACTS: October 2019 sales results

7 Nov 2019