Toyota has reinforced its position as the most popular brand in Australia, with the Hilux ute coming out on top in the latest new car sales figures released by the Federal  Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI). Selling a total of 4,444, the HiLux has reclaimed its title of top selling vehicle, followed closely by last month’s best seller, the Ford Ranger (4,217).

In a promising month for the Australian new car industry, 81,220 vehicles were recorded as sold, a decline of just 1.5 per cent compared to 2019, when 82,456 vehicles were sold. After a slow couple of months, these figures offer hope of an impending recovery for the industry.

This result brings the total number of new vehicles from January to October to 726,111, an 18.8 percent decrease from the same period last year, when 893,920 sales were recorded.

Toyota, Mazda and Hyundai held their positions as Australia’s top three selling brands for the month, with Ford overtaking Kia for fourth place.

Toyota led the market by a comfortable margin with 19,505 sales, an increase of 14.8 per cent on October 2020. Four of the top five brands experienced sales increases, Hyundai being hit with a 20.2 percent decline compared to last year.

“After a very challenging year, we are seeing green-shoots in the Australian new vehicle market,” said Tony Weber, chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

Despite being the weakest October result in the last 10 years, it is the third best monthly result this year so far.

Australia is showing signs of resuming normality as restrictions ease with every state and territory except Victoria and Tasmania experiencing a significant growth in sales. Victorian dealers have reported strong optimism for the industry once restrictions ease.

The market experienced a rise in demand for electric vehicles (incl. hybrid, plug in hybrid and pure electric), with sales for the month doubling that experienced in 2019.

Utes, SUV’s and four-wheel drives continue to grow in popularity, with dealers claiming it is as a result of buyers planning holidays locally due to international travel restrictions, with the top five models sold a clear reflection of the changing consumer tastes.

Top 5 models sold, October 2020:

1. Toyota Hi-Lux – 4,444 (up 26.4 percent compared to October 2019).
2. Ford Ranger – 4,217 (up 33.4 percent)
3. Toyota RAV4 – 4,084 (up 91.6 percent)
4. Toyota Landcruiser – 2,429 (up 15.6 percent)
5. Toyota Prado – 2,207 (up 45.9 percent)

Top 5 brands, October 2020:

1. Toyota – 19,505 sales (up 14.8 percent).
2. Mazda – 7,457 sales (up 17.1 percent).
3. Hyundai – 5,951 sales (down 20.2 percent).
4. Ford – 5,744 sales (up 17.4 percent).
5. Kia – 5,304 sales (up 4.8 percent).

Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

5 November 2020