New car sales have suffered their first drop for 2023 in March, with sales dipping slightly by 3.9 per cent on the back of ongoing constraints.

In data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), 97,251 vehicles were sold for the month, led once again by the Toyota Hilux, which recorded 4,583 sales to be crowned the month’s leading model.

“March was a solid month for new car sales given the supply constraints car makers are facing both domestically and internationally,” said FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber.

“Year to date sales have increased 2.5 per cent, which is a better indicator of the underlying strength of the market.”

Proving just how big an impact these supply constraints have made, Toyota, the leading brand for the month, recorded a 39.4 per cent decrease in sales, while Mazda, in second place, fell 26.7 per cent. Following increased supply of the new Ranger model, Ford managed a 52.8 per cent sales increase to finish just ahead of Kia, who recorded a 5.8 per cent sales increase themselves.

In a sign of the changing times, the top three most popular models sold were all utes, with the Ford Ranger – 4,508 sales, and the Isuzu D-MAX – 2,789 sales, finishing behind the Hilux.

The growth in sales of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVS) continues to be a positive story in 2023, with sales climbing by 19.5 per cent on the back of a strong month by the Tesla Model Y – 1,938 sales, while plug-in hybrid (HEVs) sales rose by 33.3 per cent.

Top 5 models

1. Toyota Hilux – 4,583 (down 28 per cent)
2. Ford Ranger – 4,508 (up 52 per cent)
3. Isuzu D-MAX – 2,789 (up 14 per cent)
4. Mitsubishi Outlander – 2,169 (up 34 per cent)
5. Tesla Model Y – 1,938 (no previous result)

Top 5 brands

1. Toyota – 13,223 (down 39.4 per cent)
2. Mazda – 8,243 (down 26.7 per cent)
3. Ford – 6,485 (up 52.8 per cent)
4. Kia – 6,403 (up 5.8 per cent)
5. Mitsubishi – 5,863 (down 34.9 per cent)

Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

5 April 2023