Figures released from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) reveal a positive start to the new year, with sales for the month of January totalling 79,666, an 11.1 per cent increase from last year.

Every state and territory experienced a sales increase, ranging from 1.9 per cent in Victoria to 38.7 per cent in the Northern Territory.

The monthly result follows the strong recovery indicated by the overall sales figures for the final months of 2020, partly due to built-up demand from the COVID-19 lockdown.

Toyota was the market leader in January with 16,819 vehicles sold (21.1 per cent of the market), followed by Mazda with 8,508 (10.7 per cent) and Hyundai with 5,951 (7.5 per cent). Toyota led Mazda with a margin of 8,311 vehicle sales and 10.4 market share points.

The Toyota Hilux topped the best-selling vehicle list with 3,913 vehicles sold. The Ford Ranger ranked second with 3,120, followed closely by the Toyota RAV4 with 3,066 vehicles sold.

FCAI Chief Executive, Tony Weber, said the January result was a very positive sign for the industry.

“During the past three months sales had increased by 12.4 per cent compared to the corresponding period twelve months earlier,” Weber noted.

“The January sales numbers are indicative of positive consumer confidence in the domestic economy. With attractive interest rates and a range of other economic indicators encouraging consumption, we hope to see this trend in new vehicle purchasing continue through 2021.”

The sales growth in January was attributed to increased demand from private buyers, with sales up 25.4 per cent in that category. Meanwhile, sales to business buyers decreased by 1.3 per cent, with sales to Government and Rental also dropping by 11.2 per cent and 12.4 per cent, respectively.

Sales for passenger vehicles dropped by 9.3 per cent while SUV’s remain a popular vehicle segment with a 17.4 per cent increase. The light commercial vehicle market also experienced an increase, with sales up 25.6 per cent.

Top 5 models sold, January 2021:

1. Toyota HiLux – 3,913 (up 31.8 per cent from Jan 2020)
2. Ford Ranger – 3,120 (up 18.9 per cent)
3. Toyota RAV4 – 3,066 (up 33.9 per cent)
4. Toyota Landcruiser – 2,388 (up 89.2 per cent)
5. Mazda CX-5 – 2,081 (up 11.9 per cent)

Top 5 brands, January 2021:

1. Toyota – 16,819 sales (up 13.6 per cent from Jan 2020)
2. Mazda – 8,508 sales (up 27.1 per cent)
3. Hyundai – 5,951 sales (up 9.3 per cent)
4. Kia – 5,500 sales (up 16.9 per cent)
5. Mitsubishi – 5,179 sales (up 1.4 per cent)

Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

3 February 2021