VFACTS: Car sales slow in September
SUV sales rise 6.2% in September 2018.
Small and large SUVs continue their recent growth, but overall passenger car sales fall, according to the monthly VFACTS report released this week.
Private purchases lead the drop
Overall sales are 5.5% lower than in September 2017, due in part to a 15.8% fall in privately purchased vehicles. Government fleet sales also declined 2.6%, leaving total year-to-date sales 0.9% below the record set in 2017.
New vehicle sales totalled 94,711 across the month, which is down by 5,489 on the September 2017 figures, or 64 fewer sales per day.
The times are changing
Sales of small SUVs rose 25.7% and large SUVs increased by 10.4% to leave the SUV class the clear leader in 2018 sales.
According to Tony Weber, the chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, recent sales figures indicate the changing face of the Australian car market. "The decline in passenger vehicle sales and corresponding growth in SUVs also shows that the traditional family car continues to evolve in Australia," he said.
2018 sales by class
Only Tasmania comes out ahead
For the second time in three months, only Tasmania recorded an increase in car sales compared to 2017, up 21.9% in September. The ACT was the best of the rest, dropping 0.6%, while New South Wales fell 9.4%.
Best sellers in September
The Toyota HiLux continues to top the best-seller charts, with 4,338 vehicles sold over the month. The Ford Ranger remained in second place with 3,228 sales, followed by the Toyota Corolla, the Hyundai i30 and the Mitsubishi ASX.
Best-performing brands in 2018
Once again, Toyota takes the pole position in both the best-selling model and the manufacturer markets with an overall share of 18.4% of September sales. Hyundai pipped Mitsubishi to second place, with Mazda and Nissan rounding out the top five.
Toyota has now sold almost twice as many vehicles as the nearest competitor in 2018, with 164,988. Mazda is second with 86,074, followed by Hyundai with 73,120.
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