Categories
Audi Hyundai Mazda Subaru Toyota VFACTS reports

New vehicle sales report – April 2010

FCAI banner

New vehicle sales in Australia have continued strongly following the record result from last month. In total 81,401 vehicles were sold during April, the second highest recorded result for that month.

FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar says official interest rate movements may hurt future sales in the short term, “It has to be expected that recent interest rate increases will have some dampening effect on demand over coming months. However, the industry is hopeful that interest rates must now be at a level where further increases will be more difficult to justify.”

Sales growth in the SUV sector continues, increasing by 38%. Indeed, the Toyota HiLux topped the sales charts for the month. Overall, the market is up 20.3% year-to-date compared with 2009. In all 333,228 new vehicles have been sold in 2010. Toyota, Holden and Ford filled the three highest selling posts for April.

Strong Sales in April Boost Car Market

Solid sales across all vehicle segments have resulted in the second highest April result on record.

Official VFACTS data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) shows that 81,401 passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were sold in April, up 27.3 per cent (or 17,436 vehicles) on the same month in 2009.

“There are signs of strength across a broad range of vehicle segments and buyer types,” FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar said.

“The strong result is certainly very encouraging and shows the competition between the brands is intense but challenges still remain,” he said.

“It has to be expected that recent interest rate increases will have some dampening effect on demand over coming months,” Mr McKellar said.

“However, the industry is hopeful that interest rates must now be at a level where further increases will be more difficult to justify,” he said.

The SUV segment again led the charge in April with an increase of 38 per cent; followed by passenger cars (up 28.5 per cent), light commercials (up 15.7 per cent) and then heavy commercials with a 5.4 per cent increase.

Toyota retained the top selling position in April with a market share of 20.5 per cent; followed by Holden with 12.2 per cent and then Ford with 10.1 per cent.

Year-to-date, 333,228 vehicles have been sold, an increase of 20.3 percent compared to the first four months of 2009.

AUDI AG: Another Record Month for Deliveries in April

  • Global sales increase by 18.1 percent
  • Sales chief Peter Schwarzenbauer: “Deliveries in Western Europe have surpassed our expectations”
  • New records in Asia: China is currently the biggest market for AUDI AG, surpassing Germany
  • Record April for Audi Australia – 30.4% increase on the previous year

The sales growth of recent months continued in April for AUDI AG. With a worldwide increase of 18.1 percent to around 96,700 deliveries, the company posted record figures for the third month in succession. During the first four months, sales figures were 23.7 percent above the same period in the previous year, with around 360,750 cars sold. Audi recorded double-digit growth in the Asian markets. Sales in North America increased by more than a third. The European export markets, also saw growth, in particular Great Britain.

“Sales development in all regions has been excellent. In particular, deliveries in Western Europe have surpassed our expectations,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at AUDI AG. “For Great Britain, our third-largest market worldwide, we are aiming at the 100,000 mark again in 2010, in view of these strong figures.”

In April, 8,509 British customers chose an Audi, 30.9 percent up on the previous year. During the first four months Audi sold 39,180 premium cars, an increase of 22.8 percent. Audi sold more than 100,000 cars in Great Britain for the first time in 2007; in 2009 sales fell to 90,513 units.

In the European export markets, deliveries in April, with 38,700 units sold, were 11.0 percent higher than those in April 2009; over the first four months the brand increased its sales here by 14.6 percent. Record figures were achieved once again by Audi in Asia. In China, 19,606 buyers decided to buy an Audi in April, 61.3 percent more than in the previous year. From January to April Audi sold 72.6 percent more cars in China than in the same period of the previous year: for the first time, deliveries in the first four months exceeded 70,000. With these high sales results, China is currently the biggest market for AUDI AG, surpassing Germany. In other Asian markets such as Japan and South Korea, Audi also increased its sales figures: in the entire Asia-Pacific region by 54.7 percent in April alone; the first four months saw an increase of 65.7 percent.

Sales results in Australia rose 30.4 percent in comparison to April last year, ending the month with 1,064 vehicles sold. This was Audi Australia’s best April on record. Australia’s total yearly sales are 4,774 units.

Sales figures in the United States rose strongly: in April alone Audi sold 9,319 units here, 32.9 percent more cars than in the same month of the previous year. Over the first four months, Audi of America achieved an increase of 34.3 percent. In Canada and Mexico, growth rates were even more impressive in April with plus 38.5 percent and plus 100.5 percent respectively. In South America, the strongest individual markets being Argentina and Brazil, sales figures for the brand more than doubled in April compared with the same month of the previous year.

iMax Leads +62% Hyundai Growth in April

Hyundai’s multi-award winning iMax range has continued to win fans, ranking first in the people mover segment with a sales result of 277 units and achieving a best ever monthly market share of 23.9%, since launching in Australia in February 2008.

Hyundai also posted its best ever April result since the factory established the wholly owned subsidiary Hyundai Motor Company Australia. The sales result of 6,725 units was also Hyundai’s second best April sales result since the brand started selling cars in Australia in 1986.

In a total market that has increased +27.3% (April 2010 v. April 2009), Hyundai Motor Company Australia has achieved an overall increase in sales of +62.6% (representing 16 consecutive months of month-on-month sales growth).

“The team at Hyundai and the Hyundai Dealer network are really pleased with the increasing levels of interest in the Hyundai i-series of vehicles,” said Damien Meredith, Hyundai’s Director of Sales. “Later this month we will launch the all-new i45 mid-sized sedan which is breaking records in South Korea and the U.S., followed by the exciting new i20 compact hatch which will be very competitive in its segment.”

Meanwhile overseas, Hyundai Motor Company’s global sales increased +27.6% (April 2010 v. April 2009). Hyundai Motor America posted its best ever April result as early consumer response to the company’s all-new i45 and ix35 models shattered all expectations. Total U.S. sales through the first four months of 2010 also represent an all-time record for Hyundai. In April, the company sold 44,023 vehicles, up +30% (April 2010 v. April 2009). Based on retail-only sales data, the new i45 sedan – known as Sonata in North America – emerged as America’s third best-selling mid-size sedan for the second month in a row.

Hyundai’s Australian highlights include:

  • Hyundai’s result in April of 6,725 units (8.3% share) represents a +62.6% volume increase over its achievement of 4,136 units (6.5% share) in April 2009.
  • Getz ranked first in the light car segment achieving 2,192 vehicle sales and a 20% market share.
  • iMax ranked first in the people mover segment, after posting a sales result of 277 units and market share of 23.9%, its best ever market share.
  • The all-new ix35 compact SUV achieved 580 units.
  • In the SUV medium segment, Santa Fe posted its best ever sales result of 521 units, since the model first came to Australia in 2000.
  • iLoad ranked second in the van segment after posting a sales result of 447 units and a 25.4% market share.

Mazda’s Class-Leaders Deliver April Record

  • Mazda sets new April record
  • Mazda3 is country’s top-selling small car in April and year-to-date
  • Mazda6 up 21.5 percent and was the best-selling medium import in March and April
  • Mazda SUV sales up 115 percent year-to-date
  • BT-50 4×2 and 4×4 models up 35 percent on 2009 levels

Mazda Australia continued to gain traction last month achieving its best ever April with 6,805 new vehicle sales, reclaiming its position as the fourth best-selling brand for the month.

Surpassing its previous best April record, set in 2008, Mazda accounted for 8.4 percent of new vehicles sold in Australia last month according to April VFACTS figures.

Year-to-date Mazda has sold 27,919 new vehicles, up 15.6 percent on the same time last year.

Mazda2 had a ripper month, with 1,115 units sold thanks to aggressive run-out pricing in anticipation of the safer, more stylish and even better value New Mazda2 now available in dealerships Australia-wide. Mazda2 sales are up 31.2 percent on the same month last year.

Year-to-date Mazda’s perennially-popular Mazda3 hatch and sedan is the country’s top-selling small car. The stylish and compact Mazda3 also topped the small car tally in April with 3,079, up 23 percent on the same month last year.

Thanks to the more stylish and even better specced New Mazda6 launched earlier this year, the stylish medium car has been the country’s top-selling medium import for the last two months, with April sales up 21.5 percent over 2009 levels.

Year-to-date sales of Mazda’s SUV range are up a whopping 115 percent thanks to strong appeal of the stylish five-seat CX-7 and seven-seat CX-9 models. Mazda sold 720 CX-7s in April, up a spectacular 208 percent year-to-date, making it the third best-selling vehicle in the Compact SUV segment. Meanwhile 321 CX-9s found new homes last month, up almost 40 percent year-to-date.

Sales of Mazda’s light commercial BT-50 went from strength-to-strength last month with combined sales of the 4×2 and 4×4 models up 34 percent on the same month last year.

Mazda Australia managing director Doug Dickson said: “We could not be any happier with our April result. We are proud to be able to boast strong sales across all segments in testimony to Mazda’s on-going popularity with Australian new car buyers.

“When you look at the Mazda range every nameplate offers stylish design, an impressive list of features and great value for money. In doing so, we’re obviously meeting the expectations of buyers and we hope to see this continue.”

Subaru April Sales Record

Subaru achieved record April sales of 3216 vehicles, according to official VFACTS figures released today.

Subaru sales were up 7.2 per cent on last April and 9.3 per cent year-to-date (YTD).

New generation Liberty sales of 547 were up 53.7 per cent for the month and 54.0 per cent YTD.

Outback sales of 456 were up an impressive 96.6 per cent for the month and 106.6 per cent YTD.

Forester sales of 1116 maintained its status as Australia’s best selling compact Sports Utility Vehicle for the month and YTD.

The Subaru result also included sales of 984 Imprezas and 113 Tribecas.

AUSSIE LOVE AFFAIR WITH TOYOTA UTE

Australia’s love-affair with utes reached new heights last month with Toyota’s HiLux topping the new-car sales charts.

The dominance of HiLux helped Toyota lift its April year-on-year sales more than 28 per cent and extend its market leadership.

There was also good post-GFC news for the wider industry with April being the seventh consecutive month of higher year-on-year sales.

Toyota’s April sales were 16,697 – a margin of more than 6700 or 67.6 per cent over its nearest rival.

The company’s total was 28.1 per cent higher than the 13,033 deliveries recorded in the corresponding month last year.

HiLux, which often doubles as a workhorse and a family car, is the only ute ever to be the number-one seller.

It took sales honours for the fifth time in April with more than 3,400 being snapped up by customers – 250 ahead of any other vehicle.

The latest result comes exactly two years after HiLux first topped the sales charts, in April 2008.

It repeated the feat in October of that year as well as in June and November last year.

In other April results, Toyota’s Prado was Australia’s best-selling SUV for the second month in a row with dealers delivering almost 1500 vehicles.

Strong sales continued among Toyota’s passenger cars: Corolla 2829 sales, Camry 1830, Yaris 1799 and Aurion 1024.

Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series, HiAce van and HiAce bus led their respective segments.

Toyota Australia’s senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner commended the company’s dealer network for the latest results.

“Toyota’s dealers responded to the global financial crisis with kaizen (continuous improvement) activities designed to improve their service to customers even further,” Mr Buttner said.

“These changes have contributed significantly to the pick-up in sales, which we expect to continue throughout the year,” he said.

“We also recognise the support of consumers for our extensive model line-up and wish to thank our customers for their on-going loyalty.”