New vehicle sales records have been tumbling over the past few months, and VFACTS figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) for March show that streak continuing. 109,647 sales were recorded for the month, surpassing the previous March record of 106,988 achieved in 2018.
The January to March result of 304,452 sales represents the best ever first quarter for new vehicle sales.
Queensland recorded 23,550 sales, a 5.9 per cent rise compared to March 2023. The ACT figures were up by 0.5 per cent (1,584); NSW by 11.7 per cent (33,808); South Australia by 6.9 per cent (6,992); Victoria by 24.9 per cent (30,099); Western Australia by 9.3 per cent (11,074) and Northern Territory by 19.8 per cent (930). Only Tasmania lagged in sales, recording a decrease of 0.6 per cent.
The SUV segment for 58.9 per cent of sales. The Passenger segment was down to 16.1 per cent compared with 2023 at 17.7 per cent. The Light Commercial segment fell to 21 per cent from 22.6 per cent.
Toyota was the market leader with sales of 18,961, followed by Ford (8,776), Mazda (8,246), Mitsubishi (7,866) and Kia (7,070).
The Ford Ranger was Australia’s top selling vehicle with sales of 5,661, followed by the Toyota RAV4 (5,070), Tesla Model Y (4,379), and Toyota HiLux (3,995).
Of note is the continued strength of battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales, and the electrified vehicle segment in general. BEVs made up 9.5 per cent of new vehicle sales, up from 6.8 per cent in March 2023. Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid sales increased compared with March 2023, recording a 14 per cent share compared with 6 per cent in 2023. Sales of electrified vehicles in March made up 23.5 per cent of the total market. Australians appear to be remaining positive about electrified vehicle technology.
JANUARY-MARCH 2024 MOTORCYCLE SALES
The FCAI reports that a total of 19,903 motorcycles and Off-Highway-Vehicles (OHV) were sold from January–March, marking a decrease of 11 per cent compared with the same period in 2023.
Road motorcycles made up 41.3 per cent of total sales with 8,217 – a decrease of 10.2 per cent on 2023 figures.
Off-road motorcycles made up 36.5 per cent of total sales with 7,260 units, a decrease of 11.9 per cent on 2023 figures.
Off-Highway Vehicles accounted for 15 per cent of total sales, with 2,976 vehicles sold – a decrease of 16.1 per cent on 2023.
While sales across most segments fell, the scooter market grew by 1.1 per cent with 1,450 vehicles sold. Scooters represent 7.3 per cent of total sales in the local market.
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (April 2024)
11 April 2024