While new car sales in August dropped by a whopping 10.1 percent compared to 2018, dual-cab pick-ups continued to dominate sales.
Both the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger dominated new car sales in August, selling 3674 and 3181 vehicles, respectively. Toyota Corolla finished the month in third place. However, based on 4×4 sales, Ford Ranger edged ahead of Toyota HiLux with just 13 vehicles separating them; 2884 and 2871 respectively.
According to the VFACTs figures released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the peak body for the automotive industry, new car sales in August fell by 10.1 percent compared to the same month in 2018; total sales for the month were 85,633 units.
Each segment of the market recorded a downturn, with passenger vehicles dropping 16.7 percent with 25,783 sales, SUVs down 5.4 percent with 39,040 sales and light commercial vehicles down 8.6 percent with 17,513 sales.
Announcing the results today, Tony Weber, chief executive of the FCAI, noted the August results mark the seventeenth consecutive month of declining sales.
“There’s no doubt it is a very tough market at the moment,” Mr Weber said, “And despite the best efforts of the industry, the decrease in sales continues.”
“It is well known that Australia is one of the most competitive markets in the world, and with the current economic environment, it is also one of the most difficult markets in the world.”
“This environment stems from a slow start to the year, with tight financial lending, State and Federal elections and a general lack of consumer confidence, both here in Australia and on an international basis,” Weber said.
Toyota remained the top selling marque for the month with 16,700 sales for 19.5 percent market share, followed by Hyundai (7320 sales for 8.5 percent market share) and Mazda (7291 sales for 8.5 percent market share), Mitsubishi (6242 sales for 7.3 percent market share) and Ford (4916 sales for 5.7 percent market share).
12 comments
Please we are Australian do not call these vehicles Pick Ups we call them UTES, I will unsubscibe and refuse to even look at this mag if you keep trying to Americanise us????
Yes, I believe Australia invented the UTE. I agree with Dennis, they are never called Pick Ups here.
I also agree with other writers. They’re UTES not pick-ups. Just as they’re CHIPS not french fries, as I tell McDonald’s on the rare occasions that I go there!
3 comments and not one relating to article content, more symantics 🙂 very strayan!
Interesting to see that while Toyota are apparently going through a class action lawsuit, they’re still outselling the competition. Read an interesting article the other day mentioning Police/EPA were fining some Toyota owners for exhaust pollution…not sure how true.
FYI, I drive a 2014 Hilux so not having a dig at Toyota…
Wrong. Do your research before commenting.
I agree with the other comments, this is Australia . We don’t have pickups we have UTES , stop trying to shove the American lingo down our throats .????????
Toyota are only ahead because of rental vehicles, they are not a private sales choice.
Unfortunately, I have to disagree with all the comments about utes and not pick-ups. See, the original ute, yes, an Aussie product, was a passenger vehicle-based product. These dual-cab 4x4s aren’t the same thing as a Falcon or Commodore ute, so, while it might not be Strayan to say so, they are actually pick-ups. But, what the hey, this is a free-ish country, so, call ’em utes, pick-ups, or whatever else takes you fancy. Cheers.
I don’t know what country or planet you came from but it is Australia, no other word cuts it for us, neither does anything but the UTE fit in our vocabulary.
Feel free to prove me wrong.
Kenneth while I agree with your sentiment the definition of a utility cause ford aust invented them is it must have a continuous panel from tailgate to door so the latter falcon utes with tubs are technically pickups because of the gap
Hi Mr Bober, are you Australian born & bred?, firstly i can’t believe you used the word strayan, i’ve been around for a while now & have never heard that word before, & if it is meant to be a substitute or alternate spelling for our great country as there is only one way to spell Austalia & yes they are utility vehicles or utes will do. This is not a free-ish country it is a free country.
PS, i am an 83 year rough as guts young Australian & could not be prouder.