New vehicle sales report – December 2010

Congratulations Australia, for just the third time ever we have managed to send over 1 million new vehicles out the door. To be exact, 1,035,574 passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles found new homes in 2010 and that represents an increase of almost 100,000 sales on 2009 figures.

“This is an exceptional outcome and is the second highest result on record and only the third time ever that the market exceeded more than one million sales,” FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar said.

“With continuing strong levels of vehicle affordability there is no reason why the new vehicle market won’t continue to perform better than other areas of the economy.”

Toyota was the highest selling marque in 2010, with 214,718 sales registered. Holden and Ford followed with 132,923 and 95,824 sales respectively.

Holden can claim still bragging rights, though, with the Commodore proving to be Australia’s most popular car for the fifteenth year in a row. Its 45,956 sales placed it ahead of the Toyota Corolla, on 41,632, and the Toyota Hilux, with an impressive 39,896 sales.

Meanwhile, a number of other marques are shouting from the rooftops about their new records set in 2010, including BMW, Hyundai, Mazda, Subaru, Suzuki and Volkswagen.

UPDATE 7 January: Audi, Kia and Mitsubishi have released their brag sheets today, too.

New Vehicle Sales Top The Magic Million

The new vehicle market continued to outperform other economic indicators during 2010 to post its second highest annual sales figure and record more than one million units for only the third time in history.

Official VFACTS data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) shows that 1,035,574 passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were sold in the calendar year 2010 (up 10.5 per cent or 98,246 vehicles compared to 2009).

“This is an exceptional outcome and is the second highest result on record and only the third time ever that the market exceeded more than one million sales,” FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar said.

“The result is very encouraging given all the challenges of the year – the prospect of higher interest rates, political uncertainty and the withdrawal of market stimulus,” he said.

“Consumers clearly recognised the safety and environmental benefits of upgrading to a new vehicle and in such a competitive market they were rewarded with good vehicles at good prices,” Mr McKellar said.

Looking ahead:

“We expect 2011 will be a year of consolidation with the prospect of further improvement on the growth achieved last year,” he said.

“With continuing strong levels of vehicle affordability there is no reason why the new vehicle market won’t continue to perform better than other areas of the economy,” Mr McKellar said.

Toyota was the best performing brand in 2010 for the eighth year in a row with a market share of 20.7%, ahead of Holden with 12.8% and Ford with 9.2%.

The most popular vehicle model, for the fifteenth year in a row, was the Holden Commodore; ahead of the Toyota Corolla then the Toyota Hilux.

Top Ten Models

1. Holden Commodore – 45,956
2. Toyota Corolla – 41,632
3. Toyota Hilux – 39,896
4. Mazda 3 – 39,003
5. Hyundai i30 – 29,772
6. Ford Falcon – 29,516
7. Holden Cruze – 28,334
8. Toyota Camry – 25,014
9. Mitsubishi Lancer – 23,076
10. Hyundai Getz – 21,547

Top Ten Brands

1. Toyota – 214,718
2. Holden – 132,923
3. Ford – 95,284
4. Mazda – 84,777
5. Hyundai – 80,038
6. Nissan – 62,676
7. Mitsubishi – 62,496
8. Honda – 40,375
9. Subaru – 40,025
10. Volkswagen – 38,016

Audi Australia Records Sixth Consecutive Record Year

Audi Australia Pty Ltd has ended 2010 with yet another record year of sales, blitzing the previous record of 2009 by a whopping 14.1% to finish with 12,900 sales.

2010 marked the sixth straight record year for Audi, highlighting the ongoing growth and expanding brand presence that is driving the success of the four-ring brand in Australia.

Since 2004, Audi has enjoyed unprecedented growth and success in this country, with sales more than tripling from 3,700 units to 2010’s 12,900 units.

A raft of new models and variants during the course of 2010, including the launch of the A5 Sportback, RS 5 Coupe and our flagship A8, was a driving force in this latest success story. An ongoing dedication to customer satisfaction, improvements to key areas including service and aftersales and the continued investment and expansion in the dealer network right across the country will ensure continued success in 2011 and for many years to come.

“This is another wonderful result for us,” said Audi Australia Managing Director Uwe Hagen. “It is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the entire national network and the strength of our product”

“And equally as encouraging as this latest outright sales success is the fact we have achieved it via a platform that will ensure profitability of our network and sustainable growth for Audi in Australia.”

“Next year will be an even bigger year for Audi in this country, with a full year of A1 sales which will further boost our volume and as well as the all-new A6 and stunning A7 Sportback which will energise the large premium segment.”

“Through the strength of our product and our expanding dealer network, we exceeded all of our targets for 2010 and look forward to further success in 2011 and beyond.”

2010 Another Record Year For BMW

2010 has been another record-breaking year for BMW in Australia with 17,993 registrations, an increase of 5.2% over the previous year.

BMW’s flagship 7 Series finished the year leading its competitive segment as did the award-winning BMW X5.

BMW also sold more than 2,000 units of its new X1 marking a highly successful first year of sales for the brand’s all-new Compact SAV.

BMW Group Australia Acting Managing Director, Peter Buchauer said 2010 had been another solid year of sustainable growth for BMW.

“New cars such as the X1 have brought entirely new customers to the brand while the BMW X5 has clearly remained the benchmark in its class,” said Mr Buchauer.

In September, BMW was again named ‘the world’s most sustainable carmaker’ according to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, a title BMW has held for the last six consecutive years.

And earlier in the year, BMW replaced Toyota as ‘the world’s most valuable car brand’ according to Millward Brown’s BrandZ Top 100 survey.

“2010 has seen success for BMW not only in terms of volume growth but also in terms of the strength of our brand and our products in the marketplace,” said Mr Buchauer.

“We have won numerous awards and accolades that confirm BMW as the ultimate driving machine,” he said.

BMW finished the year with a swag of local motoring critics’ awards to claim the title of ‘Australia’s most-awarded premium car range’.

In 2011 BMW is to launch an entirely new X3, a new 6 Series, a new 5 Series Touring, a new 1 Series Sports Hatch and mid-life model updates of the highly popular 1 Series Coupe and Convertible range.

“With a large number of exciting new cars in 2011 we expect to sustain the growth of the brand into the coming year,” said Mr Buchauer.

FERRARI BLASTS TO THE TOP OF THE SUPERCAR SALES LEAGUE

Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the legendary supercar maker and the team that dominates Formula One, famously said that when it came to road cars, his strategy was always to build one less than the market desired, a policy that is maintained to this day with Ferrari only building cars to a confirmed customer order.

Clearly that desire to own a Ferrari has grown even stronger in Australia in 2010 with Ferrari delivering 21.2 per cent more cars than it did in 2009, a sales increase that is more than double the market as a whole, according to figures released today (6 January 2011) by VFACTS.

The result places Ferrari, which sells four different supercars in Australia, the California, the 458 Italia, the 599 GTB and the 612 Scaglietti, as the leading supercar company in Australia.

“While these figures are welcome and demonstrate the strength and quality of our business, Ferrari does not chase sales figures in the manner exhibited by other car makers,” says Kevin Wall, the General Manager for Ferrari in Australia and New Zealand. “As is always the case with Ferrari, demand is driven by the outstanding and unique qualities of our products. In the past year we have, with the California, offered customers a new type of Ferrari, one with everything that is expected of Ferrari, but one that also offers new traits and abilities. Meanwhile, with the 458 Italia, deliveries of which started in the middle of 2010, Ferrari quite simply raised the supercar bar to a new level, a fact that has been confirmed by the outstanding demand for this car and which will continue into 2011 and beyond.”

In addition to new cars, Ferrari also completed its complete renovation of the Australian dealer group with the opening of the all-new Ferrari dealership in Sydney, taking representation of Ferrari in Australia to the highest levels of quality and presentation in the world.

Commodore Notches Up 15 Years As Australia’s Top-Selling Car

Holden Commodore has become Australia’s highest-selling vehicle for the 15th consecutive year, according to sales figures released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).

The figures show 45,956 Commodores were sold throughout 2010, cementing the vehicle’s status as the number one car in the country, a record unbroken since 1996.

Chairman and Managing Director Mike Devereux said Commodore was Holden’s longest-standing nameplate, and had become an Australian icon since the first vehicle rolled off the line more than 30 years ago.

“Commodore really resonates with Australians drivers, as it offers outstanding quality and value for money,” Mr Devereux said.

“It’s our intention for Commodore to be the country’s top-selling car for many years to come – we’ll do this by continually improving the vehicle to ensure it remains relevant for Australian motorists – as we did with VE Series II, when we added flex-fuel capability and the Holden-iQ system,” he said.

In addition to Commodore, the FCAI’s results showed strong sales across the rest of the Holden portfolio in December, with 10,444 vehicles sold, giving Holden a market share of 12.1 per cent for the month.

Across 2010, Holden sold 132,923 vehicles – an increase of 11.2 per cent from the previous year, and ahead of market growth at 10.5 per cent. This resulted in an overall annual market share of 12.8 per cent, second only to Toyota, with 20.7 per cent.

Mr Devereux said while Holden’s success during 2010 was spearheaded by strong Commodore sales, Cruze also performed well in its first full year in showrooms, selling 28,334 vehicles and cementing its place in the small car segment ahead of the launch of locally produced sedan and hatch versions this year.

“Our approach for 2011 and beyond is to have world-class, market-leading Holden vehicles competing in almost every segment, so customers can be assured of outstanding quality and value right across the entire Holden portfolio,” he said.

Hyundai Achieves Record Sales And Market Share Increase

Hyundai Motor Company Australia has posted its best-ever annual sales and December results since the brand was introduced to Australia back in 1986, achieving the biggest market share gain of any brand in 2010, with a total market share of 7.7%, up 1% over 2009.

Hyundai sales grew to 80,038, an increase of 26.6% over 2009, following 24 consecutive months of year-on-year sales growth. In December 2010, Hyundai posted a sales result of 5,877 units, representing a 46% increase versus the same period in 2009.

Nationally, Hyundai ranked fifth for the year (fifth December 2010) in total sales and fourth for the year (fourth December 2010) in passenger car sales with a market share of 10.2%.

“2010 was a fantastic year for the Hyundai brand in Australia. Our dealer network was the cornerstone in seeing Hyundai’s market share increase one percentage point,” said Damien Meredith, Director of Sales Hyundai Motor Company Australia. “2010 saw the launch of the award winning i20, ix35 and i45 and in 2011 we will continue to focus on bringing the products to Australia that our customers are asking us for.”

Hyundai’s Australian highlights include:

• For the second consecutive year, Getz ranked first in the light car segment achieving 21,547 vehicle sales in 2010 (up 9.7% on 2009) and a 15.6% segment market share for 2010.
• i30 ranked third in the small car segment after posting a sales result of 29,772 units (up 39% on 2009) and a 12.4% segment market share for 2010.
• iMax ranked second in the people mover segment after posting a sales result of 2,476 (up 133.6% on 2009) and a 19.6% segment market share for 2010.
• Santa Fe lifted sales by 100.1% in 2010 versus 2009.
• iLoad ranked second in the van segment after posting a sales result of 5,990 units (up 59.9% on 2009) and a 26% segment market share for 2010.

Kia Sales Growth Double That Of Local Market

Kia Motors Australia finished 2010 just how it started the year: another strong month of sales growth across the passenger and SUV segments.

During 2010 Kia sold 23848 vehicles, an increase of 22.9% compared to 2009 and more than double the Australian new car market increase of 10.5%.

“Kia passenger sales were up 2373 units or some 15% compared to 2009 while in the competitive SUV segment, our sales were up a very pleasing 63.1% which was well ahead of the segment growth of 25%,” said Kia Motors Australia COO, Mr Tony Barlow.

“In 2011 that trend will continue as new efficient engines are incorporated into sleeker Schreyer-designed Kia vehicles. Our local product development team will also continue to optimise all new Kia vehicles to ensure they meet the high standard expected by the discerning Australian driver.”

In the passenger segment, the introduction of the 5-door Cerato to the Kia family provided a healthy sales rush. December saw 328 Ceratos retailed, 62% more than December 2009. Total sales for the year were up by 33.4%.

Kia Carnival continued its domination of people movers under $40,000 with 277 December sales providing it with 30.9% market share in the category.

In the SUV segment a successful run-out campaign and then the arrival of the award-winning all-new Sportage saw the compact SUV’s figures increase by 60.8% compared to 2009 sales results.

In terms of a year-on-year increase in sales the accolades go to Kia Sorento which showed a 66.6% improvement throughout 2010.

The roll out of new and exciting vehicles continues for Kia throughout 2011 with its first launch, the all-new Optima, to take place at the Australian Tennis Open later this month.

With its sleek appearance, a brand new direct injection petrol engine and a long list of factory fitted extras the new Optima will appear on showroom floors towards the end of January.

“With the determination of Kia to produce ever more stylish and exciting cars we are confident that the positive change in customer perception of Kia as a brand will continue,” KMAu Presdent and CEO Mr M.K. Kim said.

“While Kia will never desert our promise of outstanding value, more and more we believe people will consider Kia as a purchase of desire rather than necessity.”

Mazda Notches Up An All-Time Sales Record

• 84,777 retails for the year a new all-time record
• Mazda remains the leading full-line importer for the sixth consecutive year
• Mazda maintains its position as 4th overall
• Record sales of Mazda3 and CX-7

Mazda Australia has capped off another strong year in style by notching up a new all-time sales record selling 84,777 new cars and light commercials in 2010, an increase of 4,951 over its previous best set in 2008.

According to VFACTS figures released today, Mazda secured a year-end market share of 8.2 per cent and remains Australia’s top-selling import brand for a sixth consecutive year.

Mazda’s record was achieved by a solid December performance delivering 6,989 retails. This was Mazda’s second best finish to a calendar year.

“We started the first half of the year at record pace and the challenge posed to our dealers at that point was to continue in that vein. And while challenges continued to be faced throughout the latter half of the year our professional and hard-working dealer network has once again delivered,” said Mazda Australia managing director, Doug Dickson.

“Australian new car buyers have bought into the Mazda family in record numbers this year demonstrating that our line-up of Stylish, Insightful and Spirited products continues to hit the mark. And with both the Mazda2 and Mazda6 receiving updates in 2010, Mazda has demonstrated our continued desire to keep meeting the needs of our customers.”

Mazda’s passenger car range performed strongly in 2010. The stylish Mazda3 led the way with a record year registering 39,003 sales, bettering its previous record by 3,705.

In the highly competitive compact SUV segment, the Mazda CX-7 soared to new heights with a record 9,530 sales for an 8.3 per cent segment share. This equates to a massive 115 percent increase over 2009.

The Mazda2 city car was another member of the family to record a strong year with 14,794 sales for its second-best ever result.

“With the All-New Mazda BT-50 and our next generation SKYACTIV powertrains due for release soon and several other exciting products in the pipeline, we look forward to another successful year in 2011” said Dickson.

Record Sales For Mitsubishi In 2010

Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) achieved record sales of 62,496 in 2010, representing a 9.6 per cent increase from 2009. Combined with strong growth in the SUV market and a number of record results, 2010 proved to be a successful year for the company.

In 2010, MMAL made history by introducing the first fully electric vehicle in volume production to the Australian market, with 112 i-MiEVs registered on VFacts.

Other highlights achieved by MMAL during 2010 included:

• Best ever annual result for Lancer with 23,076 sales
• Best ever annual result for Outlander with sales of 8,537
• Growth of 52.5 per cent in the total SUV market thanks to strong sales of Outlander, ASX, Challenger and Pajero
• Pajero sales increasing at double the market rate (32.5 per cent compared to 16.1 per cent) to reach a total of 6,986
• Another record year for Triton with sales of 16,578
• Strong sales of the new ASX, with 631 sold in December

MMAL president and CEO, Masahiko Takahashi, said the strong sales results for 2010 reflected the company’s commitment to providing customers with highly equipped vehicles at attractive prices.

“Mitsubishi is committed to sustainable, consistent growth, and I’m confident we can continue to consolidate our market share in 2011,” Takahashi said.

“We have a great product line-up to offer customers and we are determined to succeed.”

Sales of the new ASX are expected to strengthen as more stock becomes readily available in 2011, with 2,349 already sold in 2010.

Calendar year sales for the company totalled 62,496, an increase of 9.6 per cent over total sales for 2009. MMAL’s overall 2010 total market share remained steady at 6 per cent.

Subaru’s All-Time Record

Subaru achieved all-time record sales of 40,025 units in 2010, according to official VFACTS figures released today.

This represents an increase of 9.6 per cent on the previous year and equates to a 3.9 per cent market share.

It is the 12th all-time sales record in the past 13 years for the company that dares to market its differences, like All-Wheel Drive, Boxer engines and its Symmetrical drivetrain.

Other highlights include record Impreza and Forester sales.

Subaru’s Forester dominated one of the most competitive and dynamic categories, the Compact SUV sector, with sales of 14,644 units, up 6.5 per cent for the year.

Nick Senior, Managing Director, Subaru Australia, said: “This result marks our 12th sales record of the last 13 years and again reinforces that our focus on our differences continues to resonate with consumers.

“Nowhere is this more amply demonstrated than in the Compact SUV category where the Forester has been the top seller for the third consecutive year.

“Despite the ever increasing competition from new entrants and two-wheel drive variants in this segment, this shows that Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive remains a valuable alternative for Australian drivers looking for real driving enjoyment and safety.”

Impreza also set a new annual benchmark of 12,289, boosted by the arrival of the recreation-themed XV and the expanded WRX and WRX STI line-ups.

Senior continued, “The last decade has been an evolution at Subaru. We’ve continued to adapt to our customers, launching our most successful models yet and have taken the brand to new levels of sophistication, performance and safety and this is set to continue with a host of new products in 2011.

“This year will also see further sales growth and a continued commitment to our customer-centric All 4 the Driver philosophy.”

Outback has also proven a star, up a massive 55.2 per cent for the year. When combined with Forester, Subaru commanded 17.8 per cent of the Compact SUV segment.

Liberty sales were up 11.8 per cent over the 12 months, with premium variants, including GT and 3.6R, performing strongly.

Tribeca achieved yearly sales of 1123.

Record Year For Suzuki

Suzuki Australia has confirmed its position as one of the fastest growing automotive companies, recording its best ever sales year after another strong sales result in December.

A total of 1996 Suzukis were sold in the final month of 2010, just 10 units short of notching another record month for the company.

The strong December result meant Suzuki finished the year on 24,789 sales, easily eclipsing its best ever sales record.

It meant Suzuki finished the year up 22 per cent, against a market that rose 10.5 per cent over 2009.

Suzuki smashed numerous records in 2010, with best ever sales results in nine of the 12 months.

It continued the company’s meteoric rise, with sales more than doubling since 2004.

Importantly, Suzuki not only increased volume but also its market share, up to 2.4 per cent.

The company is looking forward to another strong year in 2011, with the launch next month of an all-new version of its top selling Swift light car range.

Every model in the new range will come standard with seven airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag, and class leading fuel economy of just 5.5 litres per 100 km.

TOYOTA LEADS MARKET ABOVE ONE MILLION SALES

Toyota has been confirmed as the best-selling automotive brand in Australia in 2010 as the local new-vehicle market cracked one million sales for only the third time.

Official figures released today show Toyota was the overall market leader, selling more than one out of every five new cars, SUVs and trucks.

Australians bought 214,718 new Toyota vehicles last year, helping to push the local market to 1,035,574 – the second highest result on record.

Toyota’s tally was its seventh consecutive year above 200,000 sales – a level never reached by any other brand.

It widened the gap over its nearest rival to more than 81,700 vehicles – the equivalent of 224 extra sales every day of the year.

Toyota has topped the sales charts for the past eight years in a row and for 14 of the past 20 years.

Senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner said Toyota did not take its market-leading position for granted.

“Toyota’s success is due to the quality of our vehicles, the commitment of our dealers, the dedication of our staff and the loyalty of our customers,” Mr Buttner said.

“We are focused on our customers and we are focused on the future,” he said.

Corolla – Australia’s best-selling vehicle in November and December – was Toyota’s most popular vehicle with sales rising to more than 41,600. It has been the best-selling vehicle in NSW for the past five years and Australia’s best-selling small car for each of the past 11 years.

HiLux, with almost 39,900 deliveries, was Australia’s best-selling ute, best-selling 4WD and best-selling light-commercial vehicle. It was the outright best seller in Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

Camry, LandCruiser Prado, LandCruiser wagon and HiAce van and bus – in addition to Corolla and HiLux 2WD and 4WD – were all leaders in their respective market segments.

New-generation Prado, in its first full year of sales, regained the crown as Australia’s top-selling SUV with demand jumping 27 per cent to 16,745 units.

Mr Buttner said Toyota was Australia’s leading automotive exporter with Camry, Hybrid Camry and Aurion cars shipped to more than 20 destinations.

He said production at Toyota’s Melbourne manufacturing plant increased by 23.6 per cent to almost 120,000 cars in 2010. Of these, almost 83,000 were exported, mainly to the Middle East – an increase of more than 30 per cent over the previous year.

“We are also investing in new-generation engines to be produced in Australia that are more fuel efficient, produce fewer carbon emissions and provide significant opportunities for new exports,” Mr Buttner said.

2010 Sees Volkswagen Smash All-Time Australian Sales Record

Volkswagen Group Australia has reached new heights with its all-time sales record for the last 46 years being outperformed considerably last year.

Overall sales for the Volkswagen brand in Australia came to a total of 38,016 vehicles (32,542 Passenger Vehicles, 5,474 Commercial Vehicles). 1964’s record of 31,419 total sales for Volkswagen was exceeded by 6,597 vehicles.

Year-on-year figures also look promising with a total increase of 26.4% (2009 sales: 30,087).

Volkswagen Group Australia Managing Director, Anke Koeckler, is very pleased with the result: “2010’s great sales result is a true reflection of a successful product range as well as our great dealer network and head office staff. I am confident that 2011 will be another great year for the Volkswagen brand with exciting new models to hit Australian shores.”

On top of record total sales, Volkswagen also achieved record results for four key models.

The sixth generation Golf having gone from strength to strength since its release in early 2009 achieved a new record high of 15,425 sales in 2010. The Golf, while clearly the most successful model in the range, was amply supported by the growth in sales of the Tiguan and new Polo.

The Tiguan achieved a new sales record of 6,216, while Polo increased by 127.6% year-on-year with a new all-time best result of 3,195 pointing at a promising future for the new Polo, which only entered the market in April last year.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also performed well in a challenging climate for the light commercial vehicle sector. The Caddy range achieved an all-time record with 2243 vehicles sold in 2010 after receiving late last year.

The popular Transporter saw solid growth with 1,804 units (2009 sales: 1,466), an increase of 23.1% year-on-year. The growth in sales highlights the success of the first quarter model update and the introduction of new engine variants.