New vehicle sales report – September 2010

Official VFACTS data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) showed that 85,054 passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were sold in September, up 8.9 per cent (or 6,923 vehicles) on the same month in 2009. It also represents a new record for the month of September, beating the old mark (2005) by 584 sales.

Toyota and Holden retain their place at the top of the charts, while perennial top-three challenger Mazda has once again knocked Ford back to fourth place.

Year-to-date sales now tally 780,720 and the full year prediction has been raised to over 1 million, up from the previous forecast of 980,000. It would be only the third time in Australia’s history that 1 million new cars have been sold in a calendar year.

Press releases from FCAI and various manufacturers are available after the break.

New Car Sales Achieve A Record September Result

Strong sales across most segments have resulted in a record monthly sales result for September and prompted the industry to upgrade its annual forecast to more than one million units.

Official VFACTS data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) showed that 85,054 passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were sold in September, up 8.9 per cent (or 6,923 vehicles) on the same month in 2009.

“This is a great result and posts a new monthly high for September,” FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar said.

Today’s result eclipses the previous September monthly record set in 2005 by 584 units.

“It is encouraging to see that sales to private buyers recorded the largest increase this month (up 14.2%) which is further evidence of renewed confidence in the marketplace,” Mr McKellar said.

“Given the continued strength of the market in recent months, the industry has revised its annual sales forecast to more than one million sales – up from the previous projection of more than 980,000,” Mr McKellar said.

“The Australian market has only twice recorded a market with more than one million sales so this will be quite an achievement,” he said.

The SUV segment was the strongest performer during September, recording an increase of 36.3 per cent; followed by passenger cars (up 3.1 per cent) and then light commercials (up 1.7 per cent).

Toyota was the top selling marque in September with 16,185 sales; followed by Holden with 10,718 then, Mazda with 8,850 units.

Year-to-date, 780,720 vehicles have been sold, an increase of 14.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2009.

Holden Cruzes into the Top Five

• Cruze breaks into the top five for the first time
• Commodore still Australia’s favourite car
• Two Holden models in the national ‘top five’

Holden Cruze notched up 2432 sales in September, making it the fifth highest-selling vehicle last month, according to figures released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).

The strong Cruze sales saw Holden occupy two spots in the top five for September, with Commodore retaining its title as the number one car in the country, selling 4038 units, up 4.7 per cent on the same month last year.

Sales, Marketing and Aftersales Executive Director John Elsworth said having both a small and a large car in the top five was a fantastic accomplishment for Holden.

“For the first time since 2005, Holden has two of the five highest-selling vehicles in the country. This is a great result and shows our strategy of offering customers affordable, well-appointed small and large cars is being very well received,” Mr Elsworth said.

He said Australians purchased 10,718 Holden vehicles in September, giving the company a market share of 12.6 per cent and with sales growth tracking above the market average.

“With the new Commodore VE Series II range now hitting showrooms across the country, and the Australian production of Cruze next year, we see these important cars going from strength to strength for Holden.

In addition to the success of Commodore and Cruze, Barina, with 914 sales (up 3.5 per cent on the same month last year), experienced its best September sales since 2007. With 1185 sales last month, Captiva is up a sizeable 34.7 per cent on September 2009, giving Holden its best SUV September on record.

Mr Elsworth said on top of the continuing sales success of the current models there was more in store from Holden in the coming 12 months.

“With more new and updated models launching later this year, there will be range of exciting cars and SUVs to entice customers into our showrooms.”

Hyundai Motor Company Australia September Sales

Hyundai has posted a sales result of 6,120 units, its best ever September result since the brand started selling cars in Australia in 1986, achieving a monthly market share of 7.2%.

Hyundai ranked fifth for the month (fifth September YTD) in total sales and fourth for the month (fourth September YTD) in passenger car sales.

“The team at Hyundai and the Hyundai Dealer network are thrilled to have experienced 21 consecutive months of year-on-year sales growth,” said Damien Meredith, Hyundai’s Director of Sales. “In October, the i45 model range will be completed with the introduction of the entry level Active model variant and there are a number of other exciting model enhancements.”

Overseas, Hyundai Motor Company’s global sales increased +1.8% (September 2010 v. September 2009) to 288,313 units. Hyundai Motor America posted its best ever September result. The company sold 46,556 vehicles in the U.S., up +48% (September 2010 v. September 2009). Year to date, Hyundai Motor America sales are up +20% compared with 2009.

Hyundai’s Australian highlights include:

• Getz ranked second in the light car segment achieving 1,487 vehicle sales and a 13.5% market share.
• iMax ranked second in the people mover segment, after posting a sales result of 159 units and a 17.4% market share.
• iLoad ranked second in the van segment after posting a sales result of 490 units and a 26.7% market share.

September Sales Up 28.8% For Kia

Kia Motors Australia has posted another bumper sales month with September figures up 28.8% compared with the same month last year.

Underscoring the strength of Kia’s growth is a 24.3% boost in year to date sales.

Kia’s representatives in both the passenger and SUV segments returned consistent sales results with SUV figures up 180.8% for the month compared to the same period last year.

Leading the SUV charge was the all new Kia Sportage which was launched locally at the beginning of August and finished the month up 152.6% compared with the superseded model’s September 2009 performance. Similarly, year to date figures for the larger Kia Sorento were up 56.8%.

Passenger vehicle sales were also up 15.2% for the year, with Cerato figures up 26.7% compared to September 2009. Australia’s number one people mover for under $55,000, Kia Carnival, managed to dominate the segment with its 261 sales representing 32.5% of the total market share.

“We are now a considerable way through the process of refining the Kia Range,” said Kia Motors Australia COO, Mr. Tony Barlow.

“In addition to the new Sportage we will be adding a 5-door sibling to the 4- and 2-door Cerato range over the coming months and an all new passenger vehicle early in 2011. With new products and the addition of Bluetooth connectivity as standard across the entire new vehicle range by Christmas, we are extremely confident that Kia’s sales figures will not only continue to climb and represent greater market share in 2011.”

Rounding out the solid month was the K2900 which dominated the light commercial vehicle segment, trucks between 2.5 – 3.5 GVM.

With the recent addition of Bluetooth and competitive pricing for ABN holders, the K2900 is proving extremely price effective for small businesses needing a double-pallet size vehicle.

Mazda’s Sensational September Is An All-Time Record

Mazda Australia has notched up an all-time monthly sales record during September with a total of 8,850 new passenger and light commercial vehicles being sold for a market share of 10.4 per cent. This result surpasses the previous record of 8,406, set in June last year and gives Mazda a 9.1 per cent market share for the quarter.

Backed by Mazda’s one day once a year sale, M Day, September VFACTS figures show that Mazda was Australia’s third most popular automotive brand and has consolidated its position as the country’s most popular full-line vehicle importer. Year-to-date Mazda has sold 65,568 for a market share of 8.4 per cent.

Record M Day sales ensured solid contributions from every model in the Mazda line-up however it was the smallest members of the family that really lit the touchpaper.

The stylish Mazda2 city car recorded its best ever monthly sales performance with 1,718. With 11,197 Mazda2s having already found homes this year, it is 12.3 per cent ahead of the same time last year.

The compact and ever-popular Mazda3 proved once again that it is Australia’s favourite small car with 3,878 sold to mark another all-time sales record. A year-to-date tally of 30,048 puts it 10.5 per cent ahead of last year.

A solid September performance for the Mazda6 family car saw it secure 754 sales and further cement its position as Australia’s best-selling imported medium car.

Mazda’s duo of dynamic SUV’s, the CX-7 and CX-9, also found favour with new car buyers last month. The CX-7 soared to new heights with a record sales total of 1,076 for a market share of 10.7 per cent. So far in 2010, 7,418 CX-7’s have been sold which equates to an increase of 183.3 per cent over last year. This sees the CX-7 now firmly positioned in the top three in the compact SUV segment.

The Mazda CX-9 recorded 367 September sales, up 28.8 per cent on the same month last year.

“It is always pleasing to see new sales benchmarks being set. Our outstanding September result was backed by our annual M Day sale which this year contributed record sales. Much improved supply also enabled dealers to catch up with back orders” said Mazda Australia managing director, Doug Dickson.

“The hard-working Mazda Dealer network must take much of the credit for this result. Their ability to consistently meet the needs of the Australian car buying public is something of which we’re very proud.”

Forester Fuels Subaru Sales

Subaru’s Forester achieved record September sales of 1330, contributing strongly to the brand’s total of 3105, according to official VFACTS figures released today.

Forester sales were up 17.6 per cent for the month.

Outback sales of 322 are 107.3 per cent up year-to-date (YTD).

Diesel Forester and Outback continue to spur demand – Subaru sold 253 diesel Foresters and 91 diesel Outbacks in September.

Impreza sales of 1001 were up 43.0 per cent for the month and included 232 of the recently revised widebody WRXs and WRX STIs.

Liberty sales of 384 are now 41.6 per cent up YTD, while Tribeca achieved its best September result with 68 sales, 126.7 per cent up for the month.

TOYOTA SELLS TWO-MILLIONTH PRIUS

The world’s best-selling hybrid vehicle, Toyota Prius, has produced another milestone with the purchase of the two-millionth car.

Sales have accelerated rapidly as Toyota has made a concerted effort to promote and popularise hybrid technology, chiefly through Prius.

It took more than 10 years for Prius to reach one million sales, but less than two-and-a-half years to post the second million – or more than four times quicker.

The total includes almost 940,000 deliveries in North America, more than 825,000 in Japan, 206,000 in Europe and 40,000 in the rest of the world.

Australians have bought more than 16,200 since Prius was launched in this country in October 2001.

Toyota Motor Corporation believes Prius vehicles worldwide have reduced CO2 emissions (considered a cause of global warming) by approximately 11 million tons*.

The comparison is against petrol-powered vehicles in the same class and of similar size and driving performance.

Prius was first launched in Japan late in 1997 and is now sold in more than 70 countries and regions.

Annual sales exceeded 100,000 for the first time in 2004 and achieved a record of more than 400,000 last year.

Prius sales this year have already eclipsed the 2009 total, largely due to strong sales in Japan where it has been the best-selling car for the past 17 months in a row.

Toyota’s overall sales of hybrid vehicles now exceed 2.8 million.

After Prius, the most popular Toyota hybrid is the Hybrid Camry with more than 200,000 sales globally.

Toyota Australia’s senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner said there were strong reasons behind the accelerating sales of Prius.

“Motorists are becoming increasingly aware that hybrid technology delivers performance as well as significant savings on the cost of fuel,” Mr Buttner said.

“That trend will gain pace as other manufacturers announce plans to introduce their own hybrid vehicles – a development Toyota welcomes,” he said.

Prius uses 3.9 litres/100km** of regular unleaded fuel, based on the official combined cycle.

It emits less carbon dioxide than any other vehicle on the Australian market – just 89g/km.

Mr Buttner said TMC was committed to developing hybrid systems as a core technology.

Toyota’s goal is to reach one-million hybrid sales per year as early as possible in the decade from 2010.

The next target is to adopt hybrid technologies in all model series as soon as feasible in the 2020s.

* Number of registered vehicles x distance travelled x actual fuel efficiency in each country x CO2 conversion factor. Source: TMC.

** Fuel consumption will vary depending on driving conditions/style, vehicle conditions and options/accessories. Source of fuel consumption data: ADR 81/02 combined cycle.