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It was an interesting time in New Zealand new car sales throughout the month of March this year as buyers make the most of the Clean Car Discount scheme before it hit top gear.
Despite the fact that maximum rebates on PHEVs and pure EVs didn’t change as of April 1, it’s obvious that buyers were rushing out to make the most of the free money offerings.
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Mitsubishi was a stand-out above all else throughout this period, claiming the top spot across total sales in March, passenger/SUV sales, and commercial sales.
Mitsubishi took the overall market leader with 17 per cent market share (3,566 units), followed by Toyota with 13 per cent (2,767 units) and Ford in third spot with 11 per cent market share (2,362 units).
In terms of the market share year to date, there’s Mitsubishi at the front with 18 per cent, Toyota in second position at 13 per cent, and Ford with 11 per cent.
When looking at the breakdown of individual models, it’s clear that a shipment of Tesla Model 3s landed in March, with 949 units being delivered.
At 949 units, it was clear of the second place Mitsubishi Outlander by more than 300 units, which finished the month at 625.
Motor Industry Association Chief Executive David Crawford says that as anticipated in the lead up to the Clean Car Discount fees that became operative on 1 April, the March 2022 figures are the strongest for any month of the year ever, a massive 4,374 units over the previous strongest in October 2018.
Sales were dominated by the largest ever monthly registrations for light commercial vehicles, 9,841 units (including heavy commercial vehicles) as buyers rushed to avoid fees for high CO2 emitting vehicles that began on 1 April.
Registrations of 21,044 were up 35.8 per cent (5,546 units) on March 2021. Year to date the market is up 12.5 per cent (5,230 units) compared to the first three months of 2021.
Top vehicle sales March 2022:
1. Mitsubishi Triton
2. Ford Ranger
4. Toyota Hilux
5. Tesla Model 3
6. Isuzu D-Max
7. Mitsubishi Outlander
8. Mazda CX-5
9. MG ZS
10. Haval Jolion
Keyword: Mitsubishi dominates March sales figures, but Tesla wasn't far behind