The numbers are in and these are the cars Australians can’t get enough of and there are some that buyers have turned their backs on
Australians are on track to buy a record number of new cars this year.
But some cars and brands are faring better than others. Here’s what’s hot and what’s not in the new-car market.
WHAT’S HOT
Utes and SUVs
Australia has an insatiable appetite for high riding SUVs and four-wheel drive utes. The two segments accounted for four out of five new vehicles sold in September
The Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger were the two top selling vehicles in September with 5776 and 5429 sales respectively, which was an increase of about 11 per cent compared to the same month last year for both models.
The Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max were all strong sellers in September.
Nine out of the top 10 selling cars in the past month were either utes or SUVs.
The Isuzu D-Max had a strong month, with 2885 sold. This is a jump of about 50 per cent compared to the same month in 2022.
The Tesla Model Y SUV was the third best selling vehicle recording 3811 registrations. Despite its strong performance it was down on its 4359 sales in September in 2022.
Other SUVs to make September’s honour roll were the Toyota RAV4 (2798 sales), Toyota LandCruiser (2613), Mitsubishi Outlander (2612), MG ZS (2528) and the Kia Sportage (2031).
Supply
The days of waiting 18 months for a new car might be over.
Australians took possession of more than 110,000 new cars in September in an increasing sign supply constraints that crippled carmakers for the past few years are continuing to ease.
Tony Weber, head of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, says that Australians bought almost 900,000 new cars through the first nine months of this year. Four of the past five months have set new records.
Vehicles such as the Toyota RAV4 had waitlist stretching out 18 months at one point.
“Our advice is that the supply of vehicles into Australia, including electric vehicles,
continues to improve so those consumers who want to buy a new vehicle should visit a
dealer or manufacturer,” he says.
Electric cars
The electric car revolution is starting to generate some momentum. Sales of electric cars are up more than 200 per cent year to date and jumped more than 20 per cent compared to the same month in 2022.
The Tesla Model Y is easily the best selling electric car in the country. Photo: Mark Bean.
Buyers now have more options than a year ago as new models arrive to help boost stock.
Chinese brands are helping to drive growth as BYD, GWM and MG all bring in electric cars costing roughly $40,000, which makes them more accessible to a wider range of drivers.
Tesla is by far the dominant brand in the EV market having sold close to 38,000 vehicles through the first nine months of this year, which is an increase of 171 per cent year on the corresponding period in 2022.
Both the Tesla Model Y SUV and Model 3 sedan are top 10 sellers for the year to date.
WHAT’S NOT
Sedans and hatchbacks
Passenger cars – hatchbacks, sedans, wagons and sports cars – are on the nose. They now account for just 17.7 per cent of new car sales this year.
The Toyota Corolla was the only hatchback or sedan to make the bestsellers list with 2217 sales.
Hatchbacks aren’t as popular as they once were.
It was a different story 10 years ago when there were no SUVs in the top 10 sellers. Instead sedans and hatchbacks dominated. The Mazda3, Holden Commodore, Hyundai i30 and Toyota Corolla and Camry took out seven of the top 10 places and utes the other three spots.
Toyota
Australia’s favourite car brand had a great month, with sales up 40 per cent on September last year.
But the strong result wasn’t enough to claw back market share year-to-date. Sales are down 12.3 per cent.
The car making giant’s market share has dropped from more than 21 per cent to about 17 per cent for the first nine months of this year.
Toyota has been one of the brands hit hardest by a semiconductor supply crunch that dates back to the pandemic.
There are signs the brand is returning to normal but it still trails others on electric cars, as its first EV – the bZ4X SUV – has been delayed until next year.
Mitsubishi
The budget-friendly Japanese brand has been at the top of Australian sales charts for years but its sales are waning in the face of newer rivals, especially in the dual-cab ute and small SUV segments.
The Mitsubishi Triton is just around the corner.
The Outlander family SUV has been a strong performer this year but the ASX small SUV is more than a decade old and its sales dropped 17 per cent for the month and 25 per cent for the year.
Its Triton ute is worse off, with sales down about 50 per cent for four-wheel drive versions.
The good news is a new version of the Triton is on the way and is due to arrive early in 2024 to give the brand’s sales a much-needed shot in the arm.
Keyword: The cars Aussies can’t get enough of