August 2016 new car sales: Top 10 SUVs

SUVs continued their threat to overtake passenger car sales in August.

Just 2549 units separated the two segments last month, according to the latest official industry figures. In August 2015, the gap had been 7773.

The Mazda CX-5 again led the charge, cementing its position as Australia’s most popular SUV so far in 2016 with another monthly sales victory.

Mazda’s mid-sized SUV topped the August sales chart for sports utility vehicles with 1902 units, heading a surprise runner-up in the form of the Mitsubishi ASX.

4

ASX sales jumped nearly 80 per cent over August 2015 to place Mitsubishi’s smallest SUV ahead of the usual incumbent, the Toyota RAV4 – by just the slimmest of margins: 1781 v 1766 sales.

Hyundai’s Tucson recorded the biggest leap - up 324 percent – though that is compared to an August 2015 when the model was only just being introduced as a replacement for the ix35.

The Korean company was the only brand not to feature a double act in the top 10.

Mazda’s smaller sibling to the CX-5, the CX-3, placed seventh, Mitsubishi’s ASX was joined by the bigger Outlander (eighth), while Nissan occupied fifth and 10th spots with the X-Trail and Qashqai twins, respectively.

4

Toyota had a triple act with the RAV4 (third), Prado (sixth) and Kluger (ninth).

With two-thirds of the year gone, the CX-5 sits at the top of the year-to-date tree with 16,428 sales – a huge 3109 units ahead of the second-placed RAV4.

Tucson’s superior August allowed it to leapfrog the Mazda CX-3 into the final podium position, followed not too far behind by the X-Trail.

4

Top 10 selling SUVs in August 2016

Race to be Australia’s favourite SUV (at end of August 2016)

Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries