VFACTS May 2021: Big month boosts hopes of one million-plus new-car sales this year

Australia is on track to return to a million-plus new-car market after May became the second month of 2021 to register more than 100,000 vehicle sales

The latest official industry figures confirmed 100,809 vehicle registrations last month, the best May result since 2017 when 102,901 cars were sold.

With 456,894 sales so far in 2021 and average monthly sales of 91,379, the market has the potential to reach 1.1 million units by the end of the year.

The effects of the latest lockdown in Victoria won’t be known until June’s results, as the restrictions introduced at the end of May didn’t prevent the state from being the second biggest for sales.

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Victoria’s 25,368 sales for May represents 65 per cent growth compared with May 2020, while year to date, the state’s sales are up 30 per cent.

New South Wales registered 32,818 new cars last month.

May’s result reflects a 68 per cent increase compared to the same month last year, though May 2020 was heavily affected by the unfolding Covid-19 crisis.

It’s only the third time since mid-2019 more than 100,000 new-car sales have been registered in a month, following June 2020 and March 2021.

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Top vehicle segments

SUVs continue to dominate, with 53,605 sales in May accounting for more than half the market and representing an 87 per cent month-on-month increase. May was the strongest sales month for SUVs so far in 2021.

Small SUVs were the largest SUV sub-segment, with 14,717 units. While this represented an impressive 118 per cent increase compared with May 2020, the even smaller Light SUVs were the biggest growth area in sports utility vehicles, up 223 per cent month on month.

Light SUVs are also the country’s fastest-growing segment, up 149 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Light commercial vehicles again outsold passenger cars – 23,177 versus 20,218 sales – and 4x4 utes don’t even need their 4x2 variants to be the most popular segment outright for May. With 17,668 sales last month, 4x4 utes outsold the 17,012 of the next best segment, medium SUVs.

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Ute sales passed 20,000 for May with both 4x4 and 4x2 combined.

It’s not all doom and gloom for hatchbacks, sedans, wagons, people-movers and sports cars.

Micro cars and people-movers had especially mighty Mays, up 160 and 151 per cent respectively. In both cases, growth is being driven predominantly by a Kia – the Picanto in the micro-car class and the Carnival in people-movers.

City cars were up 92 per cent month on month, medium cars were up 44 per cent and small cars increased 24 per cent.

Small cars, however, are one of only three segments posting a sales decline so far in 2021, down three per cent. The tiny upper-large segment is down 17 per cent and small vans are down 16 per cent.

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Top 10 models

The Toyota HiLux reclaimed its regular best-selling-vehicle status in May, after being usurped by its nemesis, the Ford Ranger, in April.

HiLux is the only vehicle so far to exceed 20,000 year-to-date sales, though the Ranger still holds a slender advantage in the vastly more popular 4x4 segment – with the duo separated by just 15 units.

The Isuzu D-Max is the ute star of May 2021, with remarkable 202 per cent month-on-month growth pushing it into unfamiliar territory of fourth place and a record monthly result. Isuzu’s popular ute hadn’t previously passed 2000 units, yet crossed over the 3000 mark last month.

Mitsubishi’s Triton ute, a perennial Top 10 finisher, enjoyed a month-on-month sales jump of 168 per cent, and so far in 2021 is Australia’s sixth most popular vehicle.

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Toyota’s RAV4 couldn’t repeat its April feat of out-selling the HiLux, though another 4000-plus result secured another monthly third place for the mid-sized SUV and means a bronze medal overall already looks assured for 2021.

Demand for the outgoing Toyota LandCruiser 200 continues unabated, with the iconic 4WD placing in the top 10 for the third consecutive month – up 122 per cent month on month and up 96 per cent year to date.

There was also a rare Top 10 appearance for the Toyota (LandCruiser) Prado, placing eighth and ahead of its stablemate the Corolla and the Hyundai i30.

The two small cars had their lowest Top 10 placings yet of 2021 despite decent growth.

Both remain comfortably inside the Top 10 based on year-to-date (YTD) figures.

The Kia Cerato’s strong May enabled it to replace the Mazda CX-3 in the YTD Top 10, while the D-Max’s stellar May has catapulted the Isuzu ute into the overall Top 10 as well.

Mazda’s CX-5 medium SUV also continues to perform strongly in 2021.

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Top 10 models - May 2021

1. TOYOTA HILUX - 4402 - up 25%
2. FORD RANGER - 4254 - up 60%
3. TOYOTA RAV4 - 4014 - up 71%
4. ISUZU D-MAX - 3058 - up 202%
5. TOYOTA LANDCRUISER - 2795 - up 122%
6. MAZDA CX-5 - 2768 - up 87%
7. MITSUBISHI TRITON - 2317 - up 168%
8. TOYOTA PRADO - 2214 - up 63%
9. TOYOTA COROLLA - 2190 - up 35%
10. HYUNDAI i30 - 2127 - up 79%

Top 10 models - year to date 2021

1. TOYOTA HILUX - 22,664 - up 43%
2. FORD RANGER - 19,278 - up 47%
3. TOYOTA RAV4 - 17,858 - up 38%
4. MAZDA CX-5 - 12,272 - up 60%
5. TOYOTA COROLLA - 11,644 - up 11%
6. MITSUBISHI TRITON - 10,936 - up 59%
7. HYUNDAI i30 - 10,808 - up 36%
8. ISUZU D-MAX - 10,638 - up 114%
9. TOYOTA LANDCRUISER - 10,459 - up 96%
10. KIA CERATO - 8045 - up 16%

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TOP 10 BRANDS

Toyota achieved a record May as it once again accounted for more than 20 per cent of the market with 21,156 sales. The Japanese brand is closing in on 100,000 sales for 2021.

The two biggest headlines for brands last month were Kia’s third place and Isuzu’s rare entry into the Top 10.

With 7124 May sales coming from nearly 160 per cent growth compared to the same month last year, Kia outsold parent company Hyundai for the first time in 2021. Hyundai’s growth is still outperforming the overall market.

Kia outsold Hyundai for the first time in a monthly period in March 2020.

Isuzu leapt into the top 10 in ninth, not far behind VW despite offering just two models – the D-Max ute and MU-X SUV. Its May sales were driven by the new-generation D-Max, with the all-new MU-X due later this year.

Ford placed fourth for the second consecutive month, with its sales once again driven predominantly by its Ranger ute and Everest SUV twins.

Mitsubishi couldn’t match its April placing of third but a closely fought May with Ford and Hyundai – just 43 units separated the three brands – means it hangs on to the last of the podium spots in the year-to-date rankings.

It’s close, however, with fewer than 2400 units splitting Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Kia and Ford after the first five months of the year.

A good month for Volkswagen has allowed it to create a wider gap to the chasing MG.

While MG’s staggering sales rise continues – up more than 400 per cent on May 2020 and up nearly 250 per cent for the year – it wasn’t enough to keep the Chinese brand in the top 10. It was just nudged out by Subaru (by 41 units), which registered a 75 per cent increase over its May 2020 sales.

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Top 10 brands - May 2021

1. TOYOTA - 21,156 - up 46%
2. MAZDA - 10,554 - up 86%
3. KIA - 7124 - up 158%
4. FORD - 6493 - up 67%
5. MITSUBISHI - 6478 - up 115%
6. HYUNDAI - 6450 - up 57%
7. NISSAN - 4307 - up 94%
8. VOLKSWAGEN - 4005 - up 44%
9. ISUZU - 3946 - UP 174%
10. SUBARU - 3547 - up 75%

Top 10 brands - year to date 2021

1. TOYOTA - 97,877 - up 31%
2. MAZDA - 48,221 - up 64%
3. MITSUBISHI - 31,802 - up 49%
4. HYUNDAI - 31,277 - up 36%
5. KIA - 30,004 - up 45%
6. FORD - 29,427 - up 47%
7. NISSAN - 19,946 - up 38%
8. SUBARU - 17,072 - up 53%
9. VOLKSWAGEN - 16,217 - up 17%
10. MG - 15,241 - up 247%

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In charts

May 2021 - Top 10 models and growth

May 2021: YTD sales Top 10

May 2021 - Overall segment sales

May 2021-2020 Category YTD sales

May 2021-2020 Category sales