VFACTS September 2021: New-car sales set to pass one-million mark despite disruptions

Australia’s new-car market is on course to pass one million units despite supply issues and lockdowns continuing to disrupt showroom results.

The latest official industry data reveals 83,312 vehicles were sold last month. The figure represents a 21 per cent increase on September 2020, though is the second-lowest September tally since 2011.

Total sales for the year now stand at 816,140, a 27 per cent increase on this time last year when the market continued to be most heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

New South Wales again accounted for the biggest slice of the nation’s new-car sales despite an eight per cent decrease to 23,965 units. Victoria sales of 20,495 were nearly double its particularly troubled September 2020, a 96 per cent increase that nudged the state past Queensland’s 20,062 units.

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2021 Ford Ranger

Industry body the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) said September’s results were encouraging, but acknowledged the ongoing lockdowns and global microprocessor shortages were restricting market progress.

“For many manufacturers, [the September sales result] is bittersweet with the knowledge of what could have been achieved in a normal trading environment,” said FCAI chief executive Tony Weber.

“These are challenging times, but automotive manufacturers are rising to meet them. Brands are working across their supply chains to deal with microprocessor issues and consumers are embracing online purchasing through click and collect delivery options.

“In many respects these figures give the industry great encouragement and excitement for what will be possible in 2022 when lockdowns will hopefully be a thing of the past.”

Passenger car sales have recovered by only five per cent compared with this month last year and are up only seven per cent year to date. September sales of 18,531 places passenger cars behind light commercial vehicles (20,035 units) and the dominant SUVs (40,832 units).

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2021 Toyota HiLux

Ute sales lead the way for individual segments. Combined 4x4 and 4x2 ute sales are 17,327, though 14,476 units for 4x4 utes alone places them above the next most popular category of mid-sized SUVs (14,031 units).

Large SUVs were third in September, courtesy of a 46 per cent sales increase to 11,145 units. Small SUVs placed fourth with 10,750 units.

Small-car sales were static at just over 9500 units, and down nearly four per cent year to date.

Micro cars were the biggest grower in September, with a 64 per cent increase, albeit representing just 697 vehicles. People-movers were up 54 per cent to 844 units for the month.

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2022 Toyota LandCruiser Prado

Top 10 models

The Ford Ranger outsold the Toyota HiLux for only the third time this year, making the locally developed ute the best-selling vehicle for September.

It put only a small dent in the HiLux’s overall 2021 lead, however, while Toyota vehicles accounted for half of the top 10 model sales for the second time this year after the Camry sedan made its first appearance of 2021 in the list.

The Hyundai i30 maintained its 100 per cent top 10 record for 2021, if comprehensively outsold by the rival Corolla – which increased sales by a huge 139 per cent. The gap was close to 1500 units.

Isuzu's D-Max has also never left the top 10 this year, leaving another ute as the surprise for the month. Sales of the Mazda BT-50 jumped by nearly 180 per cent compared with September 2020 to just sneak into the best-sellers list.

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2021 Hyundai i30

The BT-50’s cause was aided by a rare falter for the Japanese brand’s mid-sized SUV. CX-5 sales dropped 20 per cent to 1415 sales to push it out of the top 10 for the first time this year, and a single unit below the rival Hyundai Tucson (1416 sales).

Mitsubishi’s ASX compact SUV made only its third appearance of 2021 in the top 10, though the company’s Triton ute has missed out for the third consecutive month after being a regular fixture in the first half of the year.

Notable results for vehicles outside the top 10 include the Subaru Outback wagon (up 286 per cent to 1162 units), just-launched new-generation Isuzu MU-X SUV (up 203 per cent to 1297 units), and new Toyota Kluger seven-seater SUV (up 127 per cent to 1266 units). The LandCruiser 200 wagon has hogged the sales headlines in 2021 so far, but in September it was the turn of the 70-series ute with 1314 units - a 116 per cent increase on September last year.

With just three months of 2021 remaining, the HiLux remains clear favourite to be Australia’s favourite vehicle yet again. Toyota’s RAV4 and Corolla also look well set to win their respective SUV and small-car segments.

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2021 Isuzu D-Max

Top 10 models: September 2021

1) Ford Ranger - 4192 + 12% (v September 2020)
2) Toyota HiLux - 3635 + 1%
3) Toyota Corolla - 3487 + 139%
4) Toyota RAV4 - 3390 + 39%
5) Toyota Prado - 2173 + 165%
6) Hyundai i30 - 2034 + 14%
7) Isuzu D-Max - 1833 + 64%
8) Toyota Camry - 1610 + 35%
9) Mitsubishi ASX - 1489 + 58%
10) Mazda BT-50 - 1444 + 177%

Top 10 models: 2021 year to date

1) Toyota HiLux – 40,791
2) Ford Ranger – 37,551
3) Toyota RAV4 – 29,263
4) Toyota Corolla – 23,404
5) Mazda CX-5 – 21,333
6) Isuzu D-Max – 20,006
7) Hyundai i30 – 19,134
8) Toyota Prado – 17,326
9) Mitsubishi Triton– 16,148
10) Kia Cerato – 14,802

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2021 Mazda CX-5

Top 10 brands

Toyota last month sold more than triple the number of vehicles shifted by the next most popular car maker.

The Japanese brand increased month-on-month sales by 56 per cent to again register more than 20,000 monthly sales.

Second-placed Mazda suffered a seven per cent decline to post 6555 sales for September.

Ford Australia had a strong month, with a 20 per cent increase not only placing it third for September – but pushing it ahead of Hyundai in the overall 2021 manufacturer race by just 100 units.

Korean affiliate brands Hyundai and Kia both had a relatively flat month, up just three and one per cent, respectively.

A nine per cent year-on-year increase for Nissan sales couldn’t prevent the Japanese brand from missing out on the top 10 manufacturers list for the third consecutive month.

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2021 Mitsubishi ASX

Nissan has been replaced in seventh place in overall 2021 sales by Volkswagen.

Outside the Top 10, September was a disappointing month for German luxury brands. Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz all endured sales decreases – down 12, 27 and 17 per cent, respectively – while Porsche dropped 34 per cent.

Lexus sales grew 90 per cent compared with September last year, equating to 689 units and contributing to year-to-date growth of 25 per cent.

British luxury brand Jaguar also defied a difficult year so far to post a 71 per cent increase in September to 104 units.

Positive stand-out September results beyond those brands in the Top 10 included Peugeot (up 198 per cent to 486 units), GWM (up 197 per cent to 1801 units), SsangYong (up 139 per cent to 234 units), Lotus (up 100 per cent to 12 units), Jeep (up 65 per cent to 795 units), and LDV (up 51 per cent to 1372 units).

Peugeot's sister brand Citroen sold just seven cars last month, putting it ahead of only McLaren (6 units) and Rolls-Royce (2 units) of the established brands.

Honda's 2021 struggles also continue. The Japanese brand's September sales were down 45 per cent, with year-to-date sales down 39 per cent.

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2021 Mazda BT-50

Top 10 brands: September 2021

1) Toyota - 20,216 + 56% (v September 2020)
2) Mazda - 6555 – 7%
3) Ford - 5759 + 20%
4) Hyundai - 5457 + 3%
5) Kia - 5155 + 1%
6) Mitsubishi - 4605 + 10%
7) VW - 3791 + 9%
8) Isuzu Ute - 3130 + 102%
9) Subaru - 3062 + 44%
10) MG - 3010 + 94%

Top 10 brands: 2021 year to date

1) Toyota - 176,771
2) Mazda - 83,565
3) Ford - 54,269
4) Hyundai - 54,169
5) Kia - 53,316
6) Mitsubishi - 52,152
7) Volkswagen - 32,315
8) Nissan - 31,652
9) MG - 28,878
10) Subaru - 28,763

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2022 Mitsubishi Outlander

In charts

September 2021 - Top 10 models

September 2021 - YTD sales top 10

September 2021 - Overall segment sales

September 2021-2020 category sales

September 2021-2020 YTD category sales

2021 YTD model sales race