2014 car sales: Australian new-car market down 2.0 percent

NEW car sales dropped 2.0 percent in Australia in 2014, but for the seventh time in eight years exceeded one million units in the face of gloom over the end of local manufacturing.

According to official VFACTS figures released this morning, Australians bought 1,113,224 new vehicles last year, only 23,003 fewer than the 2013 tally, which was a record.

Toyota was comfortably the top-selling brand again, despite a 5.2 percent drop, shifting 203,501 vehicles – about twice as many as Holden (down 5.3 percent to 106,092), Mazda (down 2.4 percent to 100,704) and Hyundai (up 3.1 percent to 100,011).

Ford dropped further behind its rivals, shedding 8.6 percent to 79,703 units, but was spared the ignominy of dropping lower than fifth by declines for both Mitsubishi (down 4.0 percent to 68,637) and Nissan (down a massive 14.0 percent to 66,025).

Australia’s love affair with SUVs continues unabated, sales increasing 5.6 percent while passenger car sales fell 6.1 percent and light commercials dropped 3.2 percent.