VFACTS June 2019: Dual-cab utes remain most popular with buyers

PEOPLE are still buying dual-cab utes, despite a consistent slump in new vehicle sales on the overall market.

The overall Light Commercial Vehicle market may be down by 1974 sales (-7.0%) compared to June 2018, but both the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux have remained the best-selling vehicles on the market.

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A total of 4396 Ranger 4x4s exchanged hands last month (a month-to-month spike of +3.8%), while 3891 new Toyota Hilux 4x4s were sold (a -3.5% drop month-to-month). The next best-selling vehicle was the Hyundai i30.

Other big improvers on the 4x4 charts this month include the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (+12.7% compared to June 2018), Toyota Prado (+21.1%), Nissan Patrol (+55.0%), LDV T60 (+54.2%) and Ford Everest (+19.8%).

The FCAI reported a sales dip of 9.6 per cent in June 2019, with a total of 117,817 units sold. In June 2018, 130,300 units had been sold.

“Over the past six months we have seen various conditions and circumstances which adversely affected the market. These include a tightening of financial lending, environmental factors such as drought and flood, and a strongly contested federal election,” said Tony Weber, chief executive of the FCAI.

“In addition, the continuing incursion of Luxury Car Tax on a federal level, and now in some cases on a state level as well, is a major disincentive. It could just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for the new car buyer.”

A total of 26,372 LCVs were sold in June 2019, up from 19,178 sales in May.