VFACTS June sales: Trade utes claim top three spots

TRADE utes have snared the top three spots in June’s new-car sales race as the number of buyers jumping into the market for end of financial year bargains dried up.

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The Toyota Hilux was Australia’s best-selling vehicle in June, snaring 5787 sales for the month, its third-largest result on record, VFACTS data due for official release later today will reveal. That placed it leagues ahead of the second-placed Ford Ranger, which accumulated 4768 sales for the month.

However, when it comes down to more lucrative private buyer-focussed 4x4 trade ute sales, the win was all in Ranger’s favour. It attracted 4236 new owners compared with the 4x4 Hilux’s 4032 in a repeat of what happened at the end of the 2017-18 financial year.

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In third place was the Mitsubishi Triton, with 3919 sales. That was enough to nose it ahead of the Toyota Corolla, Australia’s best-selling passenger car, with just 3780 sales.

The market fell 2.9 percent to 130,300 sales compared with the same month last year, dragging the market’s progress over the first half to just 1.0 percent ahead of where it was last year as the nation’s big markets – NSW, Victoria and Queensland – all softened.

Hard-hit in June were private, business and rental passenger cars, down 17.9 percent in the month compared with June last year. Some of those sales were lost to SUVs, which claimed 57 percent of all passenger car sales but still only managed to climb 9.3 percent to fall short of offsetting the passenger car losses.

In terms of passenger cars, the Hyundai i30 finished behind the Corolla with 3547 sales in June, the introduction of a cut-price model that hits the old model’s $19,990 price point obviously pulling people into showrooms. The Mazda 3, on 3327 sales, was third.

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The best-placed SUV, and trailing the Mazda 3, was the Mazda CX-5, attracting 3136 buyers, followed by the Toyota RAV4 on 2690 sales.

In the battle of the badges, Toyota again dominated the market, with its 23,171 sales for the month representing a skinnier 17.8 percent market share. Mazda (12,469 sales), with its two top-five performers, nudged Hyundai (10,436) out of the way to claim second spot ahead of Mitsubishi (10,232) and Ford (7492, with Mustang’s 635 sales making it the marque’s secopnd-best seller). After a less-than-stellar run, Holden (7385) is back in form, taking sixth spot as Colorado (2472) and Commodore (1159 split between 946 ZB and 213 VFII sales) dominated the ledger.

Honda was a winner for the month, edging almost 30 percent higher compared with the same month last year as the CR-V (2232), HR-V (1760) and Civic (1750) all performed well.

Mercedes-Benz (3768), BMW (2636), Audi (2028) and Lexus (961) either stalled or fell for the month, with the more niche players – Land Rover (1297), Volvo (643), Mini (466) and Jaguar (361) – all showing strong gains.

Chinese upstart MG, meanwhile, snared 330 sales for the month, throwing out the challenge to relaunched French brand Peugeot (359).

Two supercar brands continue to do well despite the weaker market sentiment. Ferrari sold 23 cars in June, putting its year-to-date sales at 121 and 19.8 percent ahead of where it was last year. At 65, Lamborghini is a single sale ahead of last year. And in June, 19 Mercedes-AMG GT sports cars made their way into buyers’ garages.

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Aston Martin sold its second Rapide for the year in June, and Hyundai’s Genesis expanded its G80 fleet by a single car ahead of the brand’s expected relaunch later this year as a standalone luxury marque, bringing the number of its G80 test fleet plying our roads to five.

TOP 20 PASSENGER CARS FOR JUNE 2018

TOP 20 PASSENGER CARS FOR JUNE 2018

RANK MODEL SALES (Jun ‘18) SALES (Jun ‘17)

1. Toyota Corolla 3780 3830
2. Hyundai i30 3547 3471
3. Mazda3 3327 3490
4. Mazda CX-5 3136 2487
5. Toyota RAV4 2690 2460
6. Kia Cerato 2485 2452
7. Volkswagen Golf 2317 2246
8. Honda CR-V 2232 469
9. Nissan Qashqai 2198 1510
10. Nissan X-Trail 2151 2126
11. Mitsubishi ASX 2053 2247
12. Hyundai Tucson 2000 3741
13. Mitsubishi Outlander 1881 2317
14. Mazda CX-3 1869 1974
15. Honda HR-V 1760 1606
16. Toyota Kluger 1757 1464
17. Honda Civic 1750 1777
18. Toyota Prado 1688 1971
19. Hyundai Accent 1522 1874
20. Kia Sportage 1499 1776
    *Source: Preliminary VFACTS data

TOP 20 BRANDS FOR JUNE*

RANK BRAND SALES (Jun ‘18) SALES (Jun ‘17)

1. Toyota 23,171 24,546
2. Mazda 12,469 12,501
3. Hyundai 10,436 12,251
4. Mitsubishi 10,232 9,266
5. Ford 7492 8853
6. Holden 7385 9273
7. Kia 7067 6737
8. Honda 7013 5412
9. Nissan 6604 6690
10. Volkswagen 6334 6447
11. Subaru 4920 5201
12. Mercedes-Benz 3768 4225
13. Isuzu Ute 3279 3566
14. BMW 2636 2630
15. Audi 2028 2153
16. Suzuki 2024 2077
17. Land Rover 1297 1063
18. Renault 1231 1206
19. Isuzu 1059 986
20. Lexus 961 1080
    *Source: Preliminary VFACTS data