LCV market stemming the sales slump

THE new car market continues to stabilise in Australia, despite the 31st consecutive month of decreasing sales for the industry.

A key cog to stem the sales slump has been the LCV market, with light commercials claiming 23.6 per cent of the overall market in October - up a whopping 11.6 per cent compared to October 2019.

In fact, of the five best-selling cars in the country for the month of October, four of them were cars we're all too familiar with here at 4X4 HQ: the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Toyota LandCruiser and Toyota Prado - rounding out the top five was yet another Toyota, the RAV4.

“The green shoots that we are seeing in October give us great hope that we may begin to see further recovery during the coming months," said Tony Weber, chief executive of the FCAI.

“Nationally, the state of industry operations is returning to normal as COVID-19 restrictions ease. Additionally, Government initiatives such as a constructive budget that included the instant asset write off, along with more accessible finance for consumers, is also acting as a welcome stimulus for the industry.

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Unsurprisingly, the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux remain the most popular four-wheel drives for the Aussie buyer, selling 3808 and 3406 units respectively in October.

The biggest mover for the month was the Toyota Prado, with sales up by 1387 units month-to-month. Toyota shifted a total of 2207 units compared to 820 in September, with the dramatic jump in sales seeing the Prado squeeze onto the 4x4 sales podium for October.

The new D-MAX 4x4 has also shown growth, following its arrival on local soil in September. IUA sold a total of 1330 units in October, up from 856 in September.

And, in news that will shock no-one, Toyota remains the dominant brand for overall vehicle sales, registering 19,505 for the month. Trailing Toyota on the charts are Mazda (7457) and Hyundai (5951).

As restrictions further ease, especially in Victoria, we expect new sales to continue to strengthen as we enter 2021.

4X4 SALES: OCTOBER 2020

1: Ford Ranger: 3808
2: Toyota Hilux: 3406
3: Toyota Prado: 2207
4: Toyota LC200: 1640
5: Isuzu D-MAX: 1330
6: Nissan Navara: 923
7: Mitsubishi Triton: 826
8: Toyota LC79: 789
9: LDV T60: 606
10: Ford Everest: 601

4X4 SALES: YEAR TO DATE (OCTOBER 2020)

1: Ford Ranger: 30,185
2: Toyota Hilux: 26,459
3: Mitsubishi Triton: 12,974
4: Toyota Prado: 12,932
5: Toyota LC200: 10,862
6: Nissan Navara: 7834
7: Toyota LC79: 7771
8: Isuzu D-MAX: 7411
9: Holden Colorado: 6622
10: VW Amarok: 5757