Market Insight: Medium van sales rising

BY MATT BROGAN | 12th Aug 2024

THE mid-size van market might not seem that important – unless of course you are one of the estimated 331,650 trade and delivery drivers in Australia who rely on a ‘white van’ daily.

Australians now buy almost as many mid-sized vans each year as two-wheel drive utes, those numbers running at a steady rate of 1800-odd units per month – a considerable uptick over pre-pandemic times.

VFACTS figures show the mid-size van market has soared by almost 36 per cent since 2019, keeping in step with an increase in deliveries spurred by the rise of online shopping.

According to Australia Post, four in five households made an online purchase at least once in the past 12 months. Add to this a marked increase in the number of delivery services vying for our business and it is easy to understand why so many mid-size vans are hitting the road.

But which mid-size vans are delivering serious sales volumes for their importers?

Year-to-date figures show the ubiquitous Toyota HiAce leading the way with exactly 6800 sales recorded to the end of July – a 45.9 per cent share of the segment.

This is enough for the HiAce to outsell its nearest rival by more than three to one, the Hyundai Staria Load in second place with 2211 deliveries (and a 14.9 per cent market share).

Where it really gets interesting is the middle of the pack. Here, the Ford Transit Custom (1799 YTD sales and 12.1 per cent market share) vies almost neck and neck with the vastly more affordable LDV G10 (1879 sold /12.7 per cent share) – with just 80 units dividing the pair.

Numbers nosedive from here on out with the Renault Trafic (883 units / 6.0 per cent share), Volkswagen Transporter (492 sold / 3.3 per cent share), Mercedes-Benz Vito (237 units / 1.6 per cent share) and a handful of others managing sales in the hundreds of units only.

Analysing those models that were available in July 2019 and which remain available today – and remembering the Hyundai iLoad was succeeded by the Staria Load in 2022 – growth went to the Ford Transit Custom (up 602 units), LDV G10 (up 1069 units), Peugeot Expert (up 168 units), and Toyota HiAce (up 3313 units).

All others have flagged, with Hyundai Staria Load (down 346 units), LDV V80 (down 94 units), Mercedes-Benz Vito (down 41 units), Renault Trafic (down 258 units), and Volkswagen Transporter (down 542 units albeit with a new-generation model incoming).

**Medium van sales YTD at July*:**

Make/Model	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Ford Transit Custom	1799	1965	704	2121	1433	1197
Hyundai Staria Load^	2211	1579	2355	1637	1777	2557
LDV G10	1879	2195	1837	1637	685	810
LDV V80	219	396	198	358	286	313
Mercedes-Benz Vito	237	525	486	623	694	278
Peugeot Expert	209	196	170	171	140	41
Renault Trafic	883	762	732	1413	923	1141
Toyota HiAce	6800	3978	5558	5581	3605	3487
Volkswagen Transporter	492	517	764	1180	454	1034