VFACTS: Toyota’s HiLux shows the way

MARKET leader Toyota sold almost as many HiLux utes as Holden sold vehicles across its entire range in Australia last month, August sales figures from VFACTS show.

 

The HiLux kept ploughing ahead at the top of the sales table, earning 4275 sales – on par with the same month in 2017 – to help lift Toyota to a monthly sales tally of 18,833 vehicles,  up 1.7 per cent on August last year.

 

By contrast, Holden sales were down 37.6 per cent, to 4356 units, as every model across its range slipped into negative territory. The Commodore was worst hit with a 67 per cent plunge, to just 682 units, as stock of the locally produced model continues to dry up.

 

Holden languished in ninth place on the sales ladder last month, with a market share of 4.6 per cent, while its one-time peer, Toyota, grabbed a 19.8 per cent share – up 0.6 percentage points.

 

Holden’s decline – down 2628 units for the month – was sufficient to push the overall market into the red in August, down 1.5 per cent, to 95,221 vehicles. 

 

However, gains in SUVs helped to offset a 13.4 per cent decline in passenger-car sales and a 1.9 per cent dip in light-commercial-vehicle volume.

 

That small overall decline was just enough to drop the industry’s year-to-date below the 2017 running rate, which is now down 0.3 per cent on 786,294 sales.

 

The big winner in August was second-placed Mazda whose sales rose 26.2 per cent, to 10,740 vehicles, thanks to a big sales push that netted major gains in sales of its core models – the Mazda3 small car, CX-5 medium SUV, Mazda2 light hatch and BT-50 ute.

 

Hyundai, in the third place, also enjoyed a sales rise, up 2.6 per cent to 8006 vehicles, while Mitsubishi continued its strong performance with a 6.3 per cent gain, to 7067 units.

 

Ford’s recent good form took a 10.3 per cent hit, its sales down to 5962, placing it in fifth position ahead of Volkswagen (4637, -2.0%), Kia (4620, +2.5%) and Nissan (4440, +8.4%).

 

SUV sales are running at record pace, with August’s tally of 41,271 units the best yet for that month and representing an 8.3 per cent rise on the corresponding period last year. Year to date, the SUV gain is 9.0 per cent.

 

Last month, two of the SUV segment’s big winners were the segment-topping Mazda CX-5 (2599 units, +26.9%) and Toyota Prado (2019, +79.1%).

 

Toyota’s Corolla took out the passenger-car crown, with 3033 sales, despite being in changeover to a new model. In second place again was the Mazda3 on 2969 sales.

 

In the pick-up segment, Toyota’s HiLux (4275) showed a clean pair of heels to Ford’s Ranger (3515) and Mitsubishi’s Triton (1742).

 

In the luxury segment, Mercedes-Benz sales slipped 11.5 per cent, to 2595 vehicles, as it ran out its old C-Class stock ahead of the arrival of the facelifted model. 

 

However, it was still able to finish ahead of BMW (1760, -12.2%) and Audi (1067, -25.8%), with the latter hit by a 49.3 per cent decline in A4 sales.

Top 10 selling brands August 2018

Position	Brand	Sales	Variance%	Share%
1	Toyota	18,833	+1.7	19.8
2	Mazda	10,740	+26.2	11.3
3	Hyundai	8006	+2.6	8.4
4	Mitsubishi	7067	+6.3	7.4
5	Ford	5962	-10.3	6.3
6	Volkswagen	4637	-2.0	4.9
7	Kia	4620	+2.5	4.9
8	Nissan	4440	+8.4	4.7
9	Holden	4356	-37.6	4.6
10	Subaru	3845	-16.0	4.0

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