VFACTS: New July record set

AUSTRALIAN new car buyers drove home 96,859 vehicles last month to make it the best July result yet recorded.

The result represents an increase of 14.7 per cent on the same month in 2022, and breaks the previous record, set in July 2017, by an impressive 4105 units.

According to FCAI chief executive, Tony Weber, the July 2023 result is an indication that the market is continuing to recover from COVID-19 related supply constraints, plant shutdowns and microprocessor shortages, and logistics and supply bottlenecks.

“During the past 12 months, the issue has been one of securing supply for consumers, however as these pressures ease, we are starting to see a return to more stable market conditions,” he said.

Indeed, the Australian new car market has been on an upward trajectory for the majority of 2023.

January sales totalled 84,873 unit sales, an increase of 11.9 per cent over the same time in 2022. February increases were incremental at just 1.8 per cent over 2022 with 86,878 unit sales, while March sales actually declined 3.9 per cent to 97,251 when viewed against the same month in 2022.

April new car sales figures rebounded slightly, up 1.3 per cent to 82,137 units, while May set a record with 105,694 new vehicles registered, an increase of 12.0 per cent over the previous year. June sales were also considerable, with buyers taking home 124,926 new vehicles – 25 per cent more than in June 2022.

But Mr Weber cautioned that the higher sales results witnessed in July are largely the result of the equalisation of supply, and said it was important that the industry does not become complacent.

“Many of these vehicles were ordered several months ago, so it is important to monitor the broader economic conditions through 2023 and their impact on private and business demand,” he said.

Importantly, Mr Weber noted that sales in the passenger vehicle segment are at historically low levels as buyers continue to transition into SUVs.

“Passenger vehicles now represent 17.7 per cent of the market in July, while the SUV category now sits at 58.9 per cent. However, contrary to widely help opinion, not all SUVs are large vehicles as 75 per cent of SUV sales are in the medium, small, and light categories,” he added.

Toyota remained the highest-selling importer in July with 19,191 sales, followed by Mazda with 8307 unit sales the Ford (7109), Hyundai (6521) and Kia (6150).

The Ford Ranger was Australia’s best-selling vehicle in July with 5143 unit sales. It was followed by the Toyota HiLux with 4670 registrations, then the MG ZS (pictured, 3852), Tesla Model Y (3330) and Toyota RAV4 (2750).

Sales of zero- and low-emissions vehicles (ZLEVs) continued to climb throughout July with 17.9 per cent of all new vehicle sales now offering some form of electrification. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 7.0 per cent of all new vehicles sold in July, according to the FCAI.

And with the majority of ZLEV models sourced from China, it is perhaps no surprise that the number of vehicles imported to Australia from the PRC has increased dramatically. In July,15,853 of the new vehicles registered were made in China, an uptick of 130.1 per cent on the same month last year.

Finally, and in analysing regional discrepancies across the nation, we find increases in every state and territory when compared with July 2022.

Sales in the Australian Capital Territory rose by 22.4 per cent (to 1438 units), New South Wales 11.3 per cent (29,516), the Northern Territory 19.4 per cent (903), Queensland 4.3 per cent (19,719), South Australia 17.0 per cent (6612), Tasmania 33.9 per cent (1777), Victoria 22.7 per cent (27,097), and Western Australia 21.6 per cent (9797).

Top 10 vehicle sales by make (July 2023):

Top 10 vehicle sales by model (July 2023):

State by state (July 2023):

*All sales data supplied courtesy of the FCAI.