VFACTS: Record H1 as June sales slip

JUNE sales data shows Australian new car buyers took delivery of 119,659 vehicles during June to mark the end of the 2023-24 financial year.

Though that number represents a decrease of 4.2 per cent over the same time last year – and the first downward move in 14 months – overall first-half sales are up 8.7 per cent (to 632,412 units), surpassing the previous record of 605,522 units set in 2018.

The FCAI says the significant year-to-date milestone highlights the sustained demand for new vehicles across Australia and are encouraging considering the ongoing economic challenges being faced.

“The end of the financial year has traditionally been a strong month for vehicle sales and achieving 632,412 sales in just six months is a testament to the resilience of the market,” said FCAI chief executive Tony Weber.

The demand for SUVs and light commercial vehicles continues to drive the market, contributing 54.5 per cent and 23.3 per cent respectively to monthly sales figures. The FCAI says the ongoing popularity of SUVs and light commercial vehicles demonstrates the versatility and practicality these vehicles offer to Australian consumers.

Key segment splits for June show SUV sales (65,248) ahead of light commercial vehicles (27,880), and well ahead of passenger vehicle (21,065) and heavy commercial vehicle sales (5466).

Ford’s Ranger was again the top-selling vehicle in June with a tally of 6289 units (or 5.3 market share points). It led the Toyota HiLux (with 5630 unit sales), Toyota RAV4 (3907), Mitsubishi Outlander (3045), and Tesla Model Y (2906).

Toyota was the market leader again in June with a total of 20,903 registrations for the month (or 17.5 per cent market share points). Toyota was followed by Ford (9493 units), Mazda (9483), Kia (8225), and Mitsubishi (7723).

Interestingly, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales have seen a notable increase in market share, capturing 14.4 per cent of the market compared with 7.8 per cent at this time last year and reflecting a growing customer preference for more sustainable vehicle options.

Battery electric vehicle sales, however, were down slightly against the same time last year, reflecting global trends.

“Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) saw a slight decrease in sales accounting for 8.0 per cent of new sales, down from 8.8 per cent at the same month last year,” said Mr Weber.

However, Australia has experienced an overall increase in BEV sales year-to-date, accounting for 50,219 yearly sales compared with 43,092 at the same time last year.

“We hope to break the significant milestone of 100,000 EV sales in 2024,” added Mr Weber.

Across jurisdictions, we find the Australian Capital Territory with the same new car sales total as this time last year (1856), but all other states and territories down.

Western Australia decreased most significantly with 12,079 unit sales for the month of June (down 7.6 per cent) followed by Queensland with 26,265 unit sales (down 6.3 per cent), the Northern Territory 1028 unit sales (down 5.3 per cent), Victoria 32,256 unit sales (down 4.7 per cent), New South Wales 36,246 unit sales (down 2.1 per cent), Tasmania 1897 unit sales (down 1.4 per cent), and South Australia 7932 unit sales (down 0.5 per cent).

Top 10 vehicle sales by make (June 2024):

Top 10 vehicle sales by model (June 2024):

State by state (June 2024):

*All data supplied courtesy of the FCAI.