FCAI releases March 2020 new vehicle sales figures
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the peak body for the automotive industry, has today announced new vehicle sales figures for the month of March 2020.
Sales for the month totalled 81,690, consisting of 21,777 passenger vehicles for a 26.7 per cent share of the market, 39,171 SUVs (48.0 per cent share) and 18,162 light commercial vehicles (22.2 per cent share).
These figures represent negative growth of 17.9 per cent when compared to March 2019 and are mainly attributed to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general economy.
Toyota was the best-selling brand in March, with 17,583 sales recorded. In second place was Mazda with 6,819 sales, followed by Mitsubishi with 6,002 sales, Kia with 5,654 sales and Hyundai with 5,306 sales.
The top-selling vehicle in March was the Toyota Hi-Lux with 3,556 sales, followed by the Ford Ranger (3,108 sales), Toyota RAV 4 (2,991 sales), Toyota Corolla (2,812 sales) and the Holden Colorado (2,391 sales).
Tony Weber, chief executive of the FCAI, said that despite the difficult conditions, numerous automotive dealerships around Australia remained open.
“Many dealerships have opted to remain open to maintain support for customers, particularly from a service perspective, during this difficult period.
“Of particular importance are first responder and essential services vehicles. We must keep these vehicles on the road to ensure our communities continue to function and remain safe.
“In addition, we need to ensure those who physically attend their workplace can travel safely. The motor vehicle is a safe form of transport during the pandemic, allowing occupants to preserve their personal distance from other commuters.
“Within dealerships, customer safety is of the highest priority, and automotive brands have initiated a variety of enhanced hygiene protocols and contactless consultations to maintain personal distance,” Mr Weber said.
The March monthly result represents the 24th consecutive month of negative growth for the automotive industry in Australia and has been caused by a number of issues over the past two years, including environmental, political and economic factors.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Summary by Class:
Key Points:
- The March 2020 market of 81,690 new vehicle sales is a decrease of 17,752 vehicle sales or -17.9% on March 2019 (99,442) vehicle sales. March 2020 had the same number of selling days as March 2019 (25.5) and this resulted in a decrease of 696.2 vehicle sales per day.
- The Passenger Vehicle Market is down by 7,222 vehicle sales (-24.9%) over the same month last year; the Sports Utility Market is down by 6,489 vehicle sales (-14.2%);
the Light Commercial Market is down by 3,326 vehicle sales (-15.5%); and the
Heavy Commercial Vehicle Market is down by 715 vehicle sales (-21.7%) versus
March 2019. - Toyota was market leader in March, followed by Mazda and Mitsubishi. Toyota led Mazda with a margin of 10,764 vehicle sales and 13.2 market share points.
SALES RESULTS
Source: VFACTS
Top 10 individual models (by sales volume): State/Territory results (by sales volume):
Total Vehicle Sales – Year to Date:
VFACTS monthly vehicle sales data is available at noon on the third working day after the end of every month.