New car sales dipped 9.7 per cent in June on the back of ongoing tight supply – and Australia’s car brands say we’ll be stuck in this holding pattern for some time yet.
The June sales figure according to today’s VFACTS data – checked against registrations – was 99,974 cars, against 110,664 units in the same month last year. There were 25 selling days in both June 2022 and June 2021, resulting in a decrease of 424 vehicle sales per day.
At the half-year mark, sales are 537,858 cars, down 5.2 per cent on the 2021 tally. It still puts the market easily on track to top one-million annual sales though, so the sky isn’t falling…
It’s a supply-side issue, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), rather than reflective of dwindling demand as Aussies prepare for rate hikes and suffer inflation.
“Globally, car makers are continuing to suffer from plant shutdowns. In Europe we have component supply heavily impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. Microprocessors continue to be in short supply and global shipping remains unpredictable,” said FCAI CEO Tony Weber.
“While demand for new cars remains strong in Australia, it is unlikely we will see supply chain issues resolve in the near future.”
There’ll probably be some lag between any future dwindling in demand and its reflection on the sales charts, because many of the vehicles counted as sold each month will be satisfying existing orders made months back.
It wasn’t all bad news though. Take Kia, which set a new market-share record and finished second overall – extending its YTD lead over Hyundai and banishing Mazda to fourth for June.
On the model front, the top-selling Toyota HiLux also set a new sales record, outgunning its three main ute rivals combined.
Brands
Toyota was miles out in front with a massive 22.6 per cent market share, and topping nine separate market segments.
Kia grabbed an all-time high 8.5 per cent share, and finished second in market ahead of Hyundai, which relegated usual number-two Mazda (down nearly 50 per cent as supply dried up) into fourth spot.
Mitsubishi grabbed fifth, pushing Ford to sixth as it awaits deliveries of the new Ranger and Everest – about 20,000 pre-orders and counting. Next was China’s MG, though its sales appear to be hitting a plateau after a few years of massive growth from relatively low bases.
Mercedes-Benz nabbed its best order intake for the year, and separately finished eighth in the market, ahead of Subaru and Isuzu Ute to round off the top 10.
Brands whose deliveries tumbled at a rate greater than the market included Volkswagen (down 36 per cent), BMW (24.4 per cent), Nissan (52.8 per cent as it awaits a glut of new models), LDV (40.1 per cent), Skoda (21.4 per cent), Jeep (24.6 per cent), Lexus (37.8 per cent), and Land Rover (55.5 per cent).
It wasn’t all doom and gloom. GWM (Great Wall Motor including Haval) grabbed its best market share tally to date, at 2.4 per cent, and a 13th-place finish. Suzuki also had a cracker, up 35.3 per cent, as did Porsche to be up 53 per cent.
| Brand | Sales | Change* |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota | 22,561 | 7.0% |
| Kia | 8480 | 7.5% |
| Hyundai | 8259 | 12.3% |
| Mazda | 6245 | -48.9% |
| Mitsubishi | 5846 | 3.6% |
| Ford | 4972 | -41.2% |
| MG | 4403 | 2.3% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 4267 | 10.4% |
| Subaru | 3575 | 18.3% |
| Isuzu Ute | 3457 | -12.8% |
| Volkswagen | 2993 | -36.0% |
| Suzuki | 2536 | 35.3% |
| GWM | 2440 | 17.6% |
| BMW | 2327 | -24.4% |
| Nissan | 1907 | -52.8% |
| Audi | 1618 | 0.6% |
| Volvo Car | 1174 | 8.4% |
| Renault | 1080 | -8.9% |
| Honda | 1036 | 6.0% |
| LDV | 1033 | -40.1% |
| Skoda | 692 | -21.4% |
| Jeep | 659 | -24.6% |
| Ram Trucks | 633 | 9.0% |
| Porsche | 629 | 53.0% |
| Lexus | 617 | -37.8% |
| Land Rover | 404 | -55.5% |
| Mini | 323 | -43.3% |
| SsangYong | 308 | 4.4% |
| Polestar | 201 | – |
| Peugeot | 173 | -30.8% |
| Tesla | 172 | – |
| Chevrolet | 147 | -53.3% |
| Genesis | 120 | 41.2% |
| Fiat | 81 | -27.0% |
| Maserati | 79 | 19.7% |
| Jaguar | 71 | -71.5% |
| Alfa Romeo | 59 | -18.1% |
| Bentley | 24 | 14.3% |
| Ferrari | 20 | 53.8% |
| Aston Martin | 19 | 171.4% |
| Citroen | 14 | -36.4% |
| Lamborghini | 12 | -25.0% |
| Rolls-Royce | 8 | 100.0% |
| Chrysler | 7 | -12.5% |
| McLaren | 7 | -30.0% |
| Lotus | 2 | -60.0% |
Models
There were some standouts from among the top-sellers list, beyond the HiLux’s sheer dominance.
For example the Hyundai Tucson finished second, its best ladder result to date, and sufficient to banish the supply-constrained Toyota RAV4 to second-in-segment.
The MG HS grabbed its first top 10 finish, and for the first time the company’s biggest and most expensive car was also its most popular.
The GWM Ute outsold the Mazda BT-50 and Nissan Navara for the month thanks to some overdue arrivals.
- Toyota HiLux – 7582
- Hyundai Tucson – 2840
- Ford Ranger – 2802
- Toyota Corolla – 2605
- Toyota RAV4 – 2586
- Isuzu D-Max – 2383
- Kia Sportage – 2044
- Mitsubishi Triton – 2014
- Hyundai i30 – 1801
- MG HS – 1795
- Mitsubishi Outlander – 1714
- Toyota Kluger – 1655
- Kia Cerato – 1597
- Toyota Prado – 1578
- Toyota Landcruiser Wagon – 1518
- MG ZS – 1402
- GWM Ute – 1315
- Toyota LandCruiser Ute – 1265
- Subaru Outback – 1264
- Ford Everest – 1234
- Hyundai Kona – 1210
- MG 3 – 1206
- Mazda BT-50 – 1205
- Mazda CX-3 –1201
- Mazda CX-5 – 1116
- Kia Carnival – 1101
- Isuzu MU-X – 1074
- Kia Stonic – 1071
- Kia Seltos – 1010
- Toyota HiAce – 973
Segments
- Micro Cars: Kia Picanto (69), Mitsubishi Mirage (52), Fiat 500 (32)
- Light Cars under $25,000: MG 3 (1206), Suzuki Baleno (946), Kia Rio (569)
- Light Cars over $25,000: Mini Hatch (193), Audi A1 (18), Citroen C3 (7)
- Small Cars under $40,000: Toyota Corolla (2605), Hyundai i30 (1801), Kia Cerato (1597)
- Small Cars over $40,000: Mercedes-Benz A-Class (364), Audi A3 (270), BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe (153)
- Medium Cars under $60,000: Toyota Camry (558), Volkswagen Passat (75), Skoda Octavia (45)
- Medium Cars over $60,000: Mercedes-Benz C-Class (456), Mercedes-Benz CLA (214), BMW 3 Series (203)
- Large Cars under $70,000: Kia Stinger (312), Skoda Superb (95)
- Large Cars over $70,000: Audi A6 (53), Porsche Taycan (47), BMW 5 Series (39)
- Upper Large Cars: Mercedes-Benz S-Class (16), BMW 7 Series (8), Chrysler 300 (7)
- People Movers: Kia Carnival (1101), Hyundai Staria (86), Volkswagen Multivan (56)
- Sports Cars under $80,000: Ford Mustang (187), Subaru BRZ (61), Mazda MX-5 (38)
- Sports Cars over $80,000: BMW 4 Series (90), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (88), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (26)
- Sports Cars over $200,000: Porsche 911 (129), Ferrari range (20), Aston Martin two-doors (14)
- Light SUVs: Mazda CX-3 (1201), Kia Stonic (1071), Toyota Yaris Cross (710)
- Small SUVs under $40,000: MG ZS (1402), Hyundai Kona (1210), Kia Seltos (1010)
- Small SUVs over $40,000: Mercedes-Benz GLA (554), Audi Q3 (542), Volvo XC40 (494)
- Medium SUVs under $60,000: Hyundai Tucson (2840), Toyota RAV4 (2586), Kia Sportage (2044)
- Medium SUVs over $60,000: Mercedes-Benz GLC (856), BMW X3 (482), Audi Q5 (367)
- Large SUVs under $70,000: Toyota Kluger (1655), Toyota Prado (1578), Subaru Outback (1264)
- Large SUVs over $70,000: Mercedes-Benz GLE (410), BMW X5 (345), Volvo XC90 (313)
- Upper Large SUVs under $100,000: Toyota LandCruiser Wagon (1518), Nissan Patrol (391)
- Upper Large SUVs over $100,000: Mercedes-Benz G-Class (161), BMW X7 (85), Audi Q8 (78)
- Light Vans: Volkswagen Caddy (40), Peugeot Partner (35), Renault Kangoo (34)
- Medium Vans: Toyota HiAce (759), Hyundai Staria Load (593), LDV G10 (261)
- Large Vans: Renault Master (286), Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (233), LDV Deliver 9 (204)
- Light Buses: Toyota HiAce (214), Toyota Coaster (26), LDV Deliver 9 (14)
- 4×2 Utes: Toyota HiLux (2227), Isuzu D-Max (430), Mitsubishi Triton (381)
- 4×4 Utes: Toyota HiLux (5355), Ford Ranger (2547), Isuzu D-Max (1953)
Miscellaneous
Sales by region
- New South Wales: 32,027, down 7.5 per cent
- Victoria: 25,764, down 12.2 per cent
- Queensland: 21,983, down 13.2 per cent
- Western Australia: 9813, down 2.2 per cent
- South Australia: 6214, down 8.6 per cent
- Tasmania: 1572, down 17.2 per cent
- Australian Capital Territory: 1486, down 11.6 per cent
- Northern Territory: 1115, up 16.3 per cent
Category breakdown
- SUV: 52,507 sales, 52.5 per cent market share
- Light commercials: 23,852 sales, 23.9 per cent market share
- Passenger cars: 18,450 sales, 18.5 per cent market share
- Heavy commercials: 5165 sales, 5.2 per cent market share
Top segments by market share
- Medium SUV: 19.4 per cent
- 4×4 Utes: 17.3 per cent
- Large SUV: 15.2 per cent
- Small SUV: 12.8 per cent
- Small Car: 8.9 per cent
Sales by buyer type
- Private buyers: 50,914, down 6.8 per cent
- Business fleets: 34,672, down 18.7 per cent
- Rental fleets: 6628, down 18.3 per cent
- Government fleets: 2595, down 7.3 per cent
Sales by propulsion or fuel type
- Petrol: 51,388, down 15.3 per cent
- Diesel: 35,306, down 7.8 per cent
- Hybrid: 6407, up 9.7 per cent
- Electric: 1137, up 116.2 per cent
- PHEV: 570, up 79.2 per cent
- Hydrogen FCEV: 1
Sales by country of origin
- Japan: 25,909 units, down 17.9 per cent
- Thailand: 22,707 units, down 10.1 per cent
- Korea: 17,463 units, up 9.9 per cent
- China: 8998 units, up 6.6 per cent
- Germany: 5315, down 0.6 per cent
Some previous monthly reports
- May 2022 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- April 2022 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- March 2022 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- February 2022 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- January 2022 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- December 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
Got any questions about car sales? Ask away in the comments and I’ll jump in!
