Last year was a record year for new car sales in Australia, but 2024 appears to be ending on a weaker note.
New vehicle sales in November were down 9.3 per cent on the same month in 2023, with 101,707 vehicle sales recorded. It follows year-over-year declines of 6.4 per cent in October, 9.7 per cent in September, and 8.3 per cent in August.
With Tesla and Polestar no longer reporting their sales to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), we’ve augmented November’s VFACTS results with data for those brands supplied to the Electric Vehicle Council.
“From an historical perspective, the 2024 year to date result is strong,” said FCAI chief executive Tony Weber.
“However, the market is starting to show a number of clear trends. The first half of 2024 recorded market growth of 8.7 per cent compared with 2023. Since July, we have seen the market decline by 8.2 per cent compared with 2023.”
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Note that these figures Mr Weber cites don’t include Tesla and Polestar figures.
“The private buyer segment continues to struggle with a decline of 16.6 per cent on November 2023. This follows falls of 14.2 per cent in October, 17.2 per cent in September and 15.9 per cent in August.
“This is a disturbing trend which illustrates how cost of living pressures are impacting households.”
Electric vehicle (EV) sales were down 23.8 per cent on the same month last year, while hybrid vehicle sales were up 47 per cent and plug-in hybrids were up 80.1 per cent.
A downturn for EV market leader Tesla is largely to blame for this, with its sales down 35.5 per cent compared with last November.
EV sales over the first 11 months of this year have grown by 3.1 per cent in a market that has increased by 1.7 per cent, and Mr Weber notes that hybrid and plug-in hybrid growth has outpaced that of EVs.
“The Australian experience with EVs is similar to many major markets overseas such as Europe, New Zealand and the USA,” he said.
“Carmakers are responding to regulatory settings that mandate an increase in the number of zero emission vehicles by introducing new products.
“However, consumers remain cautious about making the shift to pure EVs and instead are purchasing hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicles.”
Year-to-date, hybrid sales are up by 79.3 per cent, while PHEV sales are up by 100.4 per cent.
Brands
Toyota easily held onto the top spot last month, though its sales are down 2.1 per cent compared with last November.
The recent arrival of the new Prado, however, should help the Australia’s dominant auto brand in the new year, with initial sales proving strong.
Ford sales were up 6.8 per cent as the Ranger continues to dominate, helping to cement the Blue Oval in the number-two spot.
Third-place Mazda was down 12.9 per cent year over year to 7588 sales, while Kia had a strong month with 6410 sales, up 11.1 per cent. It’s unlikely that sister brand Hyundai will be able to beat it in full-year results.
Mitsubishi sales were essentially flat (6205, down 1.0 per cent), and the Japanese brand also stood above Hyundai on the charts (5606 sales, down 16.6 per cent).
MG held onto seventh spot even as sales took a dip amid a major overhaul of its lineup (5072 sales, down 9.5 per cent).
It continues to fend off rival Chinese brand GWM (3566 sales, down 3.1 per cent), with the top 10 being rounded out by Isuzu Ute (3386, down 30.2 per cent) and Nissan (3350 sales, down 21.5 per cent).
Almost every brand was down on its November 2023 sales, with the exceptions being Ford, Kia, Suzuki, Chery, BYD, Porsche, Chevrolet, Mini, as well as a handful of exotic brands.
The biggest winner this month was Chery, which was up 113.6 per cent on November 2023. It was buoyed by the arrival of its new entry-level Tiggo 4 Pro, which overtook the pricier Omoda 5 in November with 745 units delivered – more than rivals like the Suzuki Vitara (324) and Kia Seltos (473).
| Brand | November 2024 sales | Change YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota | 20,562 | -2.1% |
| Ford | 8720 | +6.8% |
| Mazda | 7588 | -12.9% |
| Kia | 6410 | +11.1% |
| Mitsubishi | 6205 | -1.0% |
| Hyundai | 5606 | -16.6% |
| MG | 5072 | -9.5% |
| GWM | 3566 | -3.1% |
| Isuzu Ute | 3386 | -30.2% |
| Nissan | 3350 | -21.5% |
| Volkswagen | 3214 | -19.7% |
| Subaru | 3002 | -21.5% |
| Tesla | 2540 | -35.5% |
| Suzuki | 2253 | +59.1% |
| BMW | 2215 | -17.0% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 1979 | -24% |
| Chery | 1762 | +113.6% |
| BYD | 1552 | +23.5% |
| Audi | 1418 | -29.9% |
| Lexus | 1235 | -2.8% |
| LDV | 1220 | -33.6% |
| Land Rover | 663 | -12.2% |
| Volvo | 622 | -12.8% |
| Porsche | 550 | +37.8% |
| Honda | 547 | -56.5% |
| Renault | 474 | -12.7% |
| Chevrolet | 400 | +6.1% |
| Skoda | 378 | -50.7% |
| SsangYong | 358 | -24.3% |
| Mini | 348 | +10.8% |
| Ram | 315 | -15.3% |
| Cupra | 211 | -58.9% |
| Jeep | 182 | -44.7% |
| Genesis | 135 | -28.9% |
| Fiat | 127 | -16.4% |
| Peugeot | 90 | -60.9% |
| Polestar | 76 | -59.6% |
| Jaguar | 47 | -30.9% |
| Alfa Romeo | 28 | -71.1% |
| Maserati | 26 | -52.7% |
| Ferrari | 22 | +22.2% |
| Aston Martin | 12 | -42.9% |
| Bentley | 12 | -20.0% |
| McLaren | 11 | +266.7% |
| Lamborghini | 10 | -60.0% |
| Lotus | 9 | -59.1% |
| Rolls-Royce | 7 | +40.0% |
| Citroen | 7 | -36.4% |
Models
Toyota topped the charts with the evergreen RAV4, which is in a tight race with the Ford Ranger for the title of Australia’s best-selling vehicle in 2024. Its sales were up 125.6 per cent on November 2023.
The arrival of the new Prado was a welcome sight for Toyota dealers, given stock of the old model had essentially dried up earlier this year.
It overtook the rival Ford Everest in November, though full-year 2024 sales will likely see the Blue Oval score a win in the large SUV segment.
The Prado not only outsold the Everest in November, it also overtook the Toyota HiLux, which is set to once again lose to the Ranger in full-year sales.
The MG ZS remains the best-selling small SUV, with the Chinese brand running out stock of the outgoing model as new-generation vehicles arrive here first with hybrid power, followed by petrol variants in early 2025.
The Mitsubishi Outlander may be a distant second in the mainstream medium SUV segment to the Toyota RAV4, but it has widened the gap this year between it and the Mazda CX-5.
The Kia Sportage also pushed past the Mazda in November, though the latter remains ahead in year-to-date tallies.
| Model | November 2024 sales |
|---|---|
| Toyota RAV4 | 5526 |
| Ford Ranger | 4981 |
| Toyota Prado | 3590 |
| Toyota HiLux | 3572 |
| MG ZS | 2794 |
| Ford Everest | 2737 |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | 2472 |
| Isuzu D-Max | 2180 |
| Toyota LandCruiser | 1899 |
| Kia Sportage | 1766 |
| Mazda CX-5 | 1727 |
| Tesla Model Y | 1653 |
| Mazda CX-3 | 1624 |
| Toyota Corolla | 1599 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 1542 |
| Mitsubishi Triton | 1505 |
| Nissan X-Trail | 1495 |
| Hyundai Kona | 1279 |
| GWM Haval Jolion | 1274 |
| Mazda BT-50 | 1263 |
Segments
- Micro cars: Kia Picanto (349), Fiat 500 (35)
- Light cars under $30,000: MG 3 (714), Suzuki Swift (623), Mazda 2 (525)
- Light cars over $30,000: Volkswagen Polo (236), Mini Cooper (106), Mini Aceman (53)
- Small cars under $40,000: Toyota Corolla (1599), Hyundai i30 (1080), Kia Cerato (1035)
- Small cars over $40,000: MG 4 (821), Volkswagen Golf (392), BMW 1 Series (215)
- Medium cars under $60,000: Toyota Camry (400), BYD Seal (360), Mazda 6 (115)
- Medium cars over $60,000: Tesla Model 3 (887), BMW 3 Series (159), BMW i4 (132)
- Large cars under $70,000: Skoda Superb (6), Citroen C5 X (2)
- Large cars over $70,000: BMW 5 Series (64), Audi A6 (21), Mercedes-Benz E-Class (18)
- Upper large cars: BMW 7 Series (9), Mercedes-Benz S-Class (5), Porsche Panamera (5)
- People movers under $70,000: Kia Carnival (909), Hyundai Staria (159), LDV MIFA (34)
- People movers over $70,000: Lexus LM (49), Volkswagen Multivan (34), Mercedes-Benz V-Class (25)
- Sports cars under $80,000: Ford Mustang (167), Subaru BRZ (67), Mazda MX-5 (53)
- Sports cars over $80,000: BMW 2 Series Coupe (98), Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (72), BMW 4 Series two-door range (68)
- Sports cars over $200,000: Porsche 911 (37), Ferrari two-door range (16), Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (12)
- Light SUVs: Mazda CX-3 (1624), Suzuki Jimny (1111), Kia Stonic (715)
- Small SUVs under $45,000: MG ZS (2794), Hyundai Kona (1279), GWM Haval Jolion (1274)
- Small SUVs over $45,000: Audi Q3 (736), BMW X1 (373), Mercedes-Benz GLA (311)
- Medium SUVs under $60,000: Toyota RAV4 (5526), Mitsubishi Outlander (2472), Kia Sportage (1766)
- Medium SUVs over $60,000: Tesla Model Y (1653), Lexus NX (517), Porsche Macan (320)
- Large SUVs under $80,000: Toyota Prado (3590), Ford Everest (2737), Isuzu MU-X (1206)
- Large SUVs over $80,000: Land Rover Defender (274), BMW X5 (266), Range Rover Sport (206)
- Upper large SUVs under $120,000: Toyota LandCruiser (1082), Nissan Patrol (858), Kia EV9 (44)
- Upper large SUVs over $120,000: Lexus GX (173), BMW X7 (104), Lexus LX (75)
- Small vans: Volkswagen Caddy (44), Peugeot Partner (42), Renault Kangoo (33)
- Medium vans: Toyota HiAce (1122), Ford Transit Custom (409), Hyundai Staria Load (250)
- 4×2 utes: Toyota HiLux (703), Isuzu D-Max (398), Ford Ranger (280)
- 4×4 utes: Ford Ranger (4701), Toyota HiLux (2869), Isuzu D-Max (1782)
- Large pickups: Ram 1500 (272), Ford F-150 (203), Chevrolet Silverado (172)
Sales by category
Includes Tesla and Polestar sales.
| Category | November 2024 sales | Market share |
|---|---|---|
| SUV | 62,306 | 61.2% |
| Light commercial | 20,544 | 20.2% |
| Passenger | 14,543 | 14.3% |
| Heavy commercial | 4314 | 4.2% |
| Total | 101,707 | – |
Top segments by market share
Includes Tesla and Polestar sales.
| Segment | November 2024 sales | Change YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Medium SUVs | 23,878 | -3.9% |
| Small SUVs | 16,118 | -4.1% |
| 4×4 utes | 14,964 | -29.1% |
| Large SUVs | 14,584 | -0.7% |
| Small cars | 6880 | -24.0% |
Sales by region
Excludes Tesla and Polestar sales.
| State/territory | November 2024 sales | Change YoY |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 31,229 | -10.1% |
| Victoria | 27,569 | -6.9% |
| Queensland | 21,772 | -10.2% |
| Western Australia | 10,590 | -9.3% |
| South Australia | 6719 | -7.7% |
| Tasmania | 1658 | -18.0% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 1436 | -11.8% |
| Northern Territory | 734 | -20.3% |
Sales by buyer type
Excludes Tesla, Polestar and heavy commercial sales.
| Buyer type | November 2024 sales | Change YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Private | 47,247 | -16.6% |
| Business | 37,821 | -5.2% |
| Rental | 6631 | -15.9% |
| Government | 3078 | -2.3% |
Sales by fuel or propulsion type
Includes Tesla and Polestar sales, excludes heavy commercial.
| Fuel type | November 2024 sales | Change YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 43,229 | -14.4% |
| Diesel | 30,818 | -17.6% |
| Hybrid | 14,171 | +47.0% |
| Electric | 6585 | -23.8% |
| Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) | 2590 | +80.1% |
Sales by country of origin
Includes Tesla and Polestar sales.
| Country of origin | November 2024 sales | Change YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | 32,717 | +1.0% |
| Thailand | 20,785 | -21.3% |
| China | 16,808 | -6.8% |
| South Korea | 12,011 | -9.2% |
| Germany | 4740 | -12.8% |
MORE: VFACTS October 2024: Toyota RAV4 still on top as HiLux closes gap to Ranger
MORE: VFACTS September 2024: Sales slump but hybrids, PHEVs continue to grow
MORE: VFACTS August 2024: Record RAV4 sales drive hybrid surge as EVs stumble
MORE: VFACTS July 2024: Hybrids star, EVs stall in another record month
MORE: VFACTS June 2024: Soft finish for record half-year
MORE: VFACTS May 2024: Hybrid and EV sales drive another record month
MORE: VFACTS April 2024: Record month, hybrids and plug-in hybrids surge
MORE: VFACTS March 2024: Big month leads to record quarterly result
MORE: VFACTS February 2024: Another record month for Australian new car sales
MORE: VFACTS January 2024: Record start to the year but slower times ahead
