VFACTS September 2023: Australian new car sales records tumble again

Australian new vehicle deliveries are booming, having set a new all-time September record on the back of improved supply and the clearing of backorders, new figures have revealed.

Industry-supplied VFACTS data for September 2023 recorded 110,702 new vehicle sales, up 18.3 per cent on the same month in 2022. Four of the previous five months have reset all-time records: May, July, August and now September.

Year-to-date (YTD) sales over the first nine months of 2023 sit at 899,286 units, putting the market on pace to set a new record if the momentum remains.

Market leader Toyota continues rectifying its massive backlog – at one point some core cars had two-year wait times or more – by growing around 40 per cent, with the HiLux edging out the Ford Ranger to be 1-2 in the charts.

VFACTS September 2023: Australian new car sales records tumble again

The nation’s third overall top-selling vehicle, as well as the number one SUV, was the Tesla Model Y, reflecting ongoing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) which overall were up 21.7 per cent as a fuel type.

EVs ended up with around 10.6 per cent passenger and SUV market share and about 8 per cent of the total market including commercials. The market share of electrified passenger cars and SUVs (hybrid, PHEV and EV) was a tick under 25 per cent.

“Our advice is that the supply of vehicles into Australia, including electric vehicles, continues to improve so those consumers who want to buy a new vehicle should visit a dealer or manufacturer,” said FCAI chief executive Tony Weber. As he would…

September of	Monthly sales	YTD
2023	110,702	899,286
2022	93,555	811,130
2021	83,312	816,140
2020	68,985	644,891
2019	88,181	811,464

Brands

Market leader Toyota continued to trim back its massive order backlog with 20,912 sales in September, up 40.8 per cent over August 2023, sufficient to take 18.9 per cent market share.

Mazda (8031 sales, up 10.6 per cent) and Ford (8015 sales, up 20.8 per cent) were neck-and-neck on the podium, ahead of sibling brands Kia (7303, up 0.2 per cent) and Hyundai (6217, down 4.4 per cent).

Rounding out the top 10 were Mitsubishi (down 15.1 per cent with its Triton on runout), MG (up 65.6 per cent), Tesla (down 13.3 per cent for the month but up 171 per cent YTD), Nissan (up 153.8 per cent thanks to an influx of new product), and Subaru (up 35.8 per cent).

Knocking on the door were Volkswagen (up 13.1 per cent), Isuzu Ute (up 36.5 per cent and fresh off an all-time record haul in August), GWM (despite being down 5 per cent), and BMW (up 15.8 per cent, vanquishing its Mercedes-Benz nemesis brand even with the latter’s commercial van sales included).

Smaller-volume OEMs that recorded good sales growth included Lexus (another record-setting haul, up 267.2 per cent), Land Rover (up 286.5 per cent with the arrival of new stock and new models), Skoda (up 35 per cent), Porsche (up 101.5 per cent), and Cupra (up 111.1 per cent).

Examples of brands that had poor delivery results included the aforementioned Mitsubishi (down 15.1 per cent), Mercedes-Benz (down 23.2 per cent), Suzuki (down 15.2 per cent), Honda (down 16.4 per cent and finishing in 20th spot), Volvo (down 18.5 per cent), and Jeep (down 40.5 per cent).

Brand	Sales	Change YoY
Toyota	20,912	40.8%
Mazda	8031	10.6%
Ford	8015	20.8%
Kia	7303	0.2%
Hyundai	6217	-4.4%
Mitsubishi	5761	-15.1%
MG	5400	65.6%
Tesla	5177	-13.3%
Nissan	4784	153.8%
Subaru	4302	35.8%
Volkswagen	4184	13.1%
Isuzu Ute	3932	39.5%
GWM	2897	-5.0%
BMW	2354	15.8%
Mercedes-Benz	2031	-23.2%
LDV	1665	1.5%
Audi	1625	13.6%
Lexus	1498	267.2%
Suzuki	1467	-15.2%
Honda	1052	-16.4%
Land Rover	885	286.5%
Volvo	816	-18.5%
Skoda	764	35.0%
Renault	756	10.5%
BYD	702	–
Porsche	665	101.5%
Ram	654	8.5%
Chery	624	–
Mini	489	42.2%
Cupra	420	111.1%
SsangYong	374	-6.5%
Chevrolet	372	38.8%
Jeep	343	-40.5%
Genesis	200	75.4%
Peugeot	196	40.0%
Fiat	193	116.7%
Polestar	111	30.6%
Alfa Romeo	66	13.8%
Maserati	49	-27.9%
Jaguar	48	-17.2%
Lamborghini	33	50.0%
Citroen	27	285.7%
Lotus	26	–
Bentley	25	4.2%
Ferrari	23	–
Aston Martin	12	-7.7%
McLaren	5	–
Rolls-Royce	4	-50.0%

Models

The HiLux and Ranger, per usual, topped the charts, with the Toyota winning overall but Ford leading the more desirable and profitable 4×4 sales race.

With the Isuzu D-Max in fourth spot, three of the top quartet were utes, suggesting the ATO’s end of instant asset write-off for vehicles hasn’t impacted things hugely – at least not yet.

The Tesla Model Y was third overall and the number one SUV. In fifth was the Toyota RAV4, ahead of the rival Mitsubishi Outlander and smaller MG ZS. Rounding out the top 10 were the Toyota Corolla (the sole traditional passenger vehicle in the list), Kia Sportage, and the Ford Everest – which narrowly edged out its Toyota Prado arch rival.

The below 30 top-selling vehicles accounted for about 56 per cent of the total passenger, SUV and light commercial market, reflecting the degree of concentration at the top of the charts.

Sales for September 2023 by model:

Toyota HiLux: 5776
Ford Ranger: 5429
Tesla Model Y: 3811
Isuzu D-Max: 2885
Toyota RAV4: 2798
Mitsubishi Outlander: 2612
MG ZS: 2528
Toyota Corolla: 2217
Kia Sportage: 2031
Ford Everest: 1984
Toyota Prado: 1976
Mazda CX-5: 1888
Nissan X-Trail: 1784
Hyundai Tucson: 1678
Hyundai i30: 1648
Mazda CX-3: 1531
MG 3: 1443
Subaru Forester: 1414
Toyota Landcruiser Wagon: 1404
Tesla Model 3: 1366
Subaru Outback: 1355
Mazda BT-50: 1232
Hyundai Kona: 1218
Toyota LandCruiser 70 CC: 1208
Nissan Patrol: 1208
Mazda CX-30: 1205
Toyota Kluger: 1203
Mitsubishi ASX: 1167
Subaru Crosstrek: 1134
Kia Carnival: 1123

Segments

Micro Cars: Kia Picanto (933), Fiat 500 (63)
Light Cars under $30,000: MG 3 (1443), Suzuki Swift (632), Mazda 2 (321)
Light Cars over $30,000: Mini (237), Audi A1 (50), Skoda Fabia (32)
Small Cars under $40,000: Toyota Corolla (2217), Hyundai i30 (1648), Mazda 3 (491)
Small Cars over $40,000: MG 4 (645), Volkswagen Golf (432), Audi A3 (334)
Medium Cars under $60,000: Toyota Camry (1089), Skoda Octavia (152), Mazda 6 (100)
Medium Cars over $60,000: Tesla Model 3 (1366), BMW 3 Series (252), Polestar 2 (111)
Large Cars under $70,000: Kia Stinger (49), Skoda Superb (26), Citroen C5 X (17)
Large Cars over $70,000: Porsche Taycan (54), BMW 5 Series (47), Mercedes-Benz E-Class (46)
Upper Large Cars: BMW 7 Series (14), Mercedes-Benz S-Class (9), BMW i7/Porsche Panamera (8)
People Movers: Kia Carnival (1123), Hyundai Staria (62), Mercedes-Benz V-Class (35)
Sports Cars under $80,000: Subaru BRZ (158), Toyota GR86 (91), BMW 2 Series (81)
Sports Cars over $80,000: BMW 4 Series (111), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (57), Chevrolet Corvette (42)
Sports Cars over $200,000: Porsche 911 (86), Lamborghini 2-door range (23), Ferrari range (23)

Light SUVs: Mazda CX-3 (1531), Toyota Yaris Cross (641), Kia Stonic (522)
Small SUVs under $45,000: MG ZS (2528), Hyundai Kona (1218), Mazda CX-30 (1205)
Small SUVs over $45,000: BMW X1 (516), Volvo XC40 (453), Audi Q3 (342)
Medium SUVs under $60,000: Toyota RAV4 (2798), Mitsubishi Outlander (2612), Kia Sportage (2031)
Medium SUVs over $60,000: Tesla Model Y (3811), Lexus NX (772), Mercedes-Benz GLC (577)
Large SUVs under $70,000: Ford Everest (1984), Toyota Prado (1976), Subaru Outback (1355)
Large SUVs over $70,000: Land Rover Defender (501), Lexus RX (286), BMW X5 (251)
Upper Large SUVs under $120,000: Toyota LandCruiser (1404), Nissan Patrol (1208), Land Rover Discovery (73)
Upper Large SUVs over $120,000: Range Rover (77), Lexus LX (76), BMW X7 (63)

Light Vans: Volkswagen Caddy (73), Peugeot Partner (26), Renault Kangoo (1)
Medium Vans: Toyota HiAce (708), LDV G10 (309), Hyundai Staria Load (215)
Large Vans: LDV Deliver 9 (305), Renault Master (230), Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (229)
Light Buses: Toyota HiAce (182), Toyota Coaster (23), LDV Deliver 9 (17)
4×2 Utes: Toyota HiLux (1046), Isuzu D-Max (546), Ford Ranger (305)
4×4 Utes: Ford Ranger (5124), Toyota HiLux (4730), Isuzu D-Max (2339)
Utes above $100,000: Ram 1500 (586), Chevrolet Silverado (238), Chevrolet Silverado HD (96)