New vehicle sales grew 1.6 per cent in February 2022 over the same month last year, to 85,340 units, with one unusual suspect making the model podium.
Both February 2022 and February 2021 had 24 selling days, so the result represents an increase of 56.8 vehicle sales per day.
Toyota led the overall brand chart and also made the top-two selling models: HiLux was number one as usual, but the RAV4 leapt into second thanks to landed stock satisfying some pent-up demand. Rounding out the top three for similar reasons was the Mitsubishi Triton.
The February tally takes the year-to-date (YTD) figure two months into the calendar year to 161,203 sales across the country, down 1.5 per cent on 2021.
“Global supply chains for microprocessor units are still some distance from full recovery,” said head of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries Tony Weber, addressing the single biggest impediment to sales right now.
“The consumer demand for new cars in Australia remains strong and manufacturers are continuing to work hard to get cars into the hands of motorists,” Mr Weber added. Not that this will be much solace to those waiting many, many months for delivery.
Brands
Toyota was the dominant force despite ongoing supply headaches on certain vehicles (LandCruiser 300 in particular), making three of the top five models and topping eight different vehicle segments. Its market share also sat at a massive 24.5 per cent.
Mazda kept second spot, ahead of Mitsubishi which had a bumper month with 26 per cent growth as it finally secured Triton stocks. Yet again, Kia outgunned big brother Hyundai to round out the top five with a Korean one-two punch.
Rounding out the top 10 brands were Ford (down 2.2 per cent), MG (up 24.9 per cent), Subaru (up 19.4 per cent), Nissan (down 26.3 per cent), and Isuzu Ute (up 11 per cent).
Brands that saw precipitous declines included Volkswagen (down 41.3 per cent) and Mercedes-Benz (down 52.5 per cent) – both of which are being chalked up to chip shortage-led supply constraints, and logistics delays.
Mercedes is in month two of its new ‘agency’ business model, but it’s probably too early to get a clear gauge on the impact there, given the sample size and presence of other mitigating factors.
Honda was down 30.2 per cent, a figure that has become familiar since the brand whittled back its range, upped costs, and launched a fixed-price model.
Smaller-volume brands that struggled – principally due to lack of supply – included Audi (down 37.2 per cent), Skoda (down 49.2 per cent), and Land Rover (down 77.3 per cent).
It wasn’t all gloomy of course, with many smaller brands having great months of deliveries.
These included LDV (up 22.1 per cent), Renault (up a massive 248.6 per cent thanks to evidently good supply of Koleos from South Korea), Porsche (up 46.0 per cent), Peugeot (up 56.4 per cent), Chevrolet/GMSV (up a neat 100 per cent), Genesis (up 167.9 per cent), and Alfa Romeo (up 80.6 per cent).
| Brand | Sales | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota | 20,886 | Up 13.7% |
| Mazda | 8782 | Up 5.5% |
| Mitsubishi | 7813 | Up 26.0% |
| Kia | 5881 | Up 0.2% |
| Hyundai | 5649 | Down 9.6% |
| Ford | 4610 | Down 2.2% |
| MG | 3767 | Up 24.9% |
| Subaru | 3151 | Up 19.4% |
| Nissan | 2820 | Down 26.3% |
| Isuzu Ute | 2785 | Up 11.0% |
| BMW | 1980 | Up 2.0% |
| Volkswagen | 1766 | Down 41.3% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 1482 | Down 52.5% |
| Honda | 1408 | Down 30.2% |
| Suzuki | 1265 | Down 5.6% |
| LDV | 1114 | Up 22.1% |
| Renault | 1018 | Up 248.6% |
| Volvo Car | 854 | Up 3.9% |
| GWM Haval | 816 | Down 6.0% |
| Audi | 742 | Down 37.2% |
| Lexus | 705 | Down 7.8% |
| Jeep | 653 | Up 16.2% |
| Porsche | 571 | Up 46.0% |
| Skoda | 424 | Down 49.2% |
| Mini | 357 | Up 28.9% |
| Ram | 303 | Down 0.7% |
| SsangYong | 254 | Up 31.6% |
| Peugeot | 183 | Up 56.4% |
| Chevrolet | 154 | Up 100.0% |
| Land Rover | 138 | Down 77.3% |
| Fiat | 123 | Up 13.9% |
| Genesis | 75 | Up 167.9% |
| Alfa Romeo | 56 | Up 80.6% |
| Maserati | 44 | No change |
| Jaguar | 34 | Down 57.5% |
| Citroen | 33 | Up 450.0% |
| Lotus | 23 | Up 130.0% |
| Bentley | 22 | Up 10.0% |
| Ferrari | 17 | Up 30.8% |
| Lamborghini | 14 | Up 27.3% |
| Chrysler | 11 | Down 31.3% |
| Aston Martin | 10 | Down 9.1% |
| Rolls-Royce | 10 | Up 233.3% |
| Alpine | 1 | – |
| McLaren | 1 | Down 92.3% |
Models
The top 20 cars list comprised nine SUVs, seven commercials, and four passenger vehicles.
While the HiLux topping the charts will surprise few, the RAV4 bounded back into second thanks to freer supply (for one month at least, clearing the huge backorder list to some degree). The Triton had its best finish in a long time, even besting the Ranger.
Other notable results were the Prado with nearly 100 per cent growth, the MG ZS and MG3 topping their respective Small SUV and Light Car segments, the Mazda CX-30 cracking the top 10, and the Mitsubishi Outlander taking second spot on the Medium SUV charts.
| Model | Sales | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota HiLux | 4803 | Down 0.1% |
| Toyota RAV4 | 4454 | Up 62.0% |
| Mitsubishi Triton | 3811 | Up 116.4% |
| Ford Ranger | 3455 | Up 19.1% |
| Toyota Prado | 2778 | Up 97.4% |
| MG ZS | 1953 | Up 50.0% |
| Isuzu D-Max | 1930 | Up 9.3% |
| Mazda CX-30 | 1819 | Up 106.5% |
| Hyundai i30 | 1756 | Down 20.5% |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | 1673 | Up 42.0% |
| Toyota Corolla | 1671 | Down 31.1% |
| Mazda BT-50 | 1628 | Up 37.5% |
| Mazda CX-3 | 1465 | Up 6.2% |
| MG 3 | 1437 | Up 9.4% |
| Nissan Navara | 1320 | Up 52.6% |
| Kia Sportage | 1296 | Up 79.8% |
| Mazda CX-5 | 1265 | Down 38.2% |
| Subaru Forester | 1258 | Up 24.7% |
| Toyota Camry | 1206 | Up 20.5% |
| Toyota HiAce | 1192 | Up 18.4% |
Segments
We can also identify the most popular models in each vehicle segment.
- Micro Cars: Kia Picanto (315), Mitsubishi Mirage (184), Fiat 500 (57)
- Light Cars under $25,000: MG 3 (1437), Mazda 2 (387), Suzuki Baleno (379)
- Light Cars over $25,000: Mini Hatch (165), Audi A1 (37), Citroen C3 (9)
- Small Cars under $40,000: Hyundai i30 (1756), Toyota Corolla (1671), Kia Cerato (1188)
- Small Cars over $40,000: BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe (132), BMW 1 Series (128), Mercedes-Benz A-Class (88)
- Medium Cars under $60,000: Toyota Camry (1206), Skoda Octavia (114), Mazda 6 (98)
- Medium Cars over $60,000: BMW 3 Series (291), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (103), Lexus ES (86)
- Large Cars under $70,000: Kia Stinger (314), Skoda Superb (57)
- Large Cars over $70,000: BMW 5 Series (49), Porsche Taycan (48), Mercedes-Benz E-Class (21)
- Upper Large Cars: Chrysler 300 (11), Mercedes-Benz S-Class (8), BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe, BMW 7 Series, Porsche Panamera (all 5)
- People Movers: Kia Carnival (454), Hyundai Staria (162), Honda Odyssey (132)
- Sports Cars under $80,000: Ford Mustang (202), BMW 2 Series (81), Subaru BRZ (80)
- Sports Cars over $80,000: BMW 4 Series (81), Chevrolet Corvette (28), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (25)
- Sports Cars over $200,000: Porsche 911 (37), Ferrari range (17), Bentley two-door range (13)
- Light SUVs: Mazda CX-3 (1465), Toyota Yaris Cross (1013), Hyundai Venue (714)
- Small SUVs under $40,000: MG ZS (1953), Mazda CX-30 (1819), Kia Seltos (1030)
- Small SUVs over $40,000: Volvo XC40 (493), BMW X1 (272), Audi Q3 (176)
- Medium SUVs under $60,000: Toyota RAV4 (4454), Mitsubishi Outlander (1673), Kia Sportage (1296)
- Medium SUVs over $60,000: Lexus NX (398), Mercedes-Benz GLB (320), Audi Q5 (308)
- Large SUVs under $70,000: Toyota Prado (2778), Isuzu MU-X (855), Toyota Kluger (644)
- Large SUVs over $70,000: BMW X5 (307), Mercedes-Benz GLE (151), Lexus RX (116)
- Upper Large SUVs under $100,000: Nissan Patrol (670), Toyota LandCruiser Wagon (612),
- Upper Large SUVs over $100,000: BMW X7 (78), Mercedes-Benz GLS (38), Audi Q8 (17)
- Light Vans: Renault Kangoo (89), Volkswagen Caddy (69), Peugeot Partner (17)
- Medium Vans: Toyota HiAce (941), LDV G10 (299), Hyundai Staria Load (205)
- Large Vans: LDV Deliver 9 (139), Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (115), Renault Master (104)
- Light Buses: Toyota HiAce (251), LDV Deliver 9 (14), Toyota Coaster (14)
- 4×2 Utes: Toyota HiLux (1226), Isuzu D-Max (354), Mitsubishi Triton (350)
- 4×4 Utes: Toyota HiLux (3577), Mitsubishi Triton (3461), Ford Ranger (3196)
Miscellaneous
Sales by region
- NSW: 26,360, down 3.5 per cent
- Victoria: 22,177, up 5.5 per cent
- Queensland: 18,962, up 3.8 per cent
- WA: 8409, down 1.7 per cent
- SA: 5810, up 8.9 per cent
- Tasmania: 1561, up 16.6 per cent
- ACT: 1356, down 2.6 per cent
- NT: 705, down 5.6 per cent
Category breakdown
- SUV: 44,935 sales, 52.7 per cent market share
- Light commercials: 21,709 sales, 25.4 per cent market share
- Passenger cars: 15,685 sales, 18.4 per cent market share
- Heavy commercials: 3011 sales, 3.5 per cent market share
Top segments by market share
- 4×4 Utes: 19.4 per cent
- Medium SUV: 18.6 per cent
- Small SUV: 14.4 per cent
- Large SUV: 12.1 per cent
- Small Car: 8.0 per cent
Sales by buyer type
- Private buyers: 46,867, up 7.9 per cent
- Business fleets: 28,736, down 6.9 per cent
- Rental fleets: 4363, down 3.3 per cent
- Government fleets: 2363, no change
Sales by propulsion or fuel type
- Petrol: 43,644, down 11.2 per cent
- Diesel: 29,939, up 11.6 per cent
- Hybrid: 8143, up 62.3 per cent
- EV minus Tesla*: 600, up 129.0 per cent
- PHEV: 305, up 64.9 per cent
- Hydrogen FCEV: 1, down from 4
- Doesn’t offer up monthly figures
Sales by country of origin
- Japan: 31,138 units, up 5.8 per cent
- Thailand: 21,086 units, up 20.8 per cent
- Korea: 12,237 units, down 0.6 per cent
- China: 6357 units, up 26.8 per cent
- USA: 2560 units, up 19.3 per cent
- Germany: 2342, down 30.5 per cent
Previous monthly reports
- January 2022 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- December 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- November 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- October 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- September 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- August 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- July 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- June 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- May 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- April 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- March 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- February 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- January 2021 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- December 2020 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- November 2020 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- October 2020 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- September 2020 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- August 2020 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- July 2020 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- June 2020 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- May 2020 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- April 2020 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
- March 2020 Australian new vehicle sales (VFACTS)
Got any questions about car sales? Ask away in the comments and I’ll jump in!
