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May 2015 car sales :: Winners and losers

New vehicles sales in Australia dipped 1.3 per cent in May compared with the same month last year, though the total market remains in positive territory year-to-date (YTD).


Total registrations were 93,327 units, the lowest May tally since 2011. The negative figure also ends three months of growth in 2015, reflected by the fact that the market is up 2.5 per cent YTD.

Registrations of passenger vehicles continue to contract (40,592 units in May, down 7.3 per cent), and the gap to SUVs (32,530, up 5.8 per cent) continues to narrow — just as the line between what defines a ‘car’ and an 'SUV’ does the same.

Light commercials grew 1.0 per cent to 17,516, and heavy commercials climbed 0.5 per cent to 2689.

As usual, Toyota was the top-selling brand, with 15,928 registrations (down 7.6 per cent), ahead of Mazda (8717, up 12.5 per cent), Hyundai (8269, down 1.6 per cent), Holden (7956, down 11.7 per cent), Mitsubishi (6149, up 6.4 per cent) and Ford (5994, down 13.8 per cent).

Top-selling Euro brand Volkswagen finished seventh with 5534 units (up 12.5 per cent), ahead of Nissan (4467, down a significant 28.9 per cent due to a massive month for Dualis in May 2014 that the Qashqai failed to match this May, and waning stock of the old Navara), Subaru (3776, up 14.4 per cent) and Honda (3086, up 21.5 per cent).

Just outside the top-ten were Kia (2810, up 15.0 per cent), Mercedes-Benz (2754, up 5.5 per cent), and BMW (2380, up 29.1 per cent). Remove the 409 Mercedes-Benz commercials sold though — an area BMW doesn’t compete it — and the Bavarian brand actually won by 35 units, a rare victory.

Jeep (2125, down 9.1 per cent), Audi (1932, up 22.6 per cent), Suzuki (1733, down 1.4 per cent), Isuzu Ute (1695, up 8.5 per cent) and Renault (1105, up 20.1 per cent) were other brands with four-figure results.

Some notable medium-volume winners outside these brands were Lexus (805 units, up 33.5 per cent), Mini (286, up 52.9 per cent), Porsche (395, up 49.6 per cent) and Skoda (435, up 10.1 per cent).

Losers included Alfa Romeo (122, down 48.1 per cent), Chrysler (77, down 64.4 per cent), Dodge (113, down 14.4 per cent), Fiat (381 units, down 21.3 per cent), Great Wall (just 12 units, down from 235), Jaguar (61, down 39.0 per cent), Peugeot (305, down 24.1 per cent) and Volvo Car (352, down 29.7 per cent).

The top-selling vehicle for the month was the Toyota HiLux with 3173 units, down 4.0 per cent. It was one of three utes in the top 10, with the Mitsubishi Triton finishing fourth as its maker runs out old stock and introduces the new model (2683, up 16.0 per cent) and Ford Ranger fifth (2411, up 4.0 per cent).

Second for the month, despite a drop of 12.6 per cent, was the Mazda 3 on 2876 units, ahead of its arch nemesis Toyota Corolla (2688, down 30.6 per cent). The Corolla retains YTD supremacy as Australia’s top-selling vehicle though, with 17,598 units ahead of the Mazda’s 16,300.

Rounding out the top 10 were the Holden Commodore (2217, down 16.3 per cent), Volkswagen Golf (2093, down 9.0 per cent), Mazda CX-5 (1981, up 15.5 per cent), Hyundai i20 (1920, up a huge 36.6 per cent) and the Hyundai i30 (1666, down 34.7 per cent).

The Toyota Camry missed the top 10 with just 1464 units, down 3.8 per cent. This is a rare occurrence indeed.

Segment-by-segment breakdown:

Micro (total 925, down 8.7 per cent), led by Mitsubishi Mirage on 296, Fiat 500/Abarth on 184 and Nissan Micra on 141 (three units ahead of the Suzuki Celerio).

Light under $25K (total 9488, up 10.4 per cent), led by Hyundai i20 on 1920, Toyota Yaris on 1204 and Mazda 2 on 1070 (20 units ahead of Suzuki Swift in fourth).

Light over $25K (total 453, up 29.1 per cent), led by Mini Hatch/Clubman on 241, Audi A1 on 134 and Peugeot 208 on 61.

Small under $40K (total 16,043, down 17.1 per cent), led by Mazda 3 on 2876, Toyota Corolla on 2688 and Volkswagen Golf hatch/wagon on 2093 (updated). Locally-made Holden Cruze managed just 1013 units.

Small over $40K (total 1295, down 10.8 per cent), led by Audi A3 sedan and hatch on 380, Mercedes-Benz A-Class on 256 and the B-Class on 182.

Medium under $60K (total 3600, down 4.7 per cent), led by Toyota Camry on 1464, the Mazda 6 on 452 and Subaru Liberty on 328.

Medium over $60K (total 2207, up 27.4 per cent), led by Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan and wagon on 703, the BMW 3 Series on 423 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA on 287.

Large under $70K (total 3158, down 16.3 per cent), led by Holden Commodore on 2217, Ford Falcon on 520 and Toyota Aurion on 326 (Hyundai Genesis next with 49).

Large over $70K (total 384, down 17.8 per cent), led by Mercedes-Benz E-Class on 92, and BMW 5 Series and Audi A6, drawn on 51.

Upper Large under $100K (total 163, down 41.8 per cent), led by Holden Caprice on 91 and Chrysler 300 on 72.

Upper Large above $100K (total 68, down 18.1 per cent), led by Mercedes-Benz S-Class on 31 and then daylight to Audi A8 on 11.

People-movers under $60K (total 957, up 9.6 per cent), led by Kia Carnival on 318, Honda Odyssey on 260 and Hyundai iMax on 130.

Sports under $80K (1014, down 21.7 per cent), led by Toyota 86 on 256, BMW 2 Series on 162 and Hyundai Veloster on 143.

Sports over $80K (690, up 13.9 per cent), led by BMW 4 Series on 198, Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe on 131 and Audi TT on 79.

Sports over $200K (139, up 16.8 per cent), led by Porsche 911 on 38, BMW 6 Series on 20 and Ferrari’s range on 14.

SUV Small under $40K (total 8125, down 17.6 per cent) led by Hyundai ix35 on 1395, Mazda CX-3 on 1035 and Mitsubishi ASX on 950 (Honda HR-V impressive with 910).

SUV Small over $40K (total 871, up 59.8 per cent) led by Mercedes-Benz GLA on 281, Lexus NX on 233 and Audi Q3 on 214.

SUV Medium under $60K (total 9812, up 1.4 per cent) led by Mazda CX-5 on 1981, Toyota RAV4 on 1633 and Nissan X-Trail on 1317.

SUV Medium over $60K (total 1572, up 62.1 per cent) led by Audi Q5 on 412, BMW X3 on 366 and Range Rover Evoque on 171 (Porsche Macan just 2 behind).

SUV Large under $70K (total 9222, down 4.8 per cent) led by Toyota Prado on 1349 and Kluger on 1045, and Jeep Grand Cherokee on 988.

SUV Large over $70K (total 1875, up 6.6 per cent) led by BMW X5 on 376, Range Rover Sport on 260 and Volkswagen Touareg on 251.

SUV Upper Large under $100K (total 958, down 11.5 per cent) with Toyota LandCruiser on 826 and Nissan Patrol 132.

SUV Upper Large over $100K (total 95, down 16.7 per cent) led by Mercedes-Benz GL-Class on 47, Range Rover on 30 and Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen on 10.

Light Vans (total 419, up 34.3 per cent) led by Volkswagen Caddy on 230, Renault Kangoo on 112 and Suzuki APV on 42.

Medium Vans (1573, up 12.0 per cent) led by Toyota HiAce on 684, Hyundai iLoad on 442 and Renault Trafic on 118.

Heavy Vans (1573, up 12.0 per cent) led by Mercedes-Benz Sprinter on 255, Renault Master on 143 and Ford Transit Heavy on 98.

4x2 utes (3518, down 2.4 per cent) led by Toyota HiLux on 996, Ford Ranger on 495 and Mitsubishi Triton on 421 (Holden Ute 409).

4x4 utes (11,678, down 0.5 per cent) led by Mitsubishi Triton on 2262, Toyota HiLux on 2177 and Ford Ranger on 1916.

Of the 93,327 vehicles registered in May, 26,807 were made in Japan, 20,090 in Thailand, 10,523 in Korea, 7560 in Germany and just 7139 in Australia.

Top 10 best-selling brands, May 2015:

  1. Toyota – 15,928
  2. Mazda – 8717
  3. Hyundai – 8269
  4. Holden – 7956
  5. Mitsubishi – 6149
  6. Ford – 5994
  7. Volkswagen – 5534
  8. Nissan – 4467
  9. Subaru – 3776
  10. Honda – 3086

Top 10 best-selling models, May 2015:

  1. Toyota HiLux – 3173
  2. Mazda 3 – 2876
  3. Toyota Corolla – 2688
  4. Mitsubishi Triton – 2683
  5. Ford Ranger – 2411
  6. Holden Commodore – 2217
  7. Volkswagen Golf – 2093
  8. Mazda CX-5 – 1981
  9. Hyundai i20 – 1920
  10. Hyundai i30 – 1666

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