Car News

South Korean car maker Kia has overtaken its sibling rival Hyundai in the monthly sales race for the first time – 24 years after arriving in Australia. According to preliminary figures for March – one of the slowest months in memory for new-car sales due to coronavirus lockdowns – Kia posted a sales increase to rank fourth outright behind market leader Toyota, Mazda in second and Mitsubishi in third.

A number of car dealers across Australia are beginning to offer contactless sales enquiries while the industry still has permission to stay open. Several large dealerships have started promoting “contactless car buying” via email, social media and their own websites.

Car buyers could be denied valid warranty claims – and showrooms would be at a greater risk of going bust, leaving customers high and dry – under proposed changes to franchise agreements being considered by the Federal Government.

One of the most commonly asked questions accompnying each month's VFACTS sales report centres around which brand is winning the ute-based SUV sales race. These rugged body-on-frame, towing-ready offerings clearly have a dedicated following. For the sake of one argument, we do not include Toyota's pricier Prado in this sub-segment, but you could argue the case either way.

Australia’s 2019 new car sales tally finished up almost 8 per cent down on the previous year, making it the worst since 2011. Self-reported Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries data counted 1,062,867 new vehicles sold. That is more than 90,000 fewer than 2018’s tally. Each state and territory went backwards, by a minimum of 2.3 per cent (Tasmania) to 16 per cent (Northern Territory). Buyers in New South Wales and Victoria, combined, purchased 60,000 fewer new cars than they did in 2018.