Australian Car Industry News

The electric 2021 Porsche Taycan is now Australia’s best-selling large luxury sedan, according to the latest sales figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. The ‘Large Car over $70,000’ category has long been dominated by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series, with the top spot almost exclusively held between the two of them every month since 2000.

Demand for new cars continued their recovery across Australia for the fifth month in a row, with official March results released today showing steady growth as the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger continued to lead the charts and utes filled four of the Top 10 positions.

Australians could be waiting even longer to take delivery of their new cars, with the recent blockage at the Suez canal exacerbating delays originating from the coronavirus pandemic. Despite news the container ship MV Ever Given has been refloated – allowing one of the most vital international shipping routes to flow with maritime traffic again – it's expected the issues created will push out deliveries of some European new cars by weeks.

Japanese car maker Honda is hoping to return to its former glory under the guidance of a new global boss, Toshihiro Mibe, who has an engineering background and is the former head of the company’s flagship research and development division. According to industry analysts, the appointment of Mr Mibe is intended to return Honda to better times after being accused of cutting corners and cutting costs for the past decade.

The way Australians buy new cars is about to change in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, which has fast-tracked a shift to “click and collect” shopping and given buyers the confidence to purchase big ticket items after researching and negotiating online or over the phone. Soon, new-car buyers will be able to purchase a vehicle from a shopping centre or an airport – thanks to Australia’s largest new-car dealer group.