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NEWS
Mazda predicts 2013 sales record
Slowdown from September won't prevent another record year of new-vehicle sales in Australia, says MazdaMazda has forecast another new-vehicle sales record in 2013, despite the prospect of reduced economic growth from September.
The booming Japanese brand, which last year became the first Australian importer to sell more than 100,000 vehicles, is predicting overall sales of 1.116 million new vehicles this year.
That would represent a 0.04 per cent or 4000-unit increase over the all-time record of 1.112 million set last year, which itself was up 10 per cent up on 2011 figures and 5.9 per cent more than the previous record set in 2007.
Of that, Mazda is planning to sell 107,000 to 108,000 cars, SUVs and utes, which would mark a 3.7 per cent increase on its record 2012 figure and its 13th consecutive annual sales increase.
Total new-vehicle sales lifted by another 11.3 per cent in January, when Mazda sold more vehicles than all brands except Toyota, and fielded three top-selling models in the list of top-ten best-sellers overall, again led by Australia’s most popular vehicle, the Mazda3 (pictured).
A similar sales increase is expected this month, but Mazda says its economic advisors are predicting slower overall market growth from September, due to higher unemployment forecast by the Reserve Bank and NAB.
Managing Director Doug Dickson said that strong consumer confidence, a soaring stock market and record-low vehicle affordability would result in another record sales year, despite a slowing of growth for the first time since the market recovered from the 2008 GFC.
“Our advisors are pretty confident. Consumer confidence is up, share prices are rocketing ... so I think we still have a good year ahead of us. However, we think we will see a correction in the market in September,” he said.
“There will be a little bit more unemployment towards the end of the year ... because a lot of the big infrastructure projects will start to wind down.”
Mr Dickson said he expected the Australian dollar to remain strong in the short-term, aiding the ability of brands like Mazda – which sells more cars to private buyers than any other brand – to continue to discount imported models, which last year comprised 87.5 per cent of the market.
The Mazda3 is off to a flying start in 2013 after topping the new-vehicle sales chart for the past two years, but Mazda is loathe to say it’s a shoe-in for a third consecutive year with Holden’s upgraded VF Commodore due in dealerships in June and Toyota’s new Corolla hatch now available.
“We believe the Mazda3 is a pretty strong product ... but the new Corolla is yet to get a bounce and we’re eagerly awaiting the new Golf,” said Mr Dickson.
“The race is wide open. This year (the Mazda3) won’t have it all its own way. There are a number of very worthy competitors, all previous front-runners and they have sufficient form to do it again.”
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Written byMarton Pettendy
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