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NEWS
Top of the class
How would the Australian automotive landscape look if some sort of seismic change occurred overnight?Toyota is far and away this country's most popular automotive brand – and has been continuously the market leader since 2003.
It's the same again this year. With just two months remaining for 2014, Toyota leads Holden by exactly 78,000 vehicles – closing in on a figure that's double Holden's year to date tally of 90,491.
But what if...?
What if, for example, the zombie apocalypse arrives – and all the zombies drive SUVs?
Or gamma radiation from outer space turns us all into light commercial vehicle drivers?
Or an army of terminators from 50 years in the future returns to our present day and wipes out all SUV and light commercial vehicle drivers, leaving just passenger car drivers to survive?
How would the top ten look then?
Currently, this is the top ten list of the country's most popular brands:
Toyota
Holden
Mazda
Hyundai
Ford
Nissan
Mitsubishi
Volkswagen
Subaru
Honda
But if the zombies all trade in their sports cars, people movers, family hacks, and P-plate hatchbacks on SUVs, here's how the top ten would pan out:
Toyota – 46,693
Nissan – 27,581
Jeep – 24,791
Subaru – 23,314
Mitsubishi – 21,383
Mazda – 21,085
Hyundai – 20,446
Holden – 19,533
Ford – 15,007
Land Rover – 8539
This list is based on current SUV sales for 2014 so far, with the year to date figures alongside. Presumably, in a million-strong zombie market, the numbers would be higher, but should be proportionally the same.
No surprises in Toyota maintaining a lead of around double the sales volumes of its closest competitor – but that closest competitor is now Nissan, rather than Holden. Jeep, not currently in the top ten at all, would be number three. The Japanese brands would retain a strong presence, but Hyundai, Holden and Ford would all drop back into the lower half of the field. Land Rover would put in an appearance in the tenth spot.
When gamma radiation exposure results in nationwide migration to light commercial vehicles – and we all inevitably turn green from road rage – the top ten will take on a different hue also, although Toyota's unassailable lead will continue.
Toyota – 45,322
Ford – 25,777
Holden – 20,249
Mitsubishi – 18,658
Nissan – 14,241
Isuzu Ute – 12,952
Mazda – 10,716
Volkswagen – 9503
Hyundai – 3741
Renault – 2902
An interesting point to note here, only two of those brands are particularly reliant on vans for their LCV sales – and they are in 9th and 10th positions, respectively. Every other brand – even Volkswagen – sells considerably more pick-ups than vans.
Lastly, come the Terminator-led judgement day, the top ten would see the three-pointed star join the fun.
Toyota – 76,283
Hyundai – 59,567
Mazda – 52,066
Holden – 50,709
Volkswagen – 28,065
Ford – 26,732
Mercedes-Benz – 18,746
Honda – 18,300
Kia – 16,082
Mitsubishi – 14,091
But once again, Toyota would remain number one. Hyundai, in second place, would be much closer however. Volkswagen's strength in passenger cars would boost it into fifth place. Interestingly – and worryingly for the company concerned – Nissan would fall out of the list altogether.
What, ultimately, can we learn from all this?
Simple: whatever disaster will befall the planet, Toyota will still be the number one selling car company...
All data provided courtesy of VFACTS
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Written byKen Gratton
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