VFACTS April: Supply crisis drags down vehicle sales

The global supply chain crisis affecting new-vehicle deliveries in Australia is continuing to frustrate buyers and car companies alike, dragging down sales to historically low levels amid strong order banks but lengthening delivery times.

Industry VFACTS figures released today reveal that sales plummeted 12.2 per cent in April to 81,065 units compared to the corresponding month last year, with double-digit downturns posted by market leader Toyota and several other leading brands including Ford, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Nissan.

The results come as Toyota paused all new orders for popular versions of its top-selling HiLux ute this week, and as Ford dealers break the bad news to customers that production of its incoming new Ranger ute has been slowed at the factory, extending waiting times.

HiLux remained the most popular vehicle in Australia last month with 4493 sales compared to the Ranger’s 3581, marking a (perhaps short-lived) 6.4 per cent uptick for the Toyota but a 28.7 per cent decline for the Ford, supplies of which are running dry as the current model runs out. 

The third biggest-selling model last month, the Toyota RAV4, fell 25.1 per cent but still managed to claim top billing as the number-one SUV in Australia with 3373 sales.

Fluctuating fortunes for the major models, and the brands behind them, are expected to continue in the months ahead as the global semi-conductor shortage thwarting vehicle production rolls on – and may not be back to pre-pandemic levels until 2024.

In delivering the latest results, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) chief executive Tony Weber said: “We know this is not a reflection on the demand for new vehicles in the marketplace.

“This is a reflection on the global automotive industry’s ability to supply vehicles to not only the Australian market, but all markets throughout the world.

“Automotive manufacturers continue to suffer from a shortage of microprocessor units which is impacting their ability to ramp up production to pre-pandemic levels. COVID-19 continues to impact manufacturing and supply, particularly where factories have been forced to close and shipping operations are yet to fully recover.

“This is being reflected in the extended delivery times for new vehicles,” he said.

The industry’s poor overall result last month – when declines were felt in every Australian state and territory – now sees year-to-date sales down 3.5 per cent compared to the first four months of 2021.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom in April for some of the leading brands in Australia, with Kia holding onto fourth position overall with an 8.3 per cent uptick in sales to 6180 units.

MG also impressed with continued growth and consolidation of its seventh spot in the marketplace, racking up 4773 sales (+58.7%) to maintain a healthy advantage over the likes of Nissan, Volkswagen and Subaru.

Isuzu (3032) and Mercedes-Benz Cars (2307) were also in positive territory last month among the top 10 brands – posting gains of 6.4 and 7.3 per cent respectively – while Suzuki, which has been overrun by rivals in recent years, moved up to 11th with 1786 sales (+36.5%).

Further back, but still with positive results, were GWM/Haval (1353, +1.2%) and LDV (1265, +16.5%), joining MG in ongoing monthly and year-to-date growth from the burgeoning Chinese brands.

These silver linings came as Toyota fell 11.1 per cent – albeit still dominant with 17,956 sales – and Mazda, in second place, dropped 26.6 per cent with 7378 units. Mitsubishi wasn’t far behind on 6463 sales (-14.0%), while Hyundai again deferred to its sister brand Kia by managing only 5552 sales for the month (-3.8%).

Outside the top five, Ford held off MG for sixth, but only just, suffering a 30.4 per cent decline to 4974 sales, while Nissan clung onto 10th – behind Isuzu and Mercedes-Benz – despite a 41.4 per cent downturn for the month to 2050 sales.

Elsewhere, it was also a tough month of trading for Subaru (14th, 1644, -52.4%), Volkswagen (12th, 1721, -44.9%), BMW (13th, 1663, -22.8%), Audi (18th, 1036, -19.1%) and Honda (17th, 1073, -37.2%).

Tesla deliveries were reduced to a trickle in April, the US electric car brand posting just 52 sales, all of which were examples of the Model 3. In comparison, there were 93 Polestar 2 sales recorded, along with higher numbers from various other EVs including the Porsche Taycan (58) and Mercedes-Benz EQA (65).

Overall, 866 electric vehicle sales were recorded last month, plus 628 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and 6277 regular hybrids.

Across the major categories, utes were out in front again (17,261), ahead of medium SUVs (16,274), large SUVs (10,880) and small SUVs (10,240).

SUVs accounted for 52.3 per cent of total industry volume in April, although sales across the sector were down 13.8 per cent, while light commercials continued to pull away from passenger cars in the mix – at 24.2 versus 19.1 per cent of the market respectively last month.

Related: VFACTS March: Toyota HiLux lords over weak market

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