VFACTS for 2015: Aussie market sets new record

VFACTS sales figures for 2015 released today reveal the Australian new-car market has bounced back from 2014's result to post a new record.

The market was already on the way to setting a new record above 1.1 million sales at the end of November, but the pre-Christmas rush in December ensured that the overall result for the year was emphatic.

At 1,155,408, the 2015 sales tally was 1.7 per cent higher than the previous record year, in 2013.

The Toyota Corolla finished 2015 in top spot, selling 42,073 units across the 12 months. It's the third straight win for Corolla, which displaced the Mazda3 in 2012.

Total sales in December amounted to 99,616, which was nearly 3000 units better than December 2014. According to VFACTS that was a 2.9 per cent improvement, year on year.

Tony Weber, Chief Executive for the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) acknowledged the part that SUVs had to play in what has proved to be an excellent result for the industry. But there's life yet in the old passenger-car class.

“Despite the significant rise in SUV sales over the past few years, passenger cars still hold some popularity,” Weber said. “The segment is still the largest segment, holding 44.6 per cent of the total market in 2015.”

But other than the outstanding December sales result for the Toyota Camry (an astounding 5321 sales in December, versus 2374 in December 2014), it was a pretty dismal year for local manufacturers. Toyota's fellow manufacturers both saw sales ebb away in 2015.

Ford's market share and raw sales both slumped, and Broadmeadows is facing a period of turmoil during the lead in to its vehicle and engine assembly plant closures in October 2016.

The company's existing product has been steadily declining in 2015, although 2016 may turn Ford's fortunes around, with the Ranger-based Everest SUV establishing itself in the market and the Mustang lending the brand some excitement. Currently the Ranger is Ford's top-selling model in Australia.

Like Ford, Holden is also making a transition that goes beyond merely stepping across the line from manufacturer to full-line importer. New product, mostly from GM's German subsidiary, Opel, is already trickling through to Holden showrooms, and that will continue through to 2020 and beyond.

But Holden is hedging its bets, having promised to build up inventory of the VF Series II Commodore to carry that model line over well into 2018 – perhaps as long as 12 months or more after the closure of the Elizabeth factory in South Australia.

Toyota will also close its Altona plant in Victoria in 2017. In the meantime the locally-manufactured Camry remains the top-selling mid-sized model in the market. The future for Toyota remains very much with its imported line-up, however. Its small car, the Corolla, has been the best-selling car in Australia during 2015, and HiLux remains the most popular light commercial vehicle.

The top 10 brands in 2015 were: Toyota (206,236), Mazda (114,024), Holden (102,951), Hyundai (102,004), Mitsubishi (71,743), Ford (70,454), Nissan (66,062), Volkswagen (60,225), Subaru (43,600) and Honda (40,100).

Toyota's inexorable slide continues, with the leading brand's market share now down to 17.8 per cent of the market. There's now a significant gap between fourth-placed Hyundai, with over 100,000 sales, and Mitsubishi – over 30,000 units behind.

Ford has lost over 9000 sales in the 12 months from 2014, and is now firmly entrenched in the lower tier of top 10 brands. Holden was the only other brand to post fewer sales in 2015 than in 2014, but the slump at Fishermans Bend was a little over 3000 units for the year.

Nissan narrowly avoided being one of the losers for the year. Volkswagen, despite its 'dieselgate' woes, recorded over 5000 more sales for 2015. And Honda achieved its goal of getting back above 40,000 units.

The top five cars for 2015 were: Toyota Corolla (42,073), Mazda3 (38,644), Toyota HiLux (35,161), Hyundai i30 (32,306) and Ford Ranger (29,185).

And the top 10 cars for December were: Toyota Camry (5321), Toyota Corolla (3469), Mazda3 (3445), Toyota HiLux (3133), Ford Ranger (2836), Holden Commodore (2622), Mitsubishi Triton (2134), Mitsubishi ASX (2066), Hyundai i30 (1999) and Mazda CX-5 (1917).