VFACTS for March: Record month hits six figures

Australian new-car buyers last month purchased 105,054 vehicles – a new record for March, and an indicator the market is recovering from 2014's sales slump.

Sales increased across the board, for passenger, SUV and light commercial vehicles. According to VFACTS figures released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), passenger vehicle sales rose from 47,076 in March 2014 to 48,185 last month. Sales volumes for passenger cars remain over 3500 units behind 2014 for the year to date, however.

Light commercial vehicle sales have improved for the month (18,429 versus 16,740 for March 2014) as well as the year to date – 46,883 vehicles sold this year so far, an improvement of 2062.

"Light commercial vehicle sales increased 10.1 per cent compared to March 2014 sales. Year-to-date, light commercial vehicles are up 4.6 per cent," said FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber.

"In particular, we saw private purchases of light commercial vehicles increase significantly in March 2015, with sales up 33.4 per cent. The versatility of these vehicles makes them a popular choice for many Australians, providing the capacity needed for work, leisure and family activities."

But the market gains this year are mostly due to the burgeoning SUV class, which saw over 4700 additional sales last month, taking the monthly total to 35,503. Year to date sales for SUVs have increased nearly 12,700 units, to 95,221 for the first three months of 2015.

Not only was last month a new record, achieving six-digit sales for the first time ever, it also represented an eight per cent jump from March 2014, the FCAI says.

Around the country, sales improved in every state other than South Australia (slightly down by 0.4 per cent) and Western Australia, which saw sales fall away 2.9 per cent.

The FCAI cites affordability as a key factor in the rush to buy new cars, but Toyota Australia also considers low interest rates and faster new model turn-around to be playing a part.

"After property, new vehicles are the biggest purchase for most consumers – and both these sectors are benefiting from record-low interest rates," said Tony Cramb, Toyota's executive director sales and marketing.

"New-vehicle sales are also supported by aggressive competition resulting in a combination of prices and features that represent unprecedented value for money," he said.

"New and better vehicles are entering the market almost every week – and Toyota is leading the way with new or upgraded models being launched almost every month this year."

Top selling brands for March were: Toyota (19,082), Mazda (10,217), Holden (8571), Hyundai (8709), Nissan (7138), Mitsubishi (6307), Ford (6023), Volkswagen (5525), Subaru (4002) and Honda (4042). Only Holden and Ford have sold fewer cars for the year to date in 2015.

The 10 best selling cars during March were: Toyota Corolla (4261), Mazda3 (3558), Toyota Hilux (3346), Mitsubishi Triton (2940), Holden Commodore (2436), Ford Ranger (2424), Mazda CX-5 (2344), Toyota Camry (2319), Volkswagen Golf (2116) and Hyundai i30 (2098).

For the year to date, Toyota remains the most popular brand, with 48,986 sales so far, and its small car, the Corolla, remains the top-selling car in the country, on 11,672 sales – just over 600 more than Mazda3 (11,059).