Australia’s automotive market has set a record high for April with a new milestone for year-to-date new vehicle sales.
According to the latest figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), 97,202 vehicles were sold last month. This marks a significant increase of more than 50,515 vehicles compared to the same period last year.
“April’s result highlights strong consumer confidence in purchasing new vehicles, surpassing our expectations, and is a testament to consumer choice and the industry’s resilience in a challenging economic landscape,” says FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber.
Strong Market Appetite for SUVs and Light Commercial Vehicles
According to the FCAI, the new car market was driven by strong demand for SUVs claiming 55.7 percent of the total market share in April as well as for Light Commercial Vehicles which made up 22.0 percent of sales. Meanwhile, Passenger Vehicles claimed 17.8 percent of the market.
Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid vehicles captured 18.3 percent of the market compared to 7.5 percent in the previous year.
On the other hand, Battery Electric Vehicles saw a slight decline with 6.4 percent of new sales compared to 8 percent during the same period last year.
“We are witnessing a shift in consumer preferences towards more sustainable and efficient vehicles,” Weber commented.
Market Leaders
Toyota emerged as the top-selling brand with 20,771 units sold, followed by Ford (8,648), Mazda (7,301), Kia (6,653), and Mitsubishi (5,314).
The Toyota RAV4 was the top-selling vehicle with sales reaching 5,857 units. This was followed by the Ford Ranger (5,569), Toyota HiLux (4,693), Ford Everest (2,400), and Isuzu UTE D-Max (2,380).
Sales surged across every State and Territory compared to April 2023. Sales in the Australian Capital Territory were up by 14.5 percent (1,444); New South Wales 16.9 percent (29,263); Queensland 14.8 percent (20,872); South Australia 33.5 percent (6,789); Victoria 19.2 percent (26,492); Western Australia 18.1 percent (9,806), Tasmania 31.9 percent (1,677) and Northern Territory 12.9 percent (859).
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