If you were one of thousands of Australians tempted by End of Financial Year sales last month, you are definitely not alone. Australians bought the largest number of new vehicles in June 2017 than any comparable time in our history, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
Official figures, collated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, show a whopping sale of 134,171 vehicles, up 4.4 per cent on the same month last year and the third record June in a row. (Note: this does not mean registrations.)
Toyota Is Hooked on a Winning Feeling
Japanese based car manufacturer Toyota was Australia’s top selling marque, selling 24,546 vehicles – or about one out of every five vehicle purchased during the June sales period.
The Toyota Rav4 also placed eighth overall in the Top 10 cars sold tally. The Camry didn’t fare too badly either; finishing seventh. Their “staple” small-size sedan the Corolla was third most popular new car sold.
The Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger utes were the top two sellers overall. Sales of the Toyota HiLux ute gained 18.4%, with the Ford Ranger soaring to 23.8%.
Utes are usually a big seller during EOFY, as tradies and sole traders look to maximise their tax-time write-offs.
Australians get a taste for the compact SUV, Mustang
The “baby” or compact SUV segment was also a big boon for carmakers, with the Hyundai Tuscon setting a new record for small SUVs. It also displaced the Mazda CX-5 as the most popular small SUV variant.
Another surprising figure is the sales of Ford Mustang sports cars, topping the $80,000 or greater category with 1,276 sales. The next car, the Hyundai Veloster, finishes a distant second at only 322 sales.
Commodore still captures Australian hearts
There’s no denying the Holden Commodore in its waning months of local assembly is the large car of choice for Aussies. It sold 2054 cars in EOFY sales, leaving the Toyota Aurion in the dust with only 358 sales. The Czech mate Skoda Superb trounced the Ford Falcon, selling 112 more cars than the Americans. Perhaps it should be Holden vs. Toyota now?
Luxury segment is all E-Class
The crown for Saloon vehicles over $70,000 goes to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. It’s also a run of the Germans claiming the top 3 – the BMW 5 Series at #2 and Audi A6 at #3. A surprise entry at #4 is the Maserati Ghibli, the stunning, stylish roadster by the Italians. The Jaguar XF and Lexus GS tied for #5. With the sales now long over, we hope you nabbed a bargain!