Sales of vehicles in Australia are up 33 per cent on the same month last year, demonstrating the resilience of Australia’s car market despite the impacts of lock downs and microprocessor shortages. Consumers purchased a total of 81,199 new vehicles during the month of August, even though Covid-19 restrictions denied them access to vehicle showrooms in many states and territories.
Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory all recorded growth greater than 30%, compared to August 2020. Victorian sales have rebounded resulting in an increase of over 150%, while the ACT and NSW recorded declines.
Strong sales of electric SUVs (635%), amidst a global shortage of microprocessor parts, are a result of manufacturers working with their suppliers to match vehicles with market demand.
Toyota was market leader in August with 24.6% of overall sales. This was followed by Mazda (9.4%), then Kia, Ford and Hyundai who all recorded around 6.2% of market share. The Toyota Hilux was the highest selling model with 4,770 sold with the Ford Ranger and Toyota Corolla achieving second and third place.