Best-ever March vehicle sales in Australia

Australia’s motoring industry had its best-ever March sales figures, with the market up 898 sales, or 0.9 per cent, on the same time last year. According to statistical provider VFACTS, 105,410 vehicles were sold in Australia last month. Sales decreased in ACT, NSW, the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia, but strong growth in South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria offset this slump. The SUV market continues to grow, accounting for 39.4 per cent of the total vehicle market in March – a 7.9 per cent increase on 2016. “For the first three months of 2017 the SUV segment is now the dominant sector, whereas this time last year passenger cars led the market by around 10,000 sales. Clearly, the shift in market dynamics is accelerating,” said CEO of the Federal Chamber of Automotive industries, Tony Weber. Toyota was the leading car make, taking 18.6 per cent of the market in March. This was followed by Mazda, with a 9.9 per cent market share, and Hyundai on 8.3 per cent. The top-selling vehicle in Australia was the Toyota Hilux, with 4,425 sales, followed by the Ford Ranger, with 3,845 and the Toyota Corolla, with 3,574 units sold.