Used imports unstoppable

Used passenger vehicle sales rose 11.2 per cent in June to 13,339 units when compared to June 2016. Month-on-month sales appear to be easing, however, down 7.6 per cent when compared with May. Year to date, used imported passenger vehicle registrations are 10.6 per cent ahead of the first six months of 2016, up 7,690 units, an extra 1,281 extra sales each month for 2017. Toyota continues to reign at the top of the used car table with 24.8 per cent market share for the month with sales of 3,004 units, year to date they command a 25.4 per cent share. The top-selling used passenger vehicle was once again the Nissan Tiida, with sales up 6.4 per cent to 602 units, followed by the Mazda Axela, up 5.7 per cent to 558 units, and the Suzuki Swift, up 6.3 per cent to 554 units. Used car sales jumped in the South Island, with annual growth found in Dunedin, up 20 per cent to 438 sales, Timaru, up 56.4 per cent year-on-year to 147 sales, and Oamaru, up 45 per cent to 29 sales. Monthly vehicle sales were also strong in Gisborne, up 34.6 per cent to 70 sales in June, and Whanganui, up 26 per cent to 97 sales.