Demand jumps for new cars

There were 10,112 new passenger vehicles sold in New Zealand during March.

That represented an increase of 86.7 per cent when compared to the same month of last year when there were only 5,415 registrations as a Covid-19 lockdown came into force across the country. The year-to-date total for registrations is now 28,534.

The Mitsubishi Outlander was the best-selling model of last month with 467 sales. Kia’s Sportage, pictured, took out second spot on 346 and the Mazda CX-5 was third with 339.

Toyota headed the marques’ ladder in March with its 1,106 sales clinching a 10.9 per cent slice of the market. Its number of monthly registrations was up 20.5 per cent year on year.

Close behind were Kia with 1,053 units and 10.4 per cent of overall sales, and Mitsubishi on 1,018 vehicles for 10.1 per cent. 

Both those marques have seen huge increases from a year ago, with Kia recording a 197.5 per cent jump from 354 units in March 2020, while Mitsubishi climbed 193.4 per cent from 347.

For the year to date, Toyota accounts for 12.6 per cent of the market, or 3,586 cars, while Kia and Mitsubishi have 12.1 and 11 per cent respectively.

All the regions – except for Westport and Oamaru – saw sales activity increase in March when compared to the same month of last year.

Nelson, Christchurch, Hamilton and Invercargill had some of the biggest upticks in new-car business over that period.

Nelson’s sales figures climbed 205.6 per cent, from 54 units to 165, Christchurch had a 141.5 per cent jump from 499 to 1,205, Hamilton surged 124.6 per cent from 357 to 802, while trading in Invercargill leapt 119.4 per cent, from 93 cars to 204.

In Auckland, registrations were up by 65.2 per cent, from 2,446 to 4,040, and in Wellington the numbers soared 99.1 per cent from 530 to 1,055.