Used-imported car sales fall 10%

First-time registrations of used-imported cars fell by 10 per cent to 110,862 last year, when compared with 123,134 in 2021.

The 2022 total was also below the 113,142 registrations recorded in 2020 when the industry was severely hit by the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Toyota’s Aqua, pictured, topped the models’ table for the second year running after 12,959 sales in 2022, according to the statistics from Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency. This gave the Aqua an 11.7 per cent market share in 2022.

Next up was the Toyota Prius on 6,227 and 5.6 per cent, with Mazda’s Axela clinching third spot on 4,942 registrations and 4.5 per cent.

Toyota enjoyed double success as it also finished ahead of the pack on the marques’ ladder with 36,396 registrations for the year and a market share of 32.8 per cent.

Nissan was runner-up after recording 15,441 sales and 13.9 per cent, which put it above Mazda’s 14,653 units and 13.2 per cent slice of the market.

Meanwhile, the number of used-imported commercials increased by nine per cent from 6,974 in 2021 to 7,600 last year. 

This meant the overall number of used-imported vehicles in 2022 was 118,462, which was down by nine per cent from 130,108 in the previous year.

December drop

There were 6,993 used-imported cars registered in New Zealand last month, a drop of 30.7 per cent when compared with 10,095 in the same month of 2021.

The Aqua was the top-selling model last month with 1,072 registrations, a 23.4 per cent increase from 869 in December last year, and a market share of 15.3 per cent.

Toyota’s Prius was second on 576 sales and 8.2 per cent of the market, followed by the Axela with 368 and 5.3 per cent.

Completing the top five was the Toyota Corolla and Mazda Demio with 239 and 232 registrations respectively.

Toyota was the leading marque in December with 2,644 registrations for 37.8 per cent of the market.

Mazda took out second place on 1,028 units and 14.7 per cent, with Nissan third on 889 and 12.7 per cent. Next on the ladder were Subaru with 447 sales and Honda with 417.