Utes dominate across ditch

Registrations of new vehicles in Australia came in at 97,251 last month, which was down 3.9 per cent or 3,982 units when compared with March 2022.

However, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) notes the year-to-date tally of 269,002 sales was up 2.5 per cent from a year ago “which is a better indicator of the underlying strength of the market”.

Tony Weber, chief executive, adds: “March was a solid month for new car sales given the supply constraints carmakers are facing both domestically and internationally.”

Toyota’s Hilux, pictured, was the top-selling model last month with 4,583 registrations. Next up was the Ford Ranger on 4,508, Isuzu’s D-Max with 2,789, the Mitsubishi Outlander on 2,169 and Tesla’s Model Y with 1,938.

On the marques’ ladder, Toyota was top in March with 13,223 vehicles sold. Mazda was second on 8,243 units, followed by Ford with 6,485, Kia on 6,403 and Mitsubishi with 5,863.

Battery electric vehicle sales in Australia grew by 19.5 per cent from March 2022 figures and the number of plug-in-hybrids registered increased by 33.3 per cent.

“This growth demonstrates that where Australians can afford a battery electric vehicle which suits their lifestyle, they will buy them,” says Weber.

“The top three best sellers for March 2023 were utes. It is notable that there are no passenger sedans in the 10 top-selling vehicles for March. 

“The consumer preference for utes and SUVs is an important factor to consider as we journey to a zero-emissions light-vehicle fleet because these vehicles are more difficult and expensive to electrify.”