and war sales are often used as a lead indicator of how well the economy is going. Buoyant sales means a thriving economy. However sales for May 2022 are down by 6.4% on the same month last year.
Is this a true indication of the situation? Well the answer is yes and no.
The impact of Covid on supply chains continues to have a large effect. Even MG which seemed to be immune to them now has issues.
Globally the automotive industry faces shipping issues which hinders delivery and the ongoing microprocessor unit shortages.
But demand remains strong and many manufacturers have a healthy order book.
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The trend for SUVs continues with some 54% of new car sales now falling into that category. A further 21% are LCV and passenger cars are well and truly lagging.
Out of the top ten selling vehicles 4 were Utes with the HiLux taking top spot. Three were SUVs and the remaining three were passenger cars.
Toyota retains top spot with more than twice as many sales as number two Mazda. Mitsubishi, Kia and Hyundai make up the top five with Ford, MG, Isuzu Ute, Subaru and Nissan the top ten.
Note that Ford sales are almost 88% Ranger and Everest.
The rest of the year will be interesting
This is a Motoring Minute
Im Rob Fraser
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The FCAI, the peak body for Australia’s automotive industry, has today released new vehicle sales figures for May 2022.
A total of 94,383 vehicles were sold in May bringing the year-to-date total to 437,884. This result represents a decrease of 6.4 per cent on the same month in 2021.
FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said global supply chains struggling to recover from pandemic impacts meant demand for new vehicles in Australia continues to outstrip supply.
“The global automotive industry continues to be plagued by a shortage of microprocessor units and shipping delays. This issue is not unique to Australia.
“Car makers continue to report high demand across dealer showrooms and online marketplaces. Pandemic interruptions continue to impact manufacturing and conflict in Ukraine has disrupted vehicle component supply. Monthly sales figures are also dependent on shipping arrivals which continue to be uncertain and we do not expect supply chains to stabilise until these issues are resolved.”
Sales across every State and Territory were down apart from the Northern Territory where 973 vehicles were sold representing an increase of 2.4 per cent on May 2021. Sales in the Australian Capital Territory fell 11 per cent (1,367); New South Wales 6.3 per cent (30,757); Queensland 11.3 per cent (18,997); South Australia 8.2 per cent (6,098); Tasmania 6.8 per cent (1,651); Victoria 0.8 per cent (25,164); and Western Australia 9.1 per cent (9,353).
Toyota led the market with a total of 22,813 vehicles sold. Kia was next with 7,307 followed by Hyundai (7,063), Mazda (6,474) and Mitsubishi (6,086).
The Toyota Hi-Lux was the highest-selling model with 5,178. Toyota’s RAV4 was next with 3,925 followed by Ford’s Ranger (3,751); Toyota’s Corolla (3,310); and Toyota’s Landcruiser (2,667).
Car Sales Key Points:
- The May 2022 market of 94,383 new vehicle sales is a decrease of 6,426 vehicle sales or -6.4% against May 2021 (100,809). There were 25.8 selling days in both May 2022 and May 2021, resulting in a decrease of 249.1 vehicle sales per day.
- The Passenger Vehicle Market is down by 2,966 vehicle sales (-14.7%) over the same month last year; the Sports Utility Market is down by 2,146 vehicle sales
(-4.0%); the Light Commercial Market is down by 1,649 vehicle sales (-7.1%) and the Heavy Commercial Vehicle Market is up by 335 vehicle sales (8.8%) versus
May 2021. - Toyota was market leader in May, followed by Kia and Hyundai. Toyota led Kia with a margin of 15,506 vehicle sales and 16.5 market share points.