Car Sales – Australia’s automotive industry continues its unprecedented growth trajectory, setting a record for April and achieving the highest-ever year-to-date new vehicle sales result. 
The latest car sales figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) show a total of 97,202 vehicles were sold in April, propelling the year-to-date sales to 401,654. This is a substantial increase of more than 50,515 vehicles compared with the same year-to-date point in 2023.
FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said the continued growth in the market has seen the industry break ten record monthly sales results in the past year.
VFACTS APRIL 2024
“April’s result highlights strong consumer confidence in purchasing new vehicles, surpassing our expectations and is a testament to consumer choice and the industry’s resilience in a challenging economic landscape.”
The demand for new vehicles has been buoyed by a strong market appetite for SUVs and Light Commercial Vehicles, consistent with trends observed in the first quarter of the year.
Notably, the SUV category continues to dominate sales, representing 55.7 per cent of total market share in April. Light Commercials held steady, claiming 22.0 per cent of sales, reflecting ongoing demand for vehicles that meet the work and lifestyle requirements of Australians. Passenger vehicles accounted for 17.8 per cent of sales.
Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid vehicles saw a notable increase, capturing 18.3 per cent of the market compared to 7.5 per cent in the previous year. However, Battery Electric Vehicles saw a slight decrease in sales accounting for 6.4 per cent of new sales, a decrease from 7.9 per cent at the same time last year.
“We are witnessing a shift in consumer preferences towards more sustainable and efficient vehicles,” Mr Weber said.
Toyota was the market leader with sales of 20,771, followed by Ford (8,648), Mazda (7,301), Kia (6,653) and Mitsubishi (5,314).
The Toyota RAV4 was Australia’s top selling vehicle with sales of 5,857.
Followed by the
- Ford Ranger (5,569),
- Toyota HiLux (4,693),
- Ford Everest (2,400) and
- Isuzu Ute D-Max (2,380).
Sales by State
Every State and Territory increased compared with April 2023.
- Sales in the Australian Capital Territory were up by 14.5 per cent (1,444);
- New South Wales 16.9 per cent (29,263);
- Queensland 14.8 per cent (20,872);
- South Australia 33.5 per cent (6,789);
- Victoria 19.2 per cent (26,492);
- Western Australia 18.1 per cent (9,806),
- Tasmania 31.9 per cent (1,677) and
- Northern Territory 12.9 per cent (859).
Key Points: Car Sales
- The April 2024 market of 97,202 new vehicle sales is an increase of 15,065 vehicle sales or 18.3% against April 2023 (82,137). There were 24 selling days in April 2024 compared to 22 in April 2023. Resulting in an increase of 316.6 vehicle sales per day.
- The Passenger Vehicle Market is up by 2,123 vehicle sales (14.0%) over the same month last year. The Sports Utility Market is up by 8,104 vehicle sales (17.6%). The Light Commercial Market is up by 4,353 vehicle sales (25.5%). And the Heavy Commercial Vehicle Market is up by 485 vehicle sales (12.6%) versus April 2023.
- Toyota was market leader in April, followed by Ford and Mazda. Toyota led Ford with a margin of 12,123 vehicle sales and 12.5 market share points.
