NZ sales: Slight increases in August
BY TIM NICHOLSON | 5th Sep 2018
NEW Zealand’s new-vehicle market has avoided the downward trend of the Australian market, recording year-to-date growth of 1.7 per cent and notching up a record August haul of 13,200 units.
Last month’s new-vehicle sales total was 1.0 per cent ahead of the same month last year and it marked the best August result ever, beating the 1984 tally by just 43 units.
Motor Industry Association chief executive officer David Crawford highlighted the recent shift to smaller vehicles in NZ.
“With the continued high price of petrol, we are starting to see a small but discernible shift towards smaller vehicles,” he said.
“The SUV medium segment remains in as the top segment for the month of August with 16 per cent market share. This was followed by the pick-up/chassis cab 4x4 with 14 per cent of the market, the SUV compact with 14 per cent and small (passenger) vehicles with 11 per cent market share.”
Both major market segments experienced minor growth last month, with passenger cars/SUVs increasing by just 0.4 per cent – or 32 units – over last August, while commercial registrations grew by 2.4 per cent, or 105 units.
Market leader Toyota’s haul of 2292 units was 8.7 per cent behind last August’s result, but well ahead of second placed Ford, which recorded 1428 sales – a 9.4 per cent jump.
Mazda was in third with 1053, just two units less than last August’s result, while Mitsubishi continued its strong form, increasing its sales by 14.4 per cent to 1048.
Holden rounded out the top five with 936 units, a 12.6 per cent drop over the same month in 2017.
While Holden was pushed to fifth last month, the year-to-date top five is Toyota (18,328 units) on top, followed by Ford (11,378), Holden (8295), Mazda (8239) and then Mitsubishi (7923).
Elsewhere in August’s top 10 was Nissan in sixth with 717 sales, a 2.0 per cent increase, followed by Hyundai, which had a massive 41.9 per cent sales increase to 667 units after a horror August last year.
Suzuki was in eighth with 599 sales, a 15.9 per cent increase, with Kia trailing it in ninth with 562 units – a rare 11 per cent drop – while Volkswagen rounded out the top 10 with 499 sales, a 5.5 per cent boost.
Ford’s Ranger ruled the model rankings last month with 785, with arch-rival Toyota’s HiLux behind it with 693 units.
The Corolla was third overall with 597 units, which included 381 rental company sales. This result was no doubt helped by the recent NZ launch of the new-generation Corolla hatchback.
Holden’s Colorado (399 units) and the Mitsubishi Triton (346) capped off the top five.
Mazda’s CX-5 mid-size SUV was sixth with 324 sales, Nissan’s Navara pick-up sold 283 units and Mitsubishi’s ASX crossover benefited from decent rental sales for a 275-unit haul.
Kia’s Sportage was in ninth with 273 sales and the Suzuki Swift was 10th with 264.
NZ’s year-to-date top-five best-selling models is only slightly different, with Ranger on top, followed by HiLux, then Colorado, Corolla and Triton.
Toyota’s result was bolstered by another strong month of rental sales, with the Corolla topping that list, while the Yaris, Highlander (Kluger) and HiAce van all made the top 10.
Mitsubishi’s new Eclipse Cross and the ageing ASX also made the best-selling rentals list, while the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van was second.
NZ top 10 makes August 2018
| Position | Brand | Sales | Share% |
| 1 | Toyota | 2292 | 17.4 |
| 2 | Ford | 1428 | 10.8 |
| 3 | Mazda | 1053 | 8.0 |
| 4 | Mitsubishi | 1048 | 8.0 |
| 5 | Holden | 936 | 7.1 |
| 6 | Nissan | 717 | 5.4 |
| 7 | Hyundai | 667 | 5.0 |
| 8 | Suzuki | 599 | 4.5 |
| 9 | Kia | 562 | 4.2 |
| 10 | Volkswagen | 499 | 3.8 |