NZ Sales: January sales down

NEW Zealand vehicle sales have started the year slowly on the back of a softening economy, the total number of 12,481 units for the month a decline of 7.4 per cent on the same month last year (-998 units).

While registrations of passenger and SUV models were up slightly – growing 3.9 per cent or 349 units – registrations of commercial vehicles, including utilities, were down a significant 29.6 per cent on last January, a fall of 1347 units.

The New Zealand Motor Industry Association (MIA) said that although the figures are down, it is pleasing to see that confidence from private buyers is “holding up” but that the business sector appears to be “battening down the hatches” on unnecessary or unaffordable expenditure.

Registrations of new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were softer than the last quarter of 2022, while registrations of hybrids remained strong.

A total of 1246 BEVs, 495 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and 2075 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) registered in New Zealand across January.

BEV sales comprised 1237 light vehicles and nine heavy vehicles, the top models including the BYD Atto 3 (235 units) followed by the MG ZS (166 units) and the Kia EV6 (149 units). 

Among the 496 PHEVs registered in the month of January, podium places went to the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (227 units), Ford Escape (57 units) and Kia Niro (38 units).

HEV sales were strong for January, particularly for Toyota. The top three hybrid vehicles sold in New Zealand in the first month of 2023 were the Toyota RAV4 (337 units), Toyota Yaris (212 units) and the Toyota Corolla Cross (193 units).

Toyota retained overall market leadership for the month with a 20 per cent share (2529 units), followed by Kia with 12 per cent (1506) units and Mitsubishi with 10 per cent (1298 units).

Also the market leader for passenger and SUV registrations in January, Toyota earned a 17 per cent share with 1540 units but was closely followed by Kia on 16 per cent (1506 units). Mitsubishi was a distant third with 11 per cent market share from 982 units.

Indeed, Toyota took number-one place in January with the Toyota HiLux (800 unit sales) becoming New Zealand’s best-selling car.

The HiLux beat light commercial rival, Ford’s Ranger (796) and the third-placed Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (421).

HiLux sales helped Toyota to regain its lead in the commercial vehicle market in January, with a 31 per cent share (989 units), followed by Ford with 28 per cent (892 units) and Mitsubishi third with 10 per cent (316 units).

Mitsubishi’s Triton was the third best-selling model in January with 311 units.

Top-selling passenger and SUV models for the month were the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

(421 units) followed by the Toyota RAV4 (386 units) and the Kia Stonic (341 units).

Smaller vehicles, including the Kia Stonic, formed part of the strongest sales segment in New Zealand in January with 28 per cent of all sales coming from the compact SUV arena. 

Medium SUV sales took second place with a 20 per cent slice of the action ahead of the 4x4 ute segment with 15 per cent.

Overall, small to medium vehicle segments comprised 61 per cent of the total market.

Top 10 sales by Make (January passenger, SUV and commercial):

Top 10 sales by Model (January passenger and SUV):

Top 10 sales by Model (January commercial):