NZ Sales: November sales soften

NEW ZEALAND has experienced softening new vehicle sales across November as economic conditions in the country make their presence felt.

Just 12,170 new vehicles were registered for the month, down 16.2 per cent (2349 units) when compared with the same time last year.

Year-to-date sales are likewise down, falling 14.9 per cent against the same mark on the 2023 calendar year, or a loss of 20,759 units.

Data supplied by the Motor Industry Association of New Zealand shows sales are down across 5.5 per cent year-on-year and year-to-date alike across the Light Passenger (passenger car and SUV) segment, suggesting “stable but reduced demand in a traditionally dominant segment”.

The top-selling Light Passenger models for the month of November were the Toyota RAV4 with 1877 units (and 20.9 market share points), the Toyota Corolla with 419 units (4.7 per cent), and the Ford Everest with 383 units (and 5.6 per cent).

Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) reached a 19.6 per cent share in November, up from 14.9 per cent in November last year, with YTD sales representing 26.2 per cent of total industry sales, riding from 21.5 in 2023.

The top-selling Light Commercial Vehicles for November were the Ford Ranger with 814 unit sales (or 34.2 market share points), the Toyota HiLux with 551 units (23.1 per cent), and Mitsubishi Triton with 259 unit sales (or 10.9 per cent).

The MIA suggests that “the shift from Light Passenger to Light Commercial Vehicle sales signifies a growing preference for vehicles offering flexibility and versatility, particularly for mixed-use applications.”

Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCVs) continued their stable performance in November, reflecting a consistent year-to-date trend driven by business and rental demand.

Segment winners include the Fiat Ducato in first place with 145 unit sales (and 17.6 market share points), the Iveco Daily in second place with 119 unit sales (14.5 per cent), and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in third place with 100 unit sales (12.2 per cent).

The MIA’s figures show business buyers accounted for 50.2 per cent and rental buyers 40.6 per cent of sales in November, “underscoring the sector’s essential role in supporting logistics and industry”.

Year-to-date data shows business purchases with a solid 74.8 per cent share, highlighting the segment’s reliance on commercial and industrial demand.

Looking at leading sales by importer (or Make) and we find Toyota welded to the top spot with November sales of 4095 units (or 34 market share points). The Big T leads Ford’s 1626 unit sales for the month (13 per cent) and Mitsubishi’s 1016 (8 per cent).

Indeed, Toyota also tops the YTD sales ladder with figures to the end of November showing 32,359 units or 22 market share points. The numbers place Toyota ahead of Ford with 16,178 unit sales (11 per cent) and Mitsubishi with 13,401 unit sales (a 9 per cent share).

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

Top 10 sales by Model (November passenger, SUV and light commercial):

*All figures are supplied courtesy of the Motor Industry Association of New Zealand.