VFACTS: Toyota returns to sales form

TOYOTA extended its dominance of Australia’s new-vehicle market in November, when the Corolla benefitted from a generous finance offer to become the nation’s top-selling vehicle and reclaim small-car sales leadership from the Mazda3.

According to official VFACTS sales figures, Toyota claimed 22.8 per cent of the industry by selling 19,911 vehicles, growing its lead over GM Holden to 71,299 units or 7.5 market share points in the process.

However, while the world’s biggest car-maker’s year-to-date market share increased slightly to 20.4 per cent and Toyota will now easily surpass the 200,000-vehicle mark in 2010 for the seventh consecutive year (193,778 YTD), its market share remains well down on its 2009 figure of 21.4 per cent – and its high of 23.6 per cent in 2008.

Toyota lifted its sales by 1.6 per cent in November, when the total industry volume lifted by 1.8 per cent, and now lies 7.4 per cent ahead of its November 2009 result while the overall market is 11.8 per cent (or more than 100,000 vehicles) up on 2009 numbers at 948,987, putting the industry on track for 1.036 million vehicle sales this year.

From top: Suzuki Alto, Hyundai Getz, Toyota Camry, Holden Commodore.

The Japanese giant was hit hard by an 18.9 per cent slump in light truck sales overall, which was more than offset by a five per cent increase in total passenger car sales and a 13.4 per cent lift in SUV demand.

As a result, HiLux 4x2 sales were down 37.3 per cent and HiLux 4x4 sales were down 13.9 per cent in November, while volume-selling Toyota models lifted considerably, including the Corolla (up 37.1 per cent), Yaris (up 31.6 percent), RAV4 (up 29.6 per cent), Kluger (up 19.0 per cent) and Camry (up 11.4 per cent).

Thanks in part to a 2.9 per cent finance offer for entry-level Yaris and Corolla variants plus the Prius and Camry Hybrid, Toyota’s light and small cars outsold Hyundai’s Getz and the Mazda3 respectively in November.

With a massive 4536 Corolla sales in November, Toyota’s evergreen small car outsold Holden’s Commodore by 765 units to be Australia’s top-selling car for the 12th time last month – and overturn the Mazda3 in the 2010 small-car sales race.

However, the outstanding finance offer didn’t prevent Prius sales spiralling by 73.8 per cent last month, leaving the hybrid icon down 45.6 per cent for the year. Other Toyotas to decline in November included the Aurion (down 39.0 per cent), Tarago (down 39.2 per cent) and Prado (down 10.1 per cent).

Over at Holden, 11,354 vehicle sales gave GM a stronger 13.0 per cent share in November, maintaining its 12.9 per cent share with 122,479 YTD sales.

The Commodore found 3771 new homes last month (down 4.7 per cent) to account for 51.3 per cent of all mainstream large-car sales and guarantee its title as Australia’s favourite car for the 15th year running. Another top-ten Holden model was the Cruze, which had its second strongest monthly sales result with 2721 to finish third in the small-car class right behind Mazda3.

With 1367 sales, the new Barina Spark micro gave the Barina nameplate its highest ever monthly sales figure, while 1364 Captiva sales saw Holden post its highest ever monthly SUV sales number.

On the flipside, Colorado 4x2 was down 52.3 per cent, Colorado 4x4 was down 9.2 per cent and Commodore Ute was down 37.9 per cent. YTD, Holden’s sales growth is ahead of the overall market, at 13.6 per cent.

Ford’s monthly market share climbed from just 8.8 per cent in October to 9.0 per cent last month, but the Blue Oval’s 9.3 per cent YTD market share remains a full 10 percentage points down on its 2009 YTD slice of 10.3 per centAt 2368, Falcon sales were 17.3 per cent in November, while Falcon Ute sales were off 45.6 per cent for the month, Ranger 4x2 was down 26.6 per cent and Mondeo was down a big 42.6 per cent.

Fiesta (up 36 per cent) and Focus (up 14.2 per cent) were the only shining lights for Ford in November, when sales were down 11.5 per cent. YTD, 88,065 Ford sales are up just 0.8 per cent in a boom market.

Mazda retains its fourth place overall and 8.2 per cent YTD share with 77,788 sales so far this year, following a 1.8 per cent sales slide in November, leaving with YTD growth of 11.2 per cent.

The Mazda2 (up 6.0 per cent), Mazda3 (up 17.0 per cent) and CX-7 (up 36.5 per cent) were the only models to lift their sales month-month, with big declines posted by the BT-50, Mazda6, CX-9 and MX-5.

Hyundai starred in comparison in fifth, posting its best ever November result of 6220 vehicle sales for a monthly share of 7.1 per cent – enough to lift its YTD share to 7.8 per cent with a record 74,161 total sales – up 25 per cent on 2009.

The booming Korean brand – up 18.2 per cent in November and 25.3 per cent YTD - says it was the fourth-best-selling passenger car brand with a share of 9.4 per cent.

The Getz was gazumped for the month by Yaris but remains the nation’s top-selling light-car in 2010 with a 16.1 per cent share, while the ix35 posted its best monthly sales so far with 887 and a 9.1 per cent share of the compact SUV class.

The i45 was the third-best-selling mainstream mid-size model – behind Camry and Mazda6 - with 350 examples sold.

In the second half of the top-ten brands list in 2010, Nissan earned a 6.0 per cent November share to post the same 6.0 per cent YTD share as Mitsubishi – which was down 5.8 per cent in November - although the Adelaide-based importer narrowly retains sixth with 57,327 sales (up 14.2 per cent) to Nissan’s 57,115 (up 19.5 per cent). Nissan sales were up 8.4 per cent last month due to sales increases from X-Trail, Pathfinder, Dualis, Navara and the run-out Micra.

Subaru (up 10.8 per cent in November, 11.0 per cent YTD) has overtaken Honda to be Australia’s eighth-best-selling vehicle brand so far in 2010 (37,285 v 37,096 sales), by claiming 3.9 per cent of the market last month – the same as its YTD market share – while Honda could only attract 2.8 per cent of November sales. Its sales were down 21.1 per cent last month, and remain 2.2 per cent down YTD.

Volkswagen remains in tenth YTD, but nabbed 3.9 per cent of November sales to lie within 2000 sales of Honda with a 3.7 per cent market share YTD. VW sales were up by 28.4 per cent last month, to be a large 25.9 per cent up YTD.

In other notable November sales trends, Alfa Romeo sales dived by a 51.2 per cent (to be down 23.9 per cent YTD), Audi was static as 1.2 per cent up (to be 16.9 per cent up YTD), BMW slumped by 20.3 per cent (to be up just 4.6 per cent YTD) with all models bar the 5 Series and X6 down, and Chrysler lifted by a massive 158 per cent on the back of a 260 per cent 300C sales surge, but remains 27.7 per cent down YTD.

Citroen’s C4 (up 64.5 per cent) helped the French brand to a 14.5 per cent sales increase in November but it remains 3.4 per cent down YTD, an 86 per cent Journey sales rise helped Dodge to a 22 per cent overall lift in November and Fiat sales were down more than a quarter to be behind even more YTD.

Great Wall sales rose 61.9 per cent on the back of a 259 per cent X240 sales lift in November. With no X-Type, a 50 per cent XK sales lift and a new XJ couldn’t stop Jaguar from being down 46.3 per cent in November (and 5.6 per cent down YTD), while Jeep sales were up 1.5 per cent last month – and up by more than half in 2010.

Kia sales soared by 22,.5 per cent last month thanks to the new Cerato hatch and Sorento and Sportage SUVs, while a 25 per cent rise in Discovery sales helped Land Rover increase by 9.2 per cent (up 27.5 per cent YTD) and all Lexus models improved, helping the Japanese luxury brand to a 21.7 and 10.3 per cent monthly and YTD increases respectively.

Other luxury movers in November were Maserati (up 40 per cent) and Porsche (up 38 per cent) but, in contrast, Mercedes-Benz was down 1.7 per cent in November but remains 16.4 per cent up YTD and Mini was down 9.9 per cent last month but remains 12.7 per cent up YTD.

Niche players Peugeot (down 8.4 per cent), Proton (down 2.7 per cent), Skoda (down 29.9 per cent), Smart (down 93.5 per cent) and Volvo (down 14.2 per cent) all posted monthly sales declines, though Renault was up by 29.2 per cent on the back of a rash of new Meganes and SsangYong was up 26.8 per cent.

Suzuki was a stand-out performer in November with a 21.4 per cent sales increase on the back of a 100 per cent surge in Alto sales, to be up 24.6 per cent YTD.

VFACTS Novembertop 10:
1.	Toyota	19,911	22.8%
2.	Holden	11,354	13.0%
3.	Ford	7844	9.0%
4.	Mazda	6474	7.4%
5.	Hyundai	6220	7.1%
6.	Nissan	5263	6.0%
7.	Mitsubishi	5015	5.7%
8.	Volkswagen	3427	3.9%
9.	Subaru	3378	3.9%
10.	Honda	2488	2.8%