New Vehicle Market

Total vehicle sales were a record 1,049,982 units in 2007, achieving growth exceeding
nine per cent over the previous year.

For the first time in Australia motor vehicle sales exceeded 1 million units in a calendar year, comfortably exceeding the previous record of 988,269 sales, achieved in 2005.
The FCAI attributed the strength of the market in 2007 to a number of key factors including strong growth in employment and incomes; continued increases in asset values; and further improvements in vehicle affordability.

Some of the key highlights of the new vehicle sales statistics for 2007 are summarised as follows:

The total passenger market reached 637,019 vehicle sales, an increase of 38,625 vehicles or 6.5 per cent compared with the previous year. The highlight within passenger cars was the light car segment which grew by 10.2 per cent to reach 127,891 vehicles.
The small vehicle segment grew by 5.9 per cent in the year to reach 232,388 vehicles, the largest category within passenger cars.
The medium car segment grew by 5.6 per cent to reach 92,579 vehicles.
Sales of large sized models grew by 2.3 per cent to reach 139,677 vehicles. Upper large car sales increased by 27.4 per cent to 9,346 vehicles.
People movers grew by 4.9 per cent to achieve 16,202 vehicles whilst sport vehicles increased by 18.8 per cent to reach 18,936 vehicles.
The sports utility vehicle (SUV) market sales increased over the year by 16 per cent to reach 198,176 vehicles. SUV compact models increased their sales by 19.4 per cent to 90,330 vehicles; SUV medium vehicles increased in sales by 21.3 per cent to reach 74,434;
SUV large vehicles fell by 13.6 per cent to 13,370 vehicles whilst SUV luxury models grew by an impressive 9.3 per cent to 20,042 vehicles.
Sales of light trucks and commercial vehicles increased by 9.7 per cent to 177,556 vehicles over the year. Sales of vans fell by 0.7 per cent to 20,300 vehicles. Pick up/cab chassis 4x2 models grew by 1.5 per cent to 70,606 whilst the 4x4 versions of these models increased by 22.3 per cent to reach 82,691 vehicles.
Light bus sales fell by 6.0 per cent to reach 2,465 vehicles.
The heavy truck and commercial market recorded an increase in sales of 17.7 per cent to reach 37,231 units

In terms of individual brand performance in 2007, Toyota maintained its market leadership for the fifth successive year with sales of 236,647 vehicles and a 22.5 per cent market share. GM Holden was in second place with sales of 146,680 vehicles and a market share of 14.0 per cent, while Ford finished in third position with 108,071 vehicles and a 10.3 per cent share. Mazda was fourth with 77,734 vehicles sold and a 7.4 per cent market share. Mitsubishi jumped to fifth position with sales of 65,397 vehicles and a 6.2 per cent market share, just ahead of Honda in sixth place with 60,529 vehicles sold and a 5.8 per cent market share. Nissan was seventh with sales of 60,015 vehicles and a market share of 5.7 per cent. Hyundai was eighth with 50,007 vehicle sales and a market share of 4.8 per cent. Subaru was in ninth position with 38,445 vehicle sales and a market share of 3.7 per cent, while Volkswagen finished tenth with 27,400 vehicle sales and a market share of 2.6 per cent.

The FCAI has forecast that new vehicle sales should again exceed one million vehicles in 2008.