April is normally the slow month after Easter when new car buyers start their winter hibernation by avoiding the wet and chilly car yards. In 2024 there was an early Easter and warmer weather which has lead to April achieving the highest-ever year-to-date new vehicle sales result.
The latest figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) show a total of 97,202 vehicles were sold in April, propelling the year-to-date sales to 401,654. This is a substantial increase of more than 50,515 vehicles compared with the same year-to-date point in 2023 (an increase of 14.4 per cent).
Fleet and Government buyers were the biggest winners with April deliveries being significantly higher than 2023. New car sales to Business buyers were up 27.8 per cent and sales to Government buyers were up 38.9 per cent.
The best news for fleet buyers was the arrival of thousands of Toyota RAV4 hybrids which made it the top selling vehicle in April with 5,857 units delivered. The long wait may be over for long suffering Toyota fleet customers. It was a massive increase of 166.5 per cent compared to April 2023 and sales so far this year are almost double the same time in 2023.
FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said the continued growth in the market has seen the industry break ten record monthly sales results in the past year.
“April’s result highlights strong consumer confidence in purchasing new vehicles, surpassing our expectations and is a testament to consumer choice and the industry’s resilience in a challenging economic landscape.”
The demand for new vehicles has been buoyed by a strong market appetite for SUVs and Light Commercial Vehicles, consistent with trends observed in the first quarter of the year.
Notably, the SUV category continues to dominate sales, representing 55.7 per cent of total market share in April. Light Commercials held steady, claiming 22.0 per cent of sales, reflecting ongoing demand for vehicles that meet the work and lifestyle requirements of Australians. Passenger vehicles accounted for 17.8 per cent of sales.
Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid vehicles saw a notable increase, capturing 18.3 per cent of the market compared to 7.5 per cent in the previous year. However, Battery Electric Vehicles saw a slight decrease in sales accounting for 6.4 per cent of new sales, a decrease from 7.9 per cent at the same time last year.
“We are witnessing a shift in consumer preferences towards more sustainable and efficient vehicles,” Mr Weber said.
Toyota was the market leader with sales of 20,771, followed by Ford (8,648), Mazda (7,301), Kia (6,653) and Mitsubishi (5,314).
The top 5 selling new cars in April 2024 were:
- Toyota RAV4 – 5,857
- Ford Ranger – 5,569
- Toyota HiLux – 4,693
- Ford Everest – 2,400
- Isuzu Ute D-Max – 2,380
