As global shortages continue, the Australian demand for new cars plummeted 15.3 per cent with 80,639 new vehicles sold in November 2021, the weakest result since the global financial crisis in 2008, according to industry figures.
The official figures for November 2021 show that all states recorded a decline in sales:
• Western Australia down by 19.8 per cent with 7,081 new vehicles sold
• Queensland had 16,001 vehicles sold, down 19.5 per cent
• Victorian sales also diminished by 19.4 per cent with 21,445 new cars sold
• Sales in Tasmania were down by 12.8 per cent with 1,450 vehicles sold
• South Australia 5,052, a decrease of 10.6 per cent
• NSW experienced a 9 per cent drop in registrations
• The Northern Territory was down 8.5 per cent with 714 vehicles sold
• And lastly, ACT recorded 1,406 new cars sold, down 3.1 per cent on November 2020 figures.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Chief Executive Tony Weber said,
“Demand across the sector remains strong with the drop in sales reflecting well recognised international supply chain issues. This includes constraints around microprocessor supplies as well as the ongoing impact of the pandemic restricting factories.”
“Car makers are competing with many other sectors, such as white goods manufacturers, for microprocessors across the globe. Some new vehicles sold in the Australian market can require up to 3,000 of these parts, so this shortage is definitely being felt by the industry.”
The year-to-date total of 971,429 new vehicles recorded as sold in the first 11 months of 2021 was up 18.3 per cent versus the same period in 2020. Although November deliveries were marginally higher than in October 2021, car dealerships say they are struggling to meet demand and are continuing to take more orders than the cars that are available for delivery.
James Voortman, the CEO of the Australian Automotive Dealers Association (AADA) said,
“For most of this year, dealers have simply not had enough cars to satisfy the Australian public’s demand for new cars and this was the case once again in November.”
“Unfortunately, we see this trend continuing in the medium term, and the strong message for the customer is to place that order and join the queue.”
For sales in November 2021, Toyota was the market leader recording 15,239 sales. This was followed by Hyundai with 6,854 sales, then, Ford with 6,215. Mitsubishi sold 5,720 vehicles and Mazda with 5,295 vehicles sold.
The Ford Ranger was the most popular car for the third month in a row, beating its rival Toyota HiLux by 201 units. Following was the Hyundai i30 with 2254 sales, which was up 10.1 per cent on 2020, then the Toyota Corolla holding the fourth position with 2104 sales, a drop of 24.2 per cent. The Toyota Rav4 placed fifth with 1820 vehicles sold, a 52.1 per cent plunge. Notably, the Nissan Navara came in sixth seeing a 71.9 per cent leap with 1792 new vehicles sold in November.
Top 10 Cars in November 2021
Rank | Model | Sales | Change |
1 | Ford Ranger | 4429 | up 4.0 per cent |
2 | Toyota HiLux | 4228 | down 16.1 per cent |
3 | Hyundai i30 | 2254 | up 10.1 per cent |
4 | Toyota Corolla | 2104 | down 24.2 per cent |
5 | Toyota RAV4 | 1820 | down 52.1 per cent |
6 | Nissan Navara | 1792 | up 71.9 per cent |
7 | Mitsubishi Outlander | 1633 | up 53.8 per cent |
8 | Mitsubishi ASX | 1625 | up 10.9 per cent |
9 | MG ZS | 1576 | up 39.1 per cent |
10 | Hyundai Tucson | 1541 | down 22.8 per cent |
Top 10 Brands in November 2021
Rank | Make | Sales | Change |
1 | Toyota | 15,239 | down 34.3 per cent |
2 | Hyundai | 6854 | down 0.7 per cent |
3 | Ford | 6215 | down 6.0 per cent |
4 | Mitsubishi | 5720 | up 4.2 per cent |
5 | Mazda | 5295 | down 4.5 per cent |
6 | Kia | 4915 | down 8.6 per cent |
7 | MG | 3743 | up 85.2 per cent |
8 | Nissan | 3509 | down 12.3 per cent |
9 | Volkswagen | 3098 | down 5.5 per cent |
10 | Subaru | 2712 | down 15.3 per cent |