VFACTS: September 2023

The delivery of new cars has experienced a significant surge, with a new all-time September record of 110,702 new cars sold, up 18.3 per cent on the same month last year.

This impressive growth can be credited to improved supply and the clearing of backorders, as indicated by the latest statistics. Most of the vehicles reported as sold last month, and throughout this year, were ordered several months, and in some instances, years ago. Dealerships have reported ongoing high demand, with lengthy waiting lists for certain models. As of now, the year-to-date tally stands at 899,286 cars sold.

FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber commented on this achievement, stating,

“The record result shows that Australian car buyers value a broad choice of vehicles in a range of price brackets that suit the family or business budget.”

He went on to say,

“Our advice is that the supply of vehicles into Australia, including electric vehicles, continues to improve. Therefore, consumers who are considering purchasing a new vehicle should visit a dealer or manufacturer to explore their options.”

Image Source: Car Expert

Sales by brands

Toyota, the market leader, continued to reduce its substantial backlog by fulfilling 20,912 sales in September. This is a remarkable 40.8 per cent increase compared to August 2023, allowing Toyota to secure 18.9 per cent of the market share.

Mazda saw 8,031 sales and a growth of 10.6 per cent, and Ford, with 8,015 sales and a 20.8 per cent increase, were closely matched for the second and third positions. Following them was Kia, with 7,303 sales, up 0.2 per cent, and Hyundai, with 6,217 sales, down 4.4 per cent.

“Consumers have a choice of vehicles across 20 light vehicle segments – from small passenger cars through to larger utes – confirming Australia’s position as one of the most open and competitive new vehicle markets in the world,”

added Mr Weber.

Sales by models

Leading the charts with 5,776 sales was the Toyota Hi-Lux, close behind, the Ford Ranger had 5,429 sales. Third was the Tesla Model Y with 3,811 sales and the Isuzu Ute D-Max came in fourth with 2,885 sales. Rounding out the top five, the Toyota RAV4 had 2,798 sales, beating its rival the Mitsubishi Outlander (2,612 sales) in September.

Image Source: Drive

Fuel Types

The Tesla Model Y not only claimed third best-selling vehicle overall but also secured its position as the top-selling SUV. This underscores the persistent and robust demand for electric vehicles (EVs). Notably, the overall EV market saw a significant increase of 21.7 percent in market share as a fuel type.

Electric vehicles captured approximately 10.6 per cent of the passenger and SUV market share and accounted for around 8 per cent of the total market when including commercial vehicles. The combined market share of electric passenger cars and SUVs, which includes hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and pure electric vehicles (EVs), just fell short of 25 per cent, marking a substantial presence in the automotive market.

Image Source: Zecar

Sales by State

Sales across all States and Territories increased compared with September 2022.

Australian Capital Territory was 20.6 per cent with 1,806 new cars sold
New South Wales 24.3 per cent, 35,968 sold
Queensland 13.5 per cent, 23,415 sold
South Australia 11.2 per cent, 6,676 sold
Tasmania 21.0 per cent, 1,972 sold
Victoria 16.0 per cent, 29,426 sold
Western Australia 22.4 per cent, 10,577 sold
Northern Territory 3.6 per cent, 862 sold

Top 10 Cars in September 2023

Ranking	Model	Sales	Change year-on-year
1	Toyota HiLux	5776	up 11.7 per cent
2	Ford Ranger	5429	up 11.0 per cent
3	Tesla Model Y	3811	down 12.6 per cent
4	Isuzu D-Max	2885	up 48.4 per cent
5	Toyota RAV4	2798	up 50.8 per cent
6	Mitsubishi Outlander	2612	up 39.0 per cent
7	MG ZS	2528	up 154.3 per cent
8	Toyota Corolla	2217	up 42.7 per cent
9	Kia Sportage	2031	up 14.4 per cent
10	Ford Everest	1984	up 147.4 per cent