September marked the third month in a row of new-car sales growth after a year of ups and downs. In a series of major upsets, a Tesla was the third-best selling car, market leader Toyota hit the brakes in a big way, and Chinese utes toppled a few former favourites.
Despite six months in a row of interest rate rises, new-car sales in Australia remained in positive territory in September, posting a 12.3 per cent increase compared to the same month last year – even though production delays and shipping bottlenecks continued to slow deliveries.
The strong September result among most Top 10 brands – except market leader Toyota, which posted an uncharacteristic 26.5 per cent decline – helped bring the new-car market’s year-to-date tally to a decline of 0.6 per cent, versus the 2.1 per cent decline year-to-date from August 2022.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) reported 93,555 vehicles as sold in September 2022 – the third consecutive month of sales growth, after three months in decline.
Although last month was the best September since 2018, it is 4 per cent lower than the five-year average before COVID-19 (2015-19), and down 8.9 per cent on the best September on record (2016, when 102,696 vehicles were reported as sold).
Despite its sharp downturn, Toyota retained its number-one spot with 14,852 reported sales.
Toyota had the handbrake pulled on its momentum after top sellers such as the Corolla small car and RAV4 SUV reported sales declines of up to 55 per cent.
Although 4×4 versions of the new Ford Ranger outsold the 4×4 versions of the Toyota HiLux, the HiLux was leader for the month – and remains Number One year-to-date – when both 4×2 and 4×4 sales are combined, as is industry practice.
Kia’s second-placed outright result (7290 sales) saw it beat sister brand Hyundai for the fourth month this year, and in the process increased its year-to-date lead from 1700 to 2100 cars. If Kia stays ahead at the end of the year, it will be the first time Hyundai has finished behind its younger sibling.
Occupying third and fourth places in September 2022 were Mazda (7259) and Mitsubishi (6784).
Electric-car specialist Tesla recorded 5969 deliveries in September – its best monthly sales result on record, and nearly double its previous best result of 3397 vehicles. The tally was enough to rank Tesla as the seventh-best selling brand outright for the month.
The Tesla Model Y SUV accounted for 4359 (or 73 per cent) of those deliveries – making it the best-selling SUV in Australia, and the third best-selling new vehicle overall last month.
With 14,023 vehicles reported as delivered since the start of the year, Tesla has surpassed its 2021 full-year sales result of 12,094 with three months to go – and accounted for 64 per cent of all electric vehicles sold since January 1.
The record Tesla result means China became the third largest supplier of new motor vehicles to Australia last month, exporting 14,889 vehicles – behind Japan (23,880) and Thailand (20,663), but ahead of South Korea (14,443) for what’s believed to be the first time.
Sales of electric vehicles tallied 7247 in September – or 21,771 since the start of the year, up 117 per cent on 2021 figures when Tesla is excluded, or 510 per cent with it included, as Tesla did not report sales data to VFACTS reports last year.
One Chinese brand finished in the Top 10 – MG in ninth with 3261 sales – while compatriot Great Wall Motors (GWM) Haval finished in 11th, with 3050 sales.
The country’s top-selling models were the Toyota HiLux (5170, up 42.2 per cent), Ford Ranger (4890, up 16.7 per cent) and Tesla Model Y (4359).
Since the start of the year, 811,130 vehicles have been reported as sold – down 0.6 per cent where the market was in 2021, down fractionally on 2019 (811,464), and down 8.8 per cent on 2017 (889,168), when a record 1.19 million new vehicles were sold by year’s end.
While the supply of vehicles is improving – and demand is high – parts shortages and production pauses continue to slow new-car deliveries for popular brands.
Wait times range from three months to two years for many popular models – indicating new-car sales may grow faster later this year, or next year, as existing orders are cleared.
Interest rates remain high, after a series of significant increases to the Reserve Bank’s cash rate over the last six months.
These have affected the ability of some buyers to get vehicle finance – which accounts for up to 50 per cent of contracts signed, according to some new-car dealers – as lenders deem them too high a risk to meet the quoted monthly repayments.
Behind Toyota’s number-one finish – which saw it once again account for one in five new cars sold – was Kia (7290 sales, up 41.4 per cent compared to September 2021), Mazda (7259 sales, up 10.7 per cent) and Mitsubishi (6784 sales, up 47.3 per cent).
Chinese brand MG placed in ninth – its 18th Top 10 appearance in the last 19 months – while GWM Haval ended the month in 11th position.
Electric vehicles accounted for 7.7 per cent of new vehicles sold in September – while conventional hybrid sales were reported as 4616 (down 33.7 per cent compared to September 2021), and plug-in hybrid sales are listed as 525 (up 74.4 per cent).
“While the overall market share of battery electric vehicles [year to date] remains low (2.7 per cent), there is a clear market trend towards zero emission technology,” Tony Weber, chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, said in a media statement.
Mr Weber continued: “Any future policy and regulation need to be developed within the context of vehicle price, model availability and battery supply, and supported through the roll out of charging infrastructure and consumer incentives. The policy objective is to lower emissions, and we look forward to offering practical guidance to Government on how to navigate this pathway.
The Toyota HiLux retained its place at the top of the model sales charts, with 5170 vehicles reaching customers – up 42.2 per cent year on year.
In second place was the Ford Ranger, with 4890 reported sales – up 16.7 per cent year on year, as deliveries of the new-generation model continue to ramp up.
In a shock upset, following in third is the Tesla Model Y electric SUV, with 4359 deliveries – ahead of the Mazda CX-5 (2439 sales) and Mitsubishi Triton (2319 sales)
Only one passenger cars finished in the Top 10: the Hyundai i30, with 1733 reported sales. Toyota Corolla sales were down 55 per cent compared to the same month last year, placing it outside of the Top 10.
Data below supplied by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, and compiled by Alex Misoyannis and Joshua Dowling.
TOP 10 CARS IN September 2022
| Rank | Model | Volume September 2022 | Change year-on-year |
| 1 | Toyota HiLux | 5170 | up 42.2 per cent |
| 2 | Ford Ranger | 4890 | up 16.7 per cent |
| 3 | Tesla Model Y | 4359 | N/A |
| 4 | Mazda CX-5 | 2439 | up 72.4 per cent |
| 5 | Mitsubishi Triton | 2319 | up 310 per cent |
| 6 | Mitsubishi Outlander | 1879 | up 80.2 per cent |
| 7 | Toyota RAV4 | 1856 | down 45.3 per cent |
| 8 | Isuzu D-Max | 1924 | up 5.0 per cent |
| 9 | Kia Sportage | 1775 | up 217 per cent |
| 10 | Hyundai i30 | 1733 | down 14.8 per cent |
TOP 10 CAR BRANDS IN September 2022
| Rank | Brand | Volume September 2022 | Change year-on-year |
| 1 | Toyota | 14,852 | down 26.5 per cent |
| 2 | Kia | 7290 | up 41.4 per cent |
| 3 | Mazda | 7259 | up 10.7 per cent |
| 4 | Mitsubishi | 6784 | up 47.3 per cent |
| 5 | Ford | 6635 | up 15.2 per cent |
| 6 | Hyundai | 6501 | up 19.1 per cent |
| 7 | Tesla | 5969 | N/A |
| 8 | Volkswagen | 3698 | down 2.5 per cent |
| 9 | MG | 3261 | up 8.3 per cent |
| 10 | Subaru | 3167 | up 3.4 per cent |
Passenger cars: Top Three in each segment in September 2022
| Micro | Kia Picanto (519) | Mitsubishi Mirage (48) | Fiat/Abarth 500 (12) |
| Light < $25k | MG 3 (1423) | Kia Rio (460) | Mazda 2 (383) |
| Light > $25k | Mini Hatch (189) | Audi A1 (65) | Citroen C3 (3) |
| Small < $40k | Hyundai i30 (1733) | Toyota Corolla (1554) | Kia Cerato (1257) |
| Small > $40k | Audi A3 (285) | Mercedes-Benz A-Class (262) | BMW 1 Series (195) |
| Medium < $60k | Toyota Camry (663) | Mazda 6 (112) | Volkswagen Passat (97) |
| Medium > $60k | Tesla Model 3 (1610) | BMW 3 Series (356) | Mercedes-Benz C-Class (278) |
| Large < $70k | Kia Stinger (98) | Skoda Superb (44) | |
| Large > $70k | BMW 5 Series 50() | Mercedes-Benz E-Class (39) | Audi A6, Porsche Taycan (27) |
| Upper Large < $100k | Chrysler 300 (1) | ||
| Upper Large > $100k | Mercedes-Benz S-Class (12) | Mercedes-Benz EQS (11) | BMW 7 Series (5) |
| People Movers | Kia Carnival (697) | Hyundai Staria (334) | Volkswagen Multivan (90) |
| Sports < $80k | Ford Mustang (237) | Toyota GR86 (92) | Subaru BRZ (80) |
| Sports > $80k | BMW 4 Series coupe/convertible (115) | Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe/convertible (49) | Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe/convertible (26) |
| Sports > $200k | Porsche 911 (26) | Lamborghini Huracan/Aventador (15) | Bentley Continental (11) |
SUVs: Top Three in each segment in September 2022
| Light SUV | Mazda CX-3 (1094) | Kia Stonic (906) | Hyundai Venue (556) |
| Small SUV < $40k | Mitsubishi ASX (1408) | Hyundai Kona (1098) | MG ZS (994) |
| Small SUV > $40k | Volvo XC40 (515) | Audi Q3 (429) | Mercedes-Benz GLA (218) |
| Medium SUV < $60k | Mazda CX-5 (2439) | Mitsubishi Outlander (1879) | Toyota RAV4 (1856) |
| Medium SUV > $60k | Tesla Model Y (4359) | Mercedes-Benz GLC (379) | BMW X3 (338) |
| Large SUV < $70k | Toyota Prado (1698) | Isuzu MU-X (894) | Subaru Outback (815) |
| Large SUV > $70k | Mercedes-Benz GLE (292) | BMW X5 (269) | Volvo XC90 (168) |
| Upper Large SUV < $100k | Toyota LandCruiser wagon (634) | Nissan Patrol wagon (479) | |
| Upper Large SUV > $100k | Mercedes-Benz GLS (87) | BMW X7 (60) | Audi Q8 (42) |
Utes and vans: Top Three in each segment in September 2022
| Vans < 2.5t | Volkswagen Caddy (70) | Renault Kangoo (9) | Peugeot Partner (4) |
| Vans 2.5t-3.5t | Toyota HiAce van (394) | Ford Transit Custom (322) | Hyundai Staria Load (241) |
| 4×2 Utes | Toyota HiLux (1626) | Ford Ranger (509) | Mitsubishi Triton (290) |
| 4×4 Utes | Ford Ranger (4381) | Toyota HiLux (3544) | Mitsubishi Triton (2029) |
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