It’s been an interesting month of new vehicle sales, with March VFACTS vehicle registration figures, just in, showing a big bounce in figures compared with February. We also welcome Tesla stats for the first time.
According to VFACTS figures, which count new vehicle registrations (not technically sales but close enough), Aussies purchased 101,233 vehicles during March 2022. That’s up 1.2 per cent on March last year, and up from 85,340 units in February.
Which were the regions with the most demand? NSW accounted for 32,224 units (down 0.8 per cent on March 2021), with Victoria making up 27,155 units (up 5.3 per cent), and Queensland contributing 21,214 units (down 1.7 per cent).
Further around, Western Australia added 10,016 sales (up 5.3 per cent), South Australia reported 6380 sales (down 0.1 per cent), and the Tasmania saw 1768 sales (up 8.2 per cent). The ACT added 1560 units to the tally (down 6.2 per cent) and the Northern Territory saw 916 sales (down 0.2 per cent).
TOP 10 BEST-SELLING CAR BRANDS IN AUSTRALIA
At the top once again is Toyota. It reported 21,828 sales, which is up 2.4 per cent on March last year. Mazda rolled in in second position again, with 11,248 sales, up 4.3 per cent. Mitsubishi came home in third with 9007 sales. That’s up an impressive 40.1 per cent on March last year.
In the top 10 we see Hyundai has overtaken Kia to regain its usual standing between the pair, while Isuzu has moved up to ninth. However, the biggest news is Tesla is finally happy to report its figures. It jumps straight into sixth place. In fact, it outsold Ford for the month, although it wasn’t a good month for the blue oval brand.
See below for the top 10 best-selling vehicle brands overall in Australia during March 2022:
- Toyota – 21,828 (up from 20,886 in February 2022)
- Mazda – 11,248 (up from 8782)
- Mitsubishi – 9007 (up from 7813)
- Hyundai – 6516 (up from 5649)
- Kia – 6051 (up from 5881)
- Tesla – 4417 (new brand in VFACTS)
- Ford – 4245 (down from 4610)
- MG – 3962 (up from 3767)
- Isuzu – 3306 (up from 2785)
- Nissan – 3168 (up from 2820)
TOP 10 BEST-SELLING PREMIUM CAR BRANDS IN AUSTRALIA
In the luxury brand market, Tesla is obviously at the top considering it made the cut for the overall top 10 above. Mercedes-Benz regained strength following low figures in prior months, leaving BMW in third.
Moving down the list, Land Rover posted some impressive figures, which was good enough for eighth spot, while Polestar also jumps into VFACTS for the first time and slots into 10th.
See below for the top 10 best-selling premium car brands in Australia during March 2022:
- Tesla – 4417 (new brand in VFACTS)
- Mercedes-Benz – 2397 (up from 1245)
- BMW – 1824 (down from 1980)
- Audi – 1185 (up from 742)
- Volvo – 1043 (up from 854)
- Lexus – 855 (up from 705)
- Porsche – 730 (up from 571)
- Land Rover – 726 (up from 138)
- MINI – 173 (down from 357)
- Polestar – 115 (up from 75)
TOP 10 BEST-SELLING VEHICLES IN AUSTRALIA
Well, once again it was the trusty and unstoppable HiLux at the top. RAV4 sales continue to dominate the SUV charts as well, and then the Tesla Model 3 came in as the most popular passenger car.
Other interesting highlights include the Ford Ranger dropping down to sixth, likely in the lead up to the arrival of the all-new model. The Mazda CX-5 also jumps back into the top 10. It seems to be in and out lately, again, the recently updated model probably has something to do with it.
Meanwhile in tenth spot is the humble Corolla. The top 10 best-selling vehicles in Australia during March 2022 were as follows:
- Toyota HiLux – 6324 (up from 4803 in February)
- Toyota RAV4 – 4610 (up from 4454)
- Tesla Model 3 – 4417 (new model)
- Mitsubishi Triton – 3808 (down from 3811)
- Mazda CX-5 – 3772 (up from 1265)
- Ford Ranger – 2960 (down from 3455)
- Hyundai i30 – 2455 (up from 1756)
- Isuzu D-Max – 2447 (up from 1930)
- Toyota Prado – 2230 (down from 2778)
- Toyota Corolla – 1924 (up from 1671)
SMALL CARS UNDER $40,000
At the top of the small car charts is the Hyundai i30. It managed to outsell the Corolla once again. i30 sales are down 12.3 per cent year-to-date (YTD) while the Corolla is down 31.8 per cent. Is this a sign of the times? SUVs and crossovers seem to be powering full-steam ahead in the popularity race these days.
Segment sales topped 7352 units, which is down 26.1 per cent YTD and down 24.7 per cent compared with last March. See below for the top 10 best-selling small cars in Australia during March 2022:
- Hyundai i30 – 2455 (up from 1756 in February)
- Toyota Corolla – 1924 (up from 1671)
- Kia Cerato – 1238 (up from 1188)
- Mazda3 – 1183 (up from 1103)
- Volkswagen Golf – 175 (up from 76)
- Subaru Impreza – 117 (down from 308)
- Hyundai Ioniq – 83 (up from 79)
- Skoda Scala – 63 (up from 33)
- Honda Civic – 58 (down from 86)
- Renault Megane – 25 (up from 16)
SMALL CARS OVER $40,000
Over in the premium sector, Mercedes A-Class sales have shot up noticeably compared with February. Audi A3 sales also spiked, while the Nissan LEAF jumped into fourth spot.
Overall class figures hit 776 units, which is down 42.1 per cent so far this year, and down 29.3 per cent for the month. The top five best-selling vehicles in this segment during March 2022 were as follows:
- Mercedes-Benz A-Class – 365 (down from 88)
- Audi A3 – 141 (up from 56)
- BMW 1 Series – 109 (up from 128)
- Nissan LEAF – 82 (up from 33)
- BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe – 44 (up from 132)
MEDIUM CARS UNDER $60,000
Over in the conservative sedan market, the Toyota Camry remains the leader. The Skoda Octavia and Mazda6 are battling a fierce fight, and the Hyundai Sonata is hanging in there.
It is a dwindling segment overall, but during March the figures look pretty good. With 1386 units reported, that’s up 21.4 per cent YTD and up 19.1 per cent for the month. See below for the top five best-selling vehicles in this class during March 2022:
- Toyota Camry – 920 (down from 1206)
- Skoda Octavia – 197 (up from 114)
- Mazda6 – 147 (up from 98)
- Volkswagen Passat – 56 (down from 67)
- Hyundai Sonata – 42 (down from 82)
MEDIUM CARS OVER $60,000
Luxury medium cars welcome the Tesla Model 3, as mentioned above. It is easily the most popular model of the bunch, selling more than all rivals, combined. In fact, the numbers are so large, the Tesla has caused a huge spike in class figures for the month and YTD.
Consumers bought 5692 vehicles in this segment during March, which is up 121 per cent across YTD and up 305.1 per cent compared with last March. The top five best-selling vehicles in this segment during March 2022 were as follows:
- Tesla Model 3 – 4417 (new model)
- BMW 3 Series – 335 (up from 291)
- Mercedes-Benz CLA – 203 (up from 70)
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class – 192 (up from 103)
- Polestar 2 – 115 (new model)
LARGE CARS UNDER $70,000
Here we also see sales have jumped a bit compared with the recent past. Segment sales reached 309 units, made up of just two models. That figure is up 29.3 per cent on last March, and contributes to a YTD increase of 18.7 per cent. The only vehicles listed in this class in VFACTS for March 2022 reported the following figures:
- Kia Stinger – 236 (down from 314 in February)
- Skoda Superb – 73 (up from 57)
LARGE CARS OVER $70,000
The Porsche Taycan just keeps knocking sales out of the park here. It was easily the best-seller. Coming in second spot was the Mercedes E-Class followed by the BMW 5 Series.
Class figures hit 212 units. That’s down 42.3 per cent for the year so far and down 46.2 per cent for the month. The top five best-selling vehicles in this segment during March 2022 were as follows:
- Porsche Taycan – 75 (up from 48)
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class – 47 (up from 21)
- BMW 5 Series – 29 (down from 49)
- Audi A6 – 23 (up from 12)
- Maserati Ghibli – 12 (down from 13)
SPORTS CARS UNDER $80,000
Over in the driver’s segments, the Ford Mustang continues as the most popular model overall. The new Subaru BRZ seems to be making ground too, while the BMW 2 Series is continuing on strong.
In the entry class consumers picked up 308 units, which is down 30.5 per cent YTD and 31.9 per cent for the month. The top five best-selling vehicles in this class during March 2022 were as follows:
- Ford Mustang – 117 (down from 202 in February 2022)
- BMW 2 Series – 68 (down from 81)
- Subaru BRZ – 65 (down from 80)
- Mazda MX-5 – 33 (up from 31)
- MINI Cabrio – 23 (down from 33)
SPORT CARS OVER $80,000
BMW 4 Series sales continue at the top, but only just. Mercedes is right behind with the C-Class two-door. So far this year the Beemer is in front though, with 207 units against 175. The Audi A5 runs in third for March but sits further back with 48 sales YTD.
Class figures reached 267 units for the month, which is down 34.9 per cent on last March, contributing to a YTD drop of 19.8 per cent. The top five best-selling models in this segment during March 2022 were as follows:
- BMW 4 Series – 73 (down from 81)
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe/Convertible – 70 (up from 25)
- Audi A5 – 18 (equal)
- Toyota Supra – 17 (up from 10)
- Lotus Exige – 16 (up from 15)
SPORT CARS OVER $200,000
Flagship sports cars were led by the mighty Porsche 911 in March. Sales are actually up 39.3 per cent YTD for the iconic sports car. Ferrari sales are still going strong for such a niche brand, with Bentley rolling in for third spot in March.
Segment figures topped 113 units. That adds up to about equal with the first three months of last year for YTD, and up 43 per cent for the month of March specifically. See below for the top five best-selling vehicles in this class during March 2022:
- Porsche 911 – 61 (up from 37)
- Ferrari Coupe/Convertible – 20 (up from 17)
- Bentley Coupe/Convertible – 10 (down from 13)
- BMW 8 Series – 6 (down from 7) / Aston Martin Coupe/Convertible – 6 (up from 5)
- McLaren Coupe/Convertible – 4 (up from 1)
COMBINED 4×2 AND 4×4 UTES
As for the ever-popular utes, combined figures for 4×2 and 4×4 models show the HiLux is of course at the top followed by the Mitsubishi Triton. We suspect Ford Ranger figures will boom soon though with the launch of the all-new model in a few months.
Most of the lineup standings remained unchanged from the previous month. See below for the top eight 4×2 and 4×4 combined model sales for March 2022:
- Toyota HiLux – 6324 (up from 4803 in February)
- Mitsubishi Triton – 3808 (down from 3811)
- Ford Ranger – 2960 (down from 3455)
- Isuzu D-Max – 2447 (up from 1930)
- Mazda BT-50 – 1628 (equal)
- Nissan Navara – 1488 (up from 1320)
- Great Wall Motors Ute – 100 (down from 127)
- Great Wall Steed – 0 (down from 2)
In the 4×4-exclusive ute class, the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series continues in front with its rugged dependability. RAM 1500 sales pushed up to third from fourth the previous month, while the Jeep Gladiator rounds out the top five. See below for the top five best-selling vehicles in this segment during March 2022:
- Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series – 988 (up from 830)
- Volkswagen Amarok – 476 (up from 342)
- LDV T60 – 294 (up from 285)
- RAM 1500 – 400 (up from 262)
- Jeep Gladiator – 165 (up from 148)
BEST-SELLING SUVS IN ALL SEGMENTS
Finally, the SUVs. As we found out earlier the Toyota RAV4 maintains its position as the best-selling SUV overall for the month. Meanwhile the newly-refreshed Lexus NX jumps in as the most popular premium SUV.
In terms of the segments, the medium sub-$60k class experienced the highest sales of all SUV categories, reporting 15,574 units (up 4.6 per cent YTD), followed by the large sub-$70k segment with 11,372 sales (up 11.9 per cent), leaving the small sub-$40k class in third spot with 10,295 sales (down 4.1 per cent).
See below for the top five best-selling SUVs in all segments during March 2022:
SUV Light (no price range):
- Mazda CX-3 – 931 (down from 1465 in February)
- Hyundai Venue – 759 (up from 714)
- Toyota Yaris Cross – 734 (down from 1013) / Kia Stonic – 734 (up from 521)
- Volkswagen T-Cross – 557 (up from 352)
- Suzuki Jimny – 512 (up from 372)
SUV Small under $40,000:
- Mazda CX-30 – 1829 (up from 1819)
- MG ZS – 1756 (up from 1953)
- Hyundai Kona – 1246 (up from 1003)
- Mitsubishi ASX – 1004 (up from 852)
- Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross – 679 (down from 757)
SUV Small above $40,000:
- Volvo XC40 – 451 (down from 493)
- Audi Q3 – 416 (up from 176)
- Mercedes-Benz GLA – 278 (up from 84)
- BMW X1 – 202 (down from 272)
- Mercedes-Benz EQA – 143 (up from 78)
SUV Medium under $60,000:
- Toyota RAV4 – 4610 (up from 4454)
- Mazda CX-5 – 3772 (up from 1265)
- Mitsubishi Outlander – 1619 (down from 1673)
- Kia Sportage – 1530 (up from 1296)
- Subaru Forester – 717 (down from 1258)
SUV Medium above $60,000:
- Lexus NX – 474 (up from 398)
- Mercedes-Benz GLC – 458 (up from 118)
- Volvo XC60 – 451 (up from 304)
- Porsche Macan – 374 (up from 301)
- BMW X3 – 373 (up from 265)
SUV Large under $70,000:
- Toyota LandCruiser Prado – 2230 (down from 2778)
- Mitsubishi Pajero Sport – 1669 (up from 369)
- Subaru Outback – 1187 (up from 498)
- Isuzu MU-X – 859 (up from 855)
- Mazda CX-9 – 832 (up from 596)
SUV Large above $70,000:
- Range Rover Sport – 267 (up from 47)
- BMW X5 – 220 (down from 307)
- Land Rover Defender – 200 (up from 35)
- Lexus RX – 185 (up from 116)
- Mercedes-Benz GLE – 162 (up from 151)
SUV Upper Large under $100,000:
- Nissan Patrol – 918 (up from 670)
- Toyota LandCruiser – 844 (up from 612)
SUV Upper Large above $100,000:
- BMW X7 – 68 (down from 78)
- Mercedes-Benz GLS – 46 (down from 38)
- Audi Q8 – 27 (up from 17)
- Mercedes-Benz G-Class – 25 (up from 5)
- Land Rover Discovery – 24 (down from 11)
Total new vehicle sales in Australia in March 2022 were up on February 2022 figures. During March 2022, Australian consumers bought 101,233 vehicles according to VFACTS, as mentioned, compared with 85,340 in February. Overall sales for the month are up 1.2 per cent compared with March 2021, and down 0.5 per cent year-to-date.
