Australian vehicle sales for November 2021 (VFACTS)

It’s almost the end of the year, and thanks to the November 2021 VFACTS new vehicle registrations figures, released this week, we can start to piece together what models will be the best-sellers of the year.

Aussie consumers snapped up 80,639 new vehicles during November. That’s down 15.3 per cent on last November, but it contributes to an overall increase of 18.3 per cent across the first 11 months of this year (YTD).

Throughout the regions, NSW reported 27,490 sales (down 9.4 per cent on last November), while Victoria saw 21,445 sales (down 19.4 per cent), and Queensland recorded 16,001 sales (down 19.5 per cent).

Further around, Western Australia reported 7081 sales (down 19.8 per cent), South Australia recorded 5052 units (down 10.6 per cent), Tasmania added 1450 sales (down 12.8 per cent), the ACT had 1406 sales (down 3.1 per cent), and the Northern Territory saw 714 sales (down 8.5 per cent).

TOP 10 BEST-SELLING CAR BRANDS IN AUSTRALIA

At the top of brand popularity we see Toyota is the clear favourite, as usual. It reported 15,239 sales in the month, which is down only 156 units on October. It’s also down 34.3 per cent on last November, but YTD, the balance is up 14.4 per cent.

Hyundai remains in second spot, recording 6854 sales for the month, with Ford in third spot with 6215 sales. The remaining top 10 standings were unchanged for November compared with October, with MG holding onto seventh spot, and Subaru just rounding out the leaderboard.

See below for the top 10 best-selling vehicle brands overall in Australia during November 2021. The figures in brackets are from the previous month.

1. Toyota – 15,239 (down from 15,395 in October 2021)
2. Hyundai – 6854 (up from 6115)
3. Ford – 6215 (up from 5462)
4. Mitsubishi – 5720 (up from 4203)
5. Mazda – 5295 (up from 5181)
6. Kia – 4915 (up from 4853)
7. MG – 3743 (up from 3136)
8. Nissan – 3509 (up from 3397)
9. Volkswagen – 3098 (up from 2912)
10. Subaru – 2712 (down from 2736)

TOP 10 BEST-SELLING PREMIUM CAR BRANDS IN AUSTRALIA

Into the premium market and it looks like BMW has overtaken the usual front-runner, Mercedes-Benz. BMW sales jumped from the previous month while Merc sales took a small dive.

Porsche managed to move up a spot, from seventh to sixth, overtaking Land Rover. The rest of the top 10 remain unchanged from the previous month. See below for the top 10 best-selling premium car brands in Australia during November 2021:

1. BMW – 2211 (up from 1901 in October)
2. Mercedes-Benz – 1827 (down from 2104)
3. Audi – 1293 (up from 1102)
4. Lexus – 628 (down from 633)
5. Volvo – 554 (down from 593)
6. Porsche – 264 (up from 241)
7. Land Rover – 253 (down from 337)
8. MINI – 209 (up from 193)
9. Jaguar – 55 (down from 64)
10. Genesis – 100 (up from 61)

TOP 10 BEST-SELLING VEHICLES IN AUSTRALIA

The Ford Ranger remains the favourite for the third month in a row, perhaps driven by run-out sales of the current-gen model before the all-new version arrives. Toyota Australia has also been suffering production delays due to the semiconductor shortage, obviously pushing numbers down. The shortage has heavily impacted multiple industries around the world.

Aside from the Toyota HiLux close behind in second spot, Hyundai’s i30 jumped up to third, likely helped by the new i30 N models. The Toyota Corolla also moved up to fourth, followed up by the RAV4.

Interestingly, the Nissan Navara joined the top 10 in November, and it looks like the new Mitsubishi Outlander is off to a cracking start jumping straight into seventh. The top 10 best-selling vehicles in Australia during November 2021 were as follows:

1. Ford Ranger – 4429 (up from 4135)
2. Toyota HiLux – 4228 (up from 3961)
3. Hyundai i30 – 2254 (up from 1946)
4. Toyota Corolla – 2104 (up from 1989)
5. Toyota RAV4 – 1820 (up from 1670)
6. Nissan Navara – 1792 (up from 1364)
7. Mitsubishi Outlander – 1633 (up from 652)
8. Mitsubishi ASX – 1625 (up from 1464)
9. MG ZS – 1576 (up from 1127)
10. Hyundai Tucson – 1541 (up from 1532)

SMALL CARS UNDER $40,000

In the small car class the Hyundai i30 leads the pack, as seen above. Its YTD figure is up an impressive 24.5 per cent as well. The Corolla is also doing well as usual, with its YTD tally up 17.7 per cent. Rounding out the top three, the Kia Cerato is experiencing a modest 5.9 per cent increase across YTD.

Segment sales topped 6995 for the month (down 29.7 per cent), and so far this year the class has seen 93,260 sales (down 4.8 per cent). See below for the top 10 best-selling small cars in Australia during November 2021:

1. Hyundai i30 – 2254 (up from 1946 in October)
2. Toyota Corolla – 2104 (up from 1989)
3. Kia Cerato – 1015 (down from 1381)
4. Mazda3 – 910 (up from 868)
5. Subaru Impreza – 231 (down from 376)
6. Volkswagen Golf – 175 (up from 155)
7. Honda Civic – 118 (down from 284)
8. Subaru WRX – 60 (up from 51)
9. Hyundai Ioniq – 59 (up from 46)
10. Ford Focus – 32 (up from 15)

SMALL CARS OVER $40,000

Premium small cars are experiencing a bit of a dive, with sales for the month (622) down 46.7 and year-to-date numbers (9641) down 25.4 per cent.

The BMW 1 Series maintained its top position from the previous month, with the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe following behind, leaving the regular favourite, the Mercedes A-Class, to third spot. The top five best-selling vehicles in the class during November 2021 were as follows:

1. BMW 1 Series – 228 (down from 268)
2. BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe – 167 (up from 162)
3. Mercedes-Benz A-Class – 160 (down from 255)
4. MINI Clubman – 25 (up from 17)
5. Nissan LEAF – 18 (up from 11)

MEDIUM CARS UNDER $60,000

Toyota continues in front with the Camry here, and the figures remain quite consistent; its YTD tally is down only 2.5 per cent. We notice the sleek Peugeot 508 has jumped into the top five for the month, pushing out the Hyundai Sonata, and the Mazda6 holds its middle position in the top five.

Overall class sales topped 1443 units, which is down 22 per cent for the month and contributes to an 8.8 per cent decline across YTD. The top five best-selling vehicles in this class during November 2021 were as follows:

1. Toyota Camry – 967 (up from 953 in October)
2. Volkswagen Passat – 123 (equal)
3. Mazda6 – 115 (up from 93)
4. Skoda Octavia – 96 (up from 92)
5. Peugeot 508 – 69 (up from 5)

MEDIUM CARS OVER $60,000

Here we see the BMW has set a commanding lead in November, and quite impressive numbers compared with previous months. Sales of its arch rival, the Mercedes C-Class, are dropping right down, perhaps as the new model prepares its local arrival.

Segment sales hit 1079 units for the month, down 31.8 per cent, while YTD sales stand at 11,711 (up 2.2 per cent). The top five best-selling vehicles in this class during November 2021 were as follows:

1. BMW 3 Series – 422 (up from 310)
2. Mercedes-Benz CLA – 110 (down from 123)
3. Lexus ES – 104 (up from 79)
4. BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe – 103 (up from 24)
5. Mercedes-Benz C-Class – 68 (down from 71)

LARGE CARS UNDER $70,000

This class seems to be shrinking by the day, with November seeing just 70 sales overall. As tempting as the Kia Stinger is, sales are on the decline. For November, Stinger sales are down 68.9 per cent, and down 17.5 pr cent across YTD (1371 units).

Segment sales are also down 66.7 per cent for the month and down 34.1 per cent YTD. The only vehicles listed in this class in VFACTS for November 2021 reported the following figures:

1. Kia Stinger – 37 (down from 71 in October)
2. Skoda Superb – 33 (down from 40)
3. Holden Commodore – 0 (0)

LARGE CARS OVER $70,000

Into the executive class and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class takes the crown for the month. BMW 5 Series figures are about half that of its main rival, with the fully electric Porsche Taycan setting a promising trend.

Class sales topped 161 units, which is down 35.9 per cent compared with last November. So far this year the segment has reported 2493 sales, up 21.5 per cent. The top five best-selling vehicles in this segment during November 2021 were as follows:

1. Mercedes-Benz E-Class – 68 (down from 72)
2. BMW 5 Series – 30 (down from 32)
3. Porsche Taycan – 20 (up from 16)
4. Maserati Ghibli – 15 (equal)
5. Audi A6 – 9 (14)

SPORTS CARS UNDER $80,000

In terms of enthusiast cars, the Ford Mustang remains as the most popular sports car outright. But we have a feeling that could soon change with the all-new Subaru BRZ just around the corner, and the Toyota GR 86 not far behind.

Mazda MX-5 sales spiked quite a bit in November, and YTD figures are up an eye-opening 67.5 per cent. Even compared with last November, sales are up a whopping 90 per cent.

Entry sports segment sales hit 417 units, down 22.5 per cent for the month, contributing to an 8.9 per cent decline YTD. The top five best-selling vehicles in this segment during November 2021 were as follows:

1. Ford Mustang – 294 (up from 269 in October)
2. Mazda MX-5 – 76 (up from 38)
3. Nissan 370Z – 23 (down from 27)
4. MINI Cabrio – 12 (down from 21)
5. BMW 2 Series – 11 (down from 14)

SPORT CARS OVER $80,000

Moving up, the BMW 4 Series continues as the favourite. It posted very similar figures to the previous month. Its main rival, the Mercedes C-Class two-door, couldn’t get close this month though.

Class figures hit 248 units in November, which is down 32.1 per cent on last November. Year-to-date, the segment has reported 3425 sales, and that’s up 11.6 per cent on the same 11-month period last year. The top five best-selling models in this segment during November 2021 were as follows:

1. BMW 4 Series – 82 (down from 86)
2. Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe/Convertible – 53 (down from 85)
3. Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe/Convertible – 24 (up from 22)
4. Audi A5 – 20 (down from 23)
5. Toyota Supra – 12 (up from 4)

SPORT CARS OVER $200,000

Into the top end of the driver’s car market, and it seems that short bubble for the Nissan GT-R has burst. Nissan Australia is no longer selling the iconic model, not in R35 form anyway. This is due to lack of compliance with Australian Design Rules. This means the Porsche 911 is back into its usual spot at the top.

Segment sales hit 122 during the month, which is up 35.6 per cent. Year-to-date figures are down 4.6 per cent. See below for the top five best-selling vehicles in this class during November 2021:

1. Porsche 911 – 39 (up from 28)
2. Ferrari Coupe/Convertible – 26 (up from 12)
3. Aston Martin Coupe/Convertible – 12 (up from 4)
4. Nissan GT-R – 11 (down from 31)
5. Lamborghini Coupe/Convertible – 8 (up from 7)

COMBINED 4×2 AND 4×4 UTES

As we saw at the beginning, the Ford Ranger is enjoying its third consecutive month at the top for all new car sales. The Toyota HiLux wasn’t far behind, however, the star of the show for the month was the Nissan Navara. It pushed right up to third spot. All other contenders remained in the same positions as the previous month.

The top 10 best-selling utes (4×2 and 4×4 combined – excludes LandCruiser, LDV T60, RAM 1500 etc.) for November 2021 were as follows:

1. Ford Ranger – 4429 (up from 4135)
2. Toyota HiLux – 4228 (up from 3961)
3. Nissan Navara – 1792 (up from 1364)
4. Isuzu D-Max – 1407 (down from 1694)
5. Mazda BT-50 – 877 (down from 1187)
6. Mitsubishi Triton – 738 (up from 595)
7. Great Wall Motors Ute – 709 (up from 565)
8. Volkswagen Amarok – 512 (down from 515)
9. Great Wall Steed – 64 (down from 118)
10. Mercedes-Benz X-Class – 0 (0)

Over in the 4×4-exclusive category, the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series remains in charge. Further down the top five and only the Chevrolet Silverado swapped places with the Musso, but other than that all models remained in the same positions. The top five best-selling 4×4 utes during November 2021 were as follows:

1. Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series – 1197 (down from 1348)
2. LDV T60 – 727 (up from 461)
3. RAM 1500 – 337 (up from 283)
4. Chevrolet Silverado – 177 (down from 189)
5. SsangYong Musso – 165 (down from 229)

BEST-SELLING SUVS IN ALL SEGMENTS

Ah, the SUV. Back 20 years ago, nobody could have predicted just how popular these have become. The favourite size is the ‘Medium below $60k’ segment, which reported 11,662 sales during the month (up 0.6 per cent YTD). This was followed by the ‘Small below $40k’ class, with 9844 sales (up 33 per cent), and then the ‘Large below $70k’ segment with 8753 sales (up 28.8 per cent YTD).

As for the most popular SUV, it was the Toyota RAV once again. The Audi Q3 remains as the most popular new premium SUV. The top five best-selling SUVs in all segments during November 2021 were as follows:

SUV Light (no price range):

• Kia Stonic – 799 (up from 638 in October)
• Toyota Yaris Cross – 627 (up from 554)
• Hyundai Venue – 586 (up from 475)
• Mazda CX-3 – 524 (up from 390)
• Volkswagen T-Cross – 490 (down from 503)

SUV Small under $40,000:

• Mitsubishi ASX – 1625 (up from 1464)
• MG ZS – 1576 (up from 1127)
• Mazda CX-30 – 1027 (up from 904)
• Hyundai Kona – 1013 (up from 1007)
• Kia Seltos – 731 (up from 595)

SUV Small above $40,000:

• Audi Q3 – 527 (up from 430)
• BMW X1 – 165 (down from 247)
• Lexus UX – 126 (up from 114)
• Mercedes-Benz GLA – 81 (down from 98)
• Audi Q2 – 111 (down from 121)

SUV Medium under $60,000:

• Toyota RAV4 – 1820 (up from 1670)
• Mitsubishi Outlander – 1622 (up from 652)
• Hyundai Tucson – 1541 (up from 1532)
• Nissan X-Trail – 1328 (down from 1420)
• MG HS – 801 (up from 740)

SUV Medium above $60,000:

• BMW X3 – 393 (up from 328)
• Volvo XC60 – 328 (up from 238)
• Mercedes-Benz GLC – 296 (down from 381)
• Audi Q5 – 285 (up from 218)
• Mercedes-Benz GLB – 227 (up from 184)

SUV Large under $70,000:

• Toyota Kluger – 1466 (up from 1275)
• Subaru Ouback – 1174 (down from 1236)
• Ford Everest – 1038 (up from 543)
• Isuzu MU-X – 731 (up from 671)
• Toyota LandCruiser Prado – 718 (down from 1051)

SUV Large above $70,000:

• Mercedes-Benz GLE – 326 (up from 307)
• BMW X5 – 258 (up from 194)
• Audi Q7 – 151 (up from 126)
• Lexus RX – 126 (up from 112)
• Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe – 104 (up from 93)

SUV Upper Large under $100,000:

• Toyota LandCruiser – 155 (down from 683)
• Nissan Patrol – 55 (down from 309)

SUV Upper Large above $100,000:

• Mercedes-Benz GLS – 123 (down from 125)
• BMW X7 – 99 (up from 56)
• Mercedes-Benz G-Class – 44 (down from 65)
• Audi Q8 – 29 (down from 31)
• Bentley Bentayga – 16 (up from 10)