We’re into the second month of the year but we can already see some interesting trends occurring in the new-car market thanks to the release of the 2023 February VFACTS new vehicle registration figures.
During February, 86,878 new vehicles were registered, which is up 1.8 per cent compared with last February and contributes to a 6.5 per cent increase across the first two months of this year compared with the same period last year (year-to-date).
Sales of electric vehicles increased from 285 units during the January-February period last year, to 6290 this year. That was no doubt helped by the fact that a lot more EVs are on sale now compared with last year. Tesla figures are also now included in VFACTS.
In the different states and territories, NSW saw 27,600 new vehicles registered in February (up 4.7 per cent on February 2022), Victoria reported 21,894 sales (down 1.3 per cent), and Queensland took down 18,427 units (down 2.8 per cent).
Over in Western Australia there were 9815 sales (up 16.7 per cent), South Australia added 5549 units (down 4.5 per cent), and Tasmania reported 1414 sales (down 9.4 per cent). The ACT contributed 1454 sales to the national tally (up 7.2 per cent), and the Northern Territory reported 725 sales (up 2.8 per cent).
TOP 10 BEST-SELLING CAR BRANDS IN AUSTRALIA
At the top of the sales foodchain, Toyota is still number one. The Japanese company sold 14,332 new vehicles in February in Australia, which is actually down 31.4 per cent compared with the same month last year. The runner-up, Mazda, sold just 7667 units, but that figure is down a more modest 12.7 per cent on the same month last year. Ford remains in third spot from the previous month, with 6022 sales, up 30.6 per cent for the month, largely driven by the new Ranger.
Further down the top 10 we see the lineup remains in the same order as January, with Hyundai just edging out from Mitsubishi and Kia right up behind Ford. Nissan (2573), Honda (1228), and GWM (2353) remain outside the top 10. See below for the top 10 best-selling vehicle brands overall in Australia during February 2023:
- Toyota – 14,332 (up from 13,363 in January 2023)
- Mazda – 7667 (down from 9407)
- Ford – 6022 (down from 6624)
- Kia – 6000 (down from 6006)
- Hyundai – 5504 (down from 5809)
- Mitsubishi – 5500 (up from 5276)
- MG – 4363 (up from 4015)
- Subaru – 4054 (up from 3601)
- Tesla – 3516 (up from 3313)
- Volkswagen – 2930 (up from 2542)
TOP 10 BEST-SELLING PREMIUM CAR BRANDS IN AUSTRALIA
Honing in on the luxury brands and we see Tesla remains in front. However, Audi jumped up a few spots in February, up to an impressive second place and ahead of Mercedes and BMW. Volvo is still going strong and remains in fifth spot, while Porsche had a cracking month but remains in seventh spot just behind Lexus.
Poor old Land Rover is slipping right down and landed in 10th spot in February, with its sister brand Jaguar almost falling right off the edge posting just 22 sales. See below for the top 10 best-selling premium car brands in Australia during February 2023:
- Tesla – 3516 (up from 3313)
- Audi –1680 (up from 1353)
- Mercedes-Benz – 1507 (down from 1772)
- BMW – 1047 (down from 1480)
- Volvo – 858 (down from 862)
- Lexus – 716 (up from 502)
- Porsche – 614 (up from 382)
- MINI – 186 (down from 269)
- Polestar – 172 (up from 164)
- Land Rover – 132 (down from 180)
TOP 10 BEST-SELLING VEHICLES IN AUSTRALIA
Once again the Ford Ranger was the king of sales for the month, following a stellar effort in January. We suspect part of the reason the HiLux is not at the top is down to supply shortages. Although, the Ranger suffers similar challenges too, especially the upper models with the big digital screens and the V6 engine.
The mid-section of the top 10 looks pretty similar to the previous month we see the Mazda CX-3 is gone. The Mitsubishi Outlander also moved up from ninth to fifth compared with January, and the Subaru Forester jumped into the list at 10th. The top 10 best-selling vehicles in Australia during February 2023 were as follows:
- Ford Ranger – 4473 (down from 4749 in January 2023)
- Toyota HiLux – 3939 (down from 4131)
- Tesla Model 3 – 2671 (down from 2927)
- Mazda CX-5 – 2600 (up from 2189)
- Mitsubishi Outlander – 2166 (up from 1674)
- Toyota RAV4 – 2115 (up from 1958)
- MG ZS – 2047 (up from 1842)
- Isuzu D-Max – 1931 (up from 1843)
- Toyota LandCruiser – 1783 (up from 1631)
- Subaru Forester – 1709 (up from 1370)
SMALL CARS UNDER $40,000
Into the individual segments now and we see the Hyundai i30 remains as Australia’s favourite small car. The Toyota Corolla was not far behind, but then dropping to third place there is a big gap to the Mazda3 and below.
Total sales here hit 3924 units for this segment, which is down 36.1 per cent compared with the same month last year. Year-to-date numbers are down 33.1 per cent. See below for the top 10 best-selling small cars in Australia during January 2023:
- Hyundai i30 – 1416 (down from 1565 in January 2023)
- Toyota Corolla – 1214 (up from 1116)
- Mazda3 – 561 (down from 824)
- Kia Cerato – 416 (up from 308)
- Subaru Impreza – 276 (down from 284)
- Skoda Scala – 41 (up from 33)
- Hyundai Ioniq – 0 (equal)
- Toyota Prius – 0 (equal)
SMALL CARS OVER $40,000
In the premium segment – which now includes the Honda Civic, Subaru WRX, and VW Golf as of 2023 – and it’s the WRX that has crossed the line with the most during February. Sales of the more traditional front-running luxury models, such as the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and BMW 1 Series fell quite a bit compared with January.
Overall sales hit 1245 units during the month, and that’s up 96.1 per cent year-to-date. However, keep in mind the additional models added here obviously contribute to a larger tally compared with last year. The top five best-selling vehicles in this class during February 2023 were as follows:
- Subaru WRX – 323 (up from 247)
- Audi A3 – 281 (up from 224)
- Volkswagen Golf – 172 (down from 267)
- Mercedes-Benz A-Class – 118 (down from 225)
- Honda Civic – 84 (up from 66)
- BMW 1 Series – 77 (down from 140)
- BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe – 67 (down from 71)
- Nissan LEAF – 57 (up from 39)
- Cupra Leon – 31 (up from 27)
- Peugeot 308 – 15 (down from 20)
MEDIUM CARS UNDER $60,000
Here we see the Toyota Camry is still in front by a decent margin, while the Hyundai Sonata is trickling along in fifth. Honda Accord sales hit 6 units, rounding out the six models on sale in this class.
Segment figures topped 754 units of the month, which is down 51.2 per cent YTD and down 52.1 per cent for the month. The top five best-selling vehicles in this class during February 2023 were as follows:
- Toyota Camry – 392 (up from 372)
- Skoda Octavia – 137 (up from 122)
- Mazda6 – 123 (down from 199)
- Volkswagen Passat – 79 (up from 57)
- Hyundai Sonata – 17 (down from 19)
MEDIUM CARS OVER $60,000
Over in the demanding mid-size premium class we see the Tesla Model 3 still commands the most sales. It reported well over 2000 units once again, easily overshadowing all of its nearest competitors. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class won the favourites prize for petrol-powered models, with the Lexus ES posting numbers good enough for third spot. Polestar also reported more sales than the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, perhaps reflecting modern times.
Total class figures reached 3748 for the month, and that’s up 414 per cent YTD. But keep in mind Tesla sales were not included in the VFACTS report last year. The top five best-selling vehicles in this class during February 2023 were as follows:
- Tesla Model 3 – 2671 (down from 2927 in January 2023)
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class – 371 (down from 408)
- Polestar 2 – 172 (up from 164)
- Lexus ES – 119 (down from 130)
- BMW 3 Series – 92 (down from 161)
LARGE CARS UNDER $70,000
Kia Stinger sales spiked again in February, as it seems to attract attention sporadically throughout the year. So far this year (YTD) Stinger numbers are up 4.6 per cent. Skoda Superb sales are down 39.6 per cent YTD, and the Citroen C5 X is maintaining a consistent, albeit slow trickle.
Segment figures topped 276 units for the month, which is down 25.6 per cent on the same month last year, and contributes to a YTD drop of 2.6 per cent. The only vehicles listed in this class in VFACTS for February 2023 reported the following figures:
- Kia Stinger – 237 (up from 172 in January 2023)
- Skoda Superb – 31 (down from 33)
- Citroen C5 X – 8 (up from 3)
LARGE CARS OVER $70,000
Into the premium stuff and it’s the Porsche Taycan that won the most hearts during the month. It managed to outsell its slightly more affordable mechanical twin, the Audi e-tron GT, by 16 units. Again, the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class are dwindling, maybe reflecting a shift in consumer patterns now trending towards electric vehicles.
Overall class numbers reached 156 units, and that’s up 2.6 per cent on the same month last year. Year-to-date, the increase is only 0.4 per cent. The top five best-selling vehicles in this segment during February 2023 were as follows:
- Porsche Taycan – 48 (up from 8)
- Audi e-tron GT – 32 (down from 33)
- Audi A6 – 22 (up from 7)
- BMW 5 Series – 12 (down from 26)
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class – 11 (down from 12)
SPORTS CARS UNDER $80,000
Over in the fun cars and we see the Ford Mustang is back on top. It missed out on top position for a little while there, but now it’s back as not only the segment favourite but also the best-selling sports car outright for the month. The Subaru BRZ wasn’t far behind, but strangely its twin, the Toyota GR86, hasn’t attracted the same interest.
Segment numbers hit 480 units for the month, and that’s up 11.1 per cent compared with last February. Across year-to-date the increase is an impressive 21.7 per cent. The top five best-selling vehicles in this segment during February 2023 were as follows:
- Ford Mustang – 176 (up from 75 in January 2023)
- Subaru BRZ – 145 (up from 116)
- Mazda MX-5 – 43 (down from 86)
- Toyota GR86 – 41 (up from 32)
- Nissan Z – 39 (down from 45)
SPORT CARS OVER $80,000
The BMW 4 Series just edged out in front for this month, selling to just one more buyer than the Mercedes C-Class two-door. The Porsche Cayman reported decent figures, enough for third place. Its drop-top sibling, the Boxster, also saw a decent 11 sales (up 57 per cent on last February).
Overall, buyers snapped up 186 vehicles in this class for the month, which is down 20.9 per cent compared with last February and contributes to an 18.7 per cent decline across YTD. The top five best-selling models in this segment during February 2023 were as follows:
- BMW 4 Series – 42 (down from 63)
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe/Convertible – 41 (equal)
- Porsche 718 Cayman – 30 (up from 24)
- Chevrolet Corvette – 20 (up from 16)
- Lotus Emira – 13 (up from 10)
SPORT CARS OVER $200,000
Right at the top, the elite class was led by the Porsche 911 once again – how can anything shake it? Although, Bentley and Ferrari came pretty close for this month, both seeing a decent increase across YTD sales. The Porsche 911 is experiencing 3.6 per cent increase YTD.
This segment reported 96 sales during the month, which is up 12.9 per cent on last February and up 12.7 per cent YTD. See below for the top five best-selling vehicles in this class during February 2023:
- Porsche 911 – 34 (up from 24)
- Bentley Coupe/Convertible – 24 (up from 0)
- Ferrari Coupe/Convertible – 22 (up from 17)
- Aston Martin Coupe/Convertible – 4 (up from 0) / Lamborghini Coupe/Convertible – 4 (down from 6) / McLaren Coupe/Convertible – 4 (down from 10)
- Maserati Coupe/Convertible – 3 (up from 2)
COMBINED 4×2 AND 4×4 UTES
In the ever-popular ute class, with combined 4×2 and 4×4 models, and it’s the Ford Ranger at the top followed by the Toyota HiLux and then the Isuzu D-Max. There were no major changes in the standings compared with the previous month, except the Triton jumped up to fourth spot pushing the BT-50 down a peg.
The best-selling utes (4×2 and 4×4 combined – excludes LandCruiser, LDV T60, RAM 1500 etc.) for February 2023 were as follows:
- Ford Ranger – 4473 (down from 4749 in January 2023)
- Toyota HiLux – 3939 (down from 4131)
- Isuzu D-Max – 1931 (up from 1843)
- Mitsubishi Triton – 1376 (up from 1253)
- Mazda BT-50 – 1240 (down from 1320)
- Great Wall Motors Ute – 718 (down from 726)
- Nissan Navara – 534 (up from 429)
In the 4×4-exclusive ute class, which VFACTS now excludes the big American trucks from (these are now classed as ‘Pick-up above $100k’, listed further below), it’s the trusty LandCruiser 70 Series that remains in front. All other models remained in their existing standings. See below for the top five best-selling vehicles in this segment during February 2023:
- Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series – 761 (up from 635)
- LDV T60 – 752 (up from 587)
- SsangYong Musso – 323 (up from 308)
- Volkswagen Amarok – 198 (down from 291)
- Jeep Gladiator – 79 (up from 46)
Pick-up above $100k class figures for the month of February, 2023:
- RAM 1500 – 501 (up from 405)
- Chevrolet Silverado – 129 (down from 184)
- Chevrolet Silverado HD – 66 (up from 41)
- RAM 2500 – 44 (up from 4)
- RAM 3500 – 2 (up from 0)
BEST-SELLING SUVS IN ALL SEGMENTS
Finally, it’s the SUVs. And the most popular model for the month was the Mazda CX-5. The CX-5 was a consistent best-seller for quite a while until the latest RAV4 came along. And we suspect supply chain constraints are, at least partly, leaving the window open for others to swoop in. RAV4 sales are down 30.7 per cent YTD while CX-5 sales are up a modest 6.9 per cent.
The best-selling premium SUV was the Tesla Model Y, followed by the Volvo XC40. See below for the top five best-selling SUVs in all segments during February 2023:
SUV Light (no price range):
- Mazda CX-3 – 1046 (down from 2417 in January 2023)
- Toyota Yaris Cross – 706 (up from 513)
- Kia Stonic – 565 (up from 390)
- Volkswagen T-Cross – 494 (up from 488)
- Hyundai Venue – 477 (down from 672)
SUV Small under $40,000:
- MG ZS – 2047 (up from 1842)
- Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross – 823 (up from 571)
- Haval Jolion – 813 (down from 875)
- Nissan Qashqai – 682 (up from 571)
- Volkswagen T-Roc – 661 (up from 319)
SUV Small above $40,000:
- Volvo XC40 – 491 (up from 408)
- Audi Q3 – 452 (up from 403)
- Kia Niro – 132 (down from 165)
- Lexus UX – 80 (down from 97)
- Audi Q2 – 79 (up from 50)
SUV Medium under $60,000:
- Mazda CX-5 – 2600 (up from 2189)
- Mitsubishi Outlander – 2166 (up from 1674)
- Toyota RAV4 – 2115 (up from 1958)
- Subaru Forester – 1709 (up from 1370)
- Hyundai Tucson – 1556 (down from 1615)
SUV Medium above $60,000:
- Tesla Model Y – 845 (up from 386)
- Audi Q5 – 378 (up from 301)
- Lexus NX – 282 (up from 189)
- Porsche Macan – 270 (up from 188)
- BMW X3 – 205 (down from 384)
SUV Large under $70,000:
- Subaru Outback – 1233 (up from 792)
- Isuzu MU-X – 1225 (up from 828)
- Toyota LandCruiser Prado – 1123 (down from 1182)
- Toyota Kluger – 1104 (up from 681)
- Kia Sorento – 1045 (up from 1043)
SUV Large above $70,000:
- Mercedes-Benz GLE – 319 (up from 253)
- BMW X5 – 235 (up from 206)
- Audi Q7 – 230 (up from 153)
- Lexus RX – 130 (up from 2)
- Porsche Cayenne Coupe – 114 (up from 68)
SUV Upper Large under $100,000:
- Toyota LandCruiser – 1022 (up from 996)
- Nissan Patrol – 333 (up from 253)
- Land Rover Discovery – 3 (up from 1)
SUV Upper Large above $100,000:
- Lexus LX – 104 (up from 82)
- BMW X7 – 67 (up from 57)
- Mercedes-Benz GLS – 43 (up from 28)
- Bentley Bentayga – 20 (up from 0)
- Range Rover – 11 (down from 29) / Lamborghini Urus – 11 (up from 4)
Total new vehicle sales in Australia in February were up on January 2023 figures. During February 2023, Australian consumers bought 86,878 vehicles according to VFACTS, as mentioned, compared with 84,873 in January. Overall sales for the month are up 1.8 per cent compared with February 2022, and up 6.5 per cent for the year so far compared with the same two-month period in 2022.
