Toyota LandCruiser Prado, HiLux and Corolla boom while RAV4 softens in stronger than expected August 2021 new-car sales

The Australian new-vehicle market had a positive sales result for the 10th month in a row in August 2021, with its volume up a stronger than expected 33.1 per cent month-on-month, to 81,199 units.

As reported, sales were down 13.7 per cent year-on-year in 2020, partly due to 31 consecutive months of negative results, although they were up 27.2 per cent year-to-date in first eight months of 2021.

Market leader Toyota once again dominated the headlines in August 2021, with its sales up a staggering 60.3 per cent, to 19,959 units.

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This result came off the back of the booming Prado large SUV (2731, +452.8%), HiLux ute (4470, +267.3) and Corolla small car (3563, +143.3%), which among the most popular models, finished in fifth, first and third position respectively.

The HiLux, therefore, kept its arch-rival, the Ford Ranger (3959 units, +34.9%), to second place yet again, with Toyota’s softening RAV4 mid-size SUV (3169, -34.3%) rounding out the Top Five.

Of note, the eighth-placed D-Max ute (1941 units, +885.3%) did the heavy-lifting for Isuzu (3099, +290.3), which was the ninth best-selling brand.

And it was a similar story with the ninth-placed ZS small SUV (1700 units, +436.3%), which finished in the Top 10 for a consecutive second month and helped MG (3011, +147.4%) to 10th position.

The rest of the Top 10 models was comprised of the Mazda CX-5 mid-size SUV (2239 units, +18.8%), Hyundai i30 small car (2047, +43.2%) and Mitsubishi Outlander mid-size SUV (1638, +85.1%) in sixth, seventh and 10th place respectively.

Meanwhile, the Top 10 brands also included Mazda (7645 units, +10.5%), Kia (5065, +12.0%), Ford (5058, +29.8%), Hyundai (5016, +10.9%), Mitsubishi (4802, +11.5%), Volkswagen (3793, +36.2%) and Subaru (3232, +57.5%) in second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth position respectively.

For reference, the SUV was the most popular type of new vehicle in August 2021, with a predictable 50.5 per cent share. It led the light-commercial vehicle (23.7%) and passenger car (21.4%).

Despite being in a prolonged lockdown in August 2021, Victoria (153.6%) substantially grew its sales, although a similarly effected New South Wales (-7.0%) and ACT (-28.3%) stumbled.

Sales in every other state and territory grew, including in Tasmania (+46.9%), South Australia (+37.4%), the Northern Territory (+33.6%), Western Australia (+32.3%) and Queensland (+32.2%).

And it was rental, private, government and business sales that underpinned August 2021’s overall growth, up 267.8, 34.7, 24.7 and 19.1 per cent respectively.

Commenting on these results, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Tony Weber said: “The bounce of 33 per cent on last year’s figure demonstrates the resolve of car manufacturers to engage with customers and drive-up new-vehicle ownership.

“With access to showrooms limited, vehicle makers are working to engage customers in their homes and other places of isolation.”

The most popular brands of August 2021

The most popular models of August 2021