The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has revealed an uptick in new vehicle sales during June 2020, with a total of 110,234 vehicles sold during the month.
While this represents a decrease of 6.4 per cent over June 2019, it is the strongest result since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis which saw March sales down 17.9 per cent, April sales down 48.5 per cent and May sales down 35.3 per cent.
FCAI chief executive, Tony Weber, attributed the slight recovery to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, seasonality, the extension of the Federal Government’s instant asset write-off scheme, and brand and dealer pro-activity.
“Some states have seen the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, and this has increased floor traffic through dealerships,” Mr Weber said.
“In addition, June is traditionally a very strong month for new vehicle sales. The End of Financial Year campaigns are well known, so it’s an excellent time for businesses and consumers to replace their vehicles.
“In June 2020, this has been reflected in strong results for business purchases, which have increased by 6.3 per cent on June 2019.
“The extension of the Government’s instant asset write-off scheme has also been a positive influence. This program allows businesses to bring forward tax deductions for eligible expenditure.
“Finally, we have seen a strong surge in marketing activity from both brands and dealerships, who are offering an array of attractive retail packages in a bid to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With all of this activity favouring consumers, there’s no doubt that there has never been a better time to negotiate the purchase of a new vehicle,” Mr Weber said.
Toyota was the best-selling brand in June, with 22,867 sales recorded. In second place was Mazda with 9,420 sales, followed by Hyundai with 7,737 sales, Ford with 7,624 sales and Mitsubishi with 7,419 sales.
Four of the five top selling vehicles in June were SUVs or pickups, reflecting the current nature of the Australian market.
The top-selling vehicle was the Toyota Hi-Lux with 6,537 sales (up 21.1 per cent on June 2019), followed by the Ford Ranger with 5,329 sales (up 9.9 per cent), the Toyota Corolla with 3,008 sales (down 4.1 per cent), the Toyota Landcruiser with 2,909 sales (up 23.3 per cent) and the Mitsubishi Triton with 2,721 sales (up 1.0 per cent).
