VFACTS: New Car Sales Insights December 2021

Read our monthly update on VFACTS new car sales results.



New Car Sales December 2021

  • Australia recorded a total of 1,049,831 new car sales for 2021, a 14% increase on 2020
  • December 2021 saw a total figure of 78,402 new car sales for Australia as reported by VFACTS
  • Figures show new car sales were down 18% in December 2021 versus December 2020
  • All states recorded lower sales compared to December 2020 with TAS (-27%) and SA (-21%) leading declines
  • ACT was the only state to see a downturn (-19%) in 2021 compared to 2020




New Car Sales Trends

The top 5 models with the greatest increases in 2021 were:

  • MG ZS (+12,929 units)
  • Ford Ranger 4X4 (+8,097 units)
  • Isuzu Ute D-Max 4X4 (+7,920 units)
  • Kia Stonic (+7,645 units)
  • GWM Ute 4X4 (+6,742 units)

The bottom 5 models with the greatest decreases in 2021 were:

  • Volkswagen Golf (-8,086 units)
  • Honda Civic (-4,244 units)
  • Toyota RAV4 (-2,786 units)
  • Honda CR-V (-2,648 units)
  • Audi A3 (-2,558 units)

The top segment increases in 2021 compared to 2020 were:

  • Micro (+90%)
  • SUV Light (+80%)
  • People Movers < $60K (+52%)
  • Light Buses < 20 Seats (+34%)
  • SUV Small < $40K (+27%)

Conversely, some of the largest decreases were:

  • Large < $70K (-34%)
  • Vans/CC <= 2.5t (-31%)
  • Small > $40K (-28%)
  • Light Buses => 20 Seats (-23%)
  • Upper Large < $100K (-22%)

Some other highlights :

  • Likely owing to supply shortages, Toyota loosened it’s grip on the market with models from Isuzu and Mazda making ground
  • Chinese brand MG made enormous headwinds, with its ZS, MG3 and HS models seeing substantial sales in 2021
  • Chinese brand GWM (formerly Great Wall) also sold well with its 4×4 Ute moving 6,742 units for the year
  • Passenger vehicle sales were flat in 2021, with small (-10%), medium (-7%) and large segments (-12%) all seeing declines
  • The Micro segment experienced a massive surge in 2021 – up 90%
  • The rental market saw strong growth, up 25,522 units (+74%) compared to 2020
  • Private sales (+20% YoY) made up more than 50% of all sales in the market due to dealers gaining higher margins on these types of sales





Sales by Import Country

  • Sales of imported vehicles from China skyrocketed in 2021 with an increase of 45,566 compared to 2020
  • Sales of imported vehicles from Japan rebounded in 2021, seeing an increase of 41,333 units compared to 2020
  • Sales of imported vehicles from Germany saw the largest decline, down 15,415 units




Tanim LinkedIn
Tanim Ahmed

By Tanim Ahmed, Head of Product at Datium Insights

Tanim is a Macquarie University alumni with degrees in Finance and Economics. He has spent a decade in the Leasing and Finance industry, specializing in Residual Value risk.

Please contact Datium Insights for further analytical support and advisory services.

Disclaimer: This is a general information service only and we do not provide advice or take into account your personal circumstances, financial situation or needs. Please seek professional advice with regards to how any of the material on this website can impact your own financial situation. Datium Insights is not liable for any loss caused, whether due to negligence or otherwise arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information provided directly or indirectly, by use of this website.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Datium Insights

Subscribe to Datium Insights

Receive notifications when we release market updates and feature articles on the automotive industry