VFACTS: New Car Sales Insights May 2021

Datium Insights Monthly VFACTS Update

Read our monthly update on VFACTS new car sales results.



New Car Sales May 2021

  • May 2021 saw a total figure of 100,809 new car sales for Australia as reported by VFACTS
  • Figures show new car sales increased by 68% in May 2021 versus May 2020, noting that May last year was in a severe downturn
  • With COVID-19 cases being limited, it appears new car sales are returning to pre-COVID norms
  • All states saw strong increases in May 2021 compared to May 2020 with Northern Territory (+58%) and Western Australia (+51%) leading the way
  • Victoria is still performing weaker, up 26,595 units (+29%)

Australian 2020 New Car Sales

Australian 2020 New Car Sales Cumulative YoY Change by State - Units

Australian 2020 New Car Sales Cumulative YoY Change by State - Percentage

New Car Sales Trends

The top 5 models with the greatest increases so far in 2021 are:

  • MG ZS (+5,698 units)
  • Ford Ranger 4X4 (+5,383 units)
  • Toyota Hilux 4X4 (+5,217 units)
  • Toyota Landcruiser Wagon (+5,098 units)
  • Toyota RAV4 (+4,946 units)

The bottom 5 models with the greatest decreases so far in 2021 are:

  • Volkswagen Golf (-4,128 units)
  • Toyota Kluger (-2,822 units)
  • Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class (-1,688 units)
  • Honda Civic (-1,625 units)
  • Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class (-1,188 units)

The top segment increases so far in 2021 compared to 2020 are:

  • SUV Light (+148%)
  • Micro (+112%)
  • Large > $70K (+102%)
  • SUV Upper Large < $100K (+86%)
  • Vans/CC 2.5-3.5t (+85%)

Conversely, some of the largest decreases are:

  • Light Buses => 20 Seats (-38%)
  • Upper Large < $100K (-31%)
  • Vans/CC <= 2.5t (-15%)
  • Upper Large > $100K (-12%)
  • Large < $70K (-12%)

Some other highlights so far:

  • Toyota continues to dominate sales increases with 4 of the top 10 increases in 2021 being Toyota models
  • Chinese brand MG is making headwinds, with its ZS and MG3 models seeing substantial increase in 2021
  • Passenger vehicles continue to see the slowest recovery in sales in 2021 (+11%), particularly in small (-3%) and medium (+7%) segments
  • The rental market has finally seen strong growth, up 10,804 units (+69%) compared to 2020
  • Private sales (+52%) now make up more than 50% of all sales in the market due to dealers gaining higher margins on these types of sales

Australian 2020 New Car Sales Cumulative YoY Change by Segment

Australian 2020 New Car Sales Cumulative YoY Change by Vehicle - Top 20 Increases

Australian 2020 New Car Sales Cumulative YoY Change by Vehicle - Top 20 Decreases
Australian 2020 New Car Sales Cumulative YoY Change by Buyer Groups

Sales by Import Country

  • Sales of imported vehicles from Japan continue to rebound significantly in 2021, seeing an increase of 55,669 units compared to 2020
  • Sales of imported vehicles from China continue to skyrocket in 2021 with an increase of 19,404 compared to 2020
  • Sales of imported vehicles from Germany and USA saw the largest declines so far, with Germany down 5,264 units and USA down 2,577. These countries have been hit by production issues due to COVID outbreaks.

Australian 2020 New Car Sales Cumulative YoY Change by Import Country - Top 10 Increases

Australian 2020 New Car Sales Cumulative YoY Change by Import Country - Top 10 Decreases

Datium Insights Monthly Car Supply Update

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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.

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