Hamico
04-06-2008, 08:31 PM
Let's hope this continues......
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=53342
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Holden Commodore back on top of the sales charts in May
Josh Gliddon, drive.com.au, June 4, 2008
The Commodore was Australia's best selling car in May, but still trails the Toyota Corolla in the annual sales race.
Holden Commodore VE Omega
The Holden Commodore was Australia's best selling car in May, wresting back the mantle from last month’s number one, Toyota’s HiLux utility.
But Australia's most popular car for the past decade still trails the Toyota Corolla in the yearly sales race by 343 sales.
Holden spokesman John Lindsay claims the Holden result is impressive, given the fact it was achieved without the Commodore wagon.
“We have also achieved it against the backdrop of the launch of a new competitor (the new FG Falcon) into the market.”
But the news is not all good for Holden. Commodore sales are still down by 22 per cent year-to-date, while the maker's mid-sized sedan, the Epica, managed just 43 sales.
Holden sold 4215 Commodores in May, versus 3914 Toyota HiLux sales and 3668 Corollas. Ford sold 3320 Falcons in May. That result included one week of new FG Falcon sales.
Toyota continued its dominance of the local car market with 20,754 sales in May, compared to Holden's 11,118 sales and Ford's 9624. Toyota has become the first manufacturer to achieve more than 100,000 sales in the first five months of any year, with 101,816 sales to the end of May 2008.
The results reveal a two-speed automotive market, with the resources boom pushing light truck sales along to the tune of 78,936 vehicles for the year-to-date, an 11. 3 per cent increase.
Sales of passenger cars have been impacted by rising interest rates and higher petrol prices, with the overall passenger car market off by 2.5 per cent, or 1328 vehicles, compared to May 2007.
All segments with the exception of light cars and sports cars contributed to this drop. Hardest hit was the upper large car segment, which was off 302 sales, or 36.4 per cent.
Despite the arrival of Ford's new FG Falcon late in the month - which helped Ford regain some sales and lift share of the segment - the large car segment continued its slide. Aside from the drop in Commodore sales, the Toyota Aurion was also down 17.2 per cent in May.
Honda's Accord V6 - now being pitched as a Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore contender - ate away at the ground once dominated by locally-made vehicles; almost 1000 Accords were sold in May.
Compared with the same month in 2007 people mover sales were down 261 units, or 18.1 per cent, with many of the sales going to 4WDs, particularly the booming soft-road segment.
One of the major growth segments in recent years - mid-sized cars - remained strong, resisting the 4.0 per cent fall in the overall new-vehicle market. Mazda shifted almost 1000 of its Mazda6, Ford almost 600 Mondeos and Toyota almost 2000 Camrys.
With newcomers such as the Mazda2, sales of light cars continued to boom, rising 3.9 per cent, or 394 units, in the softening overall market.
Some four-wheel drives (or sports utility vehicles, as they're officially classified) continue to defy higher petrol prices and strong interest rates. In particular, the large 4WD/SUV segment was up 12 per cent, or 174 vehicles compared to the same month in 2007, continuing strong overall growth for some of the heaviest, thirstiest family cars on the road. Even Nissan's decade-old Patrol continues its long standing popularity in a segment dominated by the new Toyota LandCruiser 200-Series.
Mid-sized off-roaders were also up 16.8 per cent, or 1013 units, while compact and luxury 4WDs were down. Despite accounting for two in five 4WD sales, compact SUV sales fell 667 units compared to May 2008, while the fall is luxury sales was just 136 units.
The number of private buyers prepared to pay a premium for a diesel-powered vehicle showed its first sign of softening in May. For the first four months of 2008 private buyers led a 50 per cent growth in diesel passenger cars, but the May 2008 growth was a more modest 21 per cent.
But high diesel prices haven’t scared away fleet buyers, with diesel sales up 109 per cent on the same month last year.
“From the feedback we’re getting, novated lease drivers are getting the message of fuel costs, and they’re taking that and running with it which is leading to an increase in diesel sales,” says Innovation Sureplan’s director of operations, Tony Robinson. "This is despite the often higher depreciation of diesel cars due to the higher up-front costs."
.
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=53342
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Holden Commodore back on top of the sales charts in May
Josh Gliddon, drive.com.au, June 4, 2008
The Commodore was Australia's best selling car in May, but still trails the Toyota Corolla in the annual sales race.
Holden Commodore VE Omega
The Holden Commodore was Australia's best selling car in May, wresting back the mantle from last month’s number one, Toyota’s HiLux utility.
But Australia's most popular car for the past decade still trails the Toyota Corolla in the yearly sales race by 343 sales.
Holden spokesman John Lindsay claims the Holden result is impressive, given the fact it was achieved without the Commodore wagon.
“We have also achieved it against the backdrop of the launch of a new competitor (the new FG Falcon) into the market.”
But the news is not all good for Holden. Commodore sales are still down by 22 per cent year-to-date, while the maker's mid-sized sedan, the Epica, managed just 43 sales.
Holden sold 4215 Commodores in May, versus 3914 Toyota HiLux sales and 3668 Corollas. Ford sold 3320 Falcons in May. That result included one week of new FG Falcon sales.
Toyota continued its dominance of the local car market with 20,754 sales in May, compared to Holden's 11,118 sales and Ford's 9624. Toyota has become the first manufacturer to achieve more than 100,000 sales in the first five months of any year, with 101,816 sales to the end of May 2008.
The results reveal a two-speed automotive market, with the resources boom pushing light truck sales along to the tune of 78,936 vehicles for the year-to-date, an 11. 3 per cent increase.
Sales of passenger cars have been impacted by rising interest rates and higher petrol prices, with the overall passenger car market off by 2.5 per cent, or 1328 vehicles, compared to May 2007.
All segments with the exception of light cars and sports cars contributed to this drop. Hardest hit was the upper large car segment, which was off 302 sales, or 36.4 per cent.
Despite the arrival of Ford's new FG Falcon late in the month - which helped Ford regain some sales and lift share of the segment - the large car segment continued its slide. Aside from the drop in Commodore sales, the Toyota Aurion was also down 17.2 per cent in May.
Honda's Accord V6 - now being pitched as a Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore contender - ate away at the ground once dominated by locally-made vehicles; almost 1000 Accords were sold in May.
Compared with the same month in 2007 people mover sales were down 261 units, or 18.1 per cent, with many of the sales going to 4WDs, particularly the booming soft-road segment.
One of the major growth segments in recent years - mid-sized cars - remained strong, resisting the 4.0 per cent fall in the overall new-vehicle market. Mazda shifted almost 1000 of its Mazda6, Ford almost 600 Mondeos and Toyota almost 2000 Camrys.
With newcomers such as the Mazda2, sales of light cars continued to boom, rising 3.9 per cent, or 394 units, in the softening overall market.
Some four-wheel drives (or sports utility vehicles, as they're officially classified) continue to defy higher petrol prices and strong interest rates. In particular, the large 4WD/SUV segment was up 12 per cent, or 174 vehicles compared to the same month in 2007, continuing strong overall growth for some of the heaviest, thirstiest family cars on the road. Even Nissan's decade-old Patrol continues its long standing popularity in a segment dominated by the new Toyota LandCruiser 200-Series.
Mid-sized off-roaders were also up 16.8 per cent, or 1013 units, while compact and luxury 4WDs were down. Despite accounting for two in five 4WD sales, compact SUV sales fell 667 units compared to May 2008, while the fall is luxury sales was just 136 units.
The number of private buyers prepared to pay a premium for a diesel-powered vehicle showed its first sign of softening in May. For the first four months of 2008 private buyers led a 50 per cent growth in diesel passenger cars, but the May 2008 growth was a more modest 21 per cent.
But high diesel prices haven’t scared away fleet buyers, with diesel sales up 109 per cent on the same month last year.
“From the feedback we’re getting, novated lease drivers are getting the message of fuel costs, and they’re taking that and running with it which is leading to an increase in diesel sales,” says Innovation Sureplan’s director of operations, Tony Robinson. "This is despite the often higher depreciation of diesel cars due to the higher up-front costs."
.