Strong sales across most segments delivered a record monthly sales result for September in Australia, prompting the industry to boost its full-year forecast to over 1m units.
Official VFACTS data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) showed that 85,054 passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were sold in September, up 8.9% (6,923 vehicles) on the same month in 2009.
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“This is a great result and posts a new monthly high for September,” FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar said.
The result eclipsed the previous September monthly record set in 2005 by 584 units.
“It is encouraging to see that sales to private buyers recorded the largest increase this month (up 14.2%) which is further evidence of renewed confidence in the marketplace,” McKellar said. “Given the continued strength of the market in recent months, the industry has revised its annual sales forecast to more than 1m sales – up from the previous projection of more than 980,000.
“The Australian market has only twice recorded more than 1m sales so this will be quite an achievement,” he added.
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By GlobalDataThe SUV segment was the strongest performer during September, recording an increase of 36.3%; followed by passenger cars (up 3.1%) and then light commercials (up 1.7%).
Toyota was the top selling brand in September with 16,185 sales; followed by Holden with 10,718 and Mazda with 8,850 units.
Year-to-date, 780,720 vehicles have been sold, an increase of 14.5% compared to the same period in 2009.
Toyota Australia said it was on track to post total sales in 2010 of above 200,000.
The company claimed the number one position for the month in each of the three SUV segments, and each of the commercial vehicle segments in which it participates. It also claimed number one position in the September passenger car segment with 8169 deliveries – 523 ahead of its nearest rival.
“Consistency of customer demand has been the key to Toyota’s position in the market,” the company’s senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner said.
Toyota’s annualised result for 2010 points to market demand of more than 200,000 sales.
“The motor industry’s recovery from the [global financial crisis]-influenced 2009 year has been very strong,” Buttner said. “Competition has never been so intense.”
