Australia's new vehicle sales remained on target for a record year despite a slight dip during October when total volume reached 93,357, 1%  (964 vehicles) down on the same month in 2015.

Passenger cars were the only segment to fall below October 2015 outcomes (down by 7.4%), with SUVs showing a 4.9% gain and the vigorous light commercial growth slowing to a 0.4% monthly gain.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

The overall year to date total of 980,433 sales puts the market 2.4% (or 23,280 sales) ahead of the same time last year, keeping the industry well on track to surpassing last year's record total of 1,155,408.

The sales difference between passenger cars and SUVs nationally closed to its smallest margin yet during October. Just 1,375 sales separated the two segments last month. This reflects the continued strong growth in both SUVs and light commercial vehicles, which together accounted for 56.2% of total vehicle sales nationally during October.

"The gap between the two is narrowing by the month and should this trend continue, it is likely that SUVs will become the larger segment sometime in the foreseeable future," the FCAI said.

See Also:

The October result was also notable for two light commercial vehicles leading the national market for the first time.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The Toyota Hilux was the nation's best-selling vehicle in October with 3,352 sales, just 135 ahead of the Ford Ranger. Just seven sales behind the Ranger was the Toyota Corolla (3,210 sales), followed by the Hyundai i30 (2,718) and the Mazda 3 (2,191).

Sales of motor vehicles to private buyers declined nationally 3.5% in October, but business purchases rose by 2.6% and sales to government by 5.1%. Rental fleet sales declined by 12.9%. The significant gain in buyer type by volume was in SUV sales to business during October, which lifted 9.6%.

Toyota remained the market leader in October with a 17.5% share, followed by Hyundai with 9.3%, Mazda (8.5), Holden (8.1) and Ford (7.0).