News & Promotions

VFACTS INDUSTRY SUMMARY - December 2009

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries issues the following summary for the retail sales performance of the automotive industry for December 2009.

Key Points:

• The December 2009 industry volume of 88,708 is up 12,198 or 15.9% on December 2008 (76,510 vehicles). This is a record sales result for a December month eclipsing the previous record of 86,250 set in 2007. December 2009 (25) had the same number of selling days as December 2008, resulting in an increase of 487.9 vehicles per day. The new vehicle market volume for full year 2009 reached 937,328 vehicle sales, a decrease of 74,836 or 7.4% on 2008.
• The December 2009 industry volume is up 2,875 or 3.3% on November 2009 (85,833 vehicles), in seasonally adjusted terms the December monthly volume equates to a 2.7% increase versus November.
• The Passenger Vehicle Market increased by 939 vehicle sales (2.1%) over the same month last year; the Sports Utility Vehicle Market, increased by 5,182 vehicle sales (-35.9%) and the Light Truck Market, increased by 6,539 vehicle sales (48.5%), whilst the Heavy Commercial Vehicle Market decreased by 462 vehicle sales (-15.8%) over December 2008.
• Toyota was market leader in December, followed by Holden and Ford. Market leadership for full year 2009 went to Toyota with 200,911 vehicle sales and 21.4% market share.

YEAR TO DATE RESULTS

The full year 2009 market of 937,328 vehicles is a decrease of 7.4% or 74,836 vehicle sales. With 1.1 fewer selling days than in 2008, the daily selling rate decreased by 234.4 vehicle sales or 7.1%. The Passenger Market at 540,562 vehicles is down by 55,983 vehicles (-9.4%). All segments shared in this decline with the Large car segment, down 17,638 (-14.8%); the Small car segment, down 14,475 (-6.3%);the Medium car segment, down 10,181 (-11.7%); the Light car segment, down 10,140 (-8.0%); the Upper Large segment, down 1,875 (-34.3%); the People mover segment, down 1,614 (-12.8%) and the Sports car segment, down 60 (-0.3%), failing to achieve the 2008 full year volume levels. The Sports Utility Vehicle Market at 188,153 vehicles ended the year in decline by 6,525 vehicle sales (-3.4%) on 2008. Mixed results by segment were evident with increases in the, SUV Luxury segment, up 1,319 (7.0%), whilst the SUV Large segment, down 3,861 (-26.0%), the SUV Medium segment, down 2,984 (-4.0%) and SUV Compact segment, down 999 (-1.2%), failed to achieve the 2008 full year volume levels.  The Light Truck Market at 181,058 vehicles ended the year in decline by 3,958 vehicle sales (-2.1%) on 2008. Mixed results by segment were evident with increases in the Pick-up/Cab Chassis 4x4 segment, up 2,505 vehicle sales (3.0%) and the Van segment, up 258 vehicle sales (1.1%), whilst the Pick-up/Cab Chassis 4x2 segment, down 5,419 vehicle sales (-7.4%); the Light bus segment, down 1,158 vehicle sales (-33.9%) and  the 2.5 Tonne truck segment, down 144 vehicles (-12.2%), failed to achieve the 2008 full year volume levels.  The Heavy Truck Market at 27,555 vehicles is down on full year 2008 by 8,370 vehicle sales or 23.3%.

Monthly Results

The Passenger Vehicle Market is up 939 vehicle sales or 2.1%.  Mixed results by segment were evident with increases in Small car segment, up 1,231 vehicle sales (7.5%); the Medium segment, up 552 vehicle sales (8.4%); the People mover segment, up 221 vehicle sales (29.3%) and the Sports car segment, up 63 vehicle sales (5.6%), whilst the Large car segment, down 1,050 vehicle sales (-9.8%); the Upper Large car segment, down 61 vehicle sales (-20.6%) and the Light car segment, down 17 vehicle sales (0.2%), failed to achieve 2008 volume levels. The Sports Utility Vehicle Market is up 5,182 vehicle sales or 35.9% versus December 2008.  All segments were up with the SUV Medium segment, up 2,242 vehicle sales (38.6%); the SUV Compact segment, up 1,998 vehicle sales (30.5%); the SUV Luxury segment, up 663 vehicle sales (31.2%) and the SUV Large segment, up 279 vehicle sales (31.2%), improving on their 2008 volume levels.  The Light Truck Market is up 6,539 vehicle sales or 48.5%. All segments were up with the with the Pick-up/Cab Chassis 4X4 segment, up 3,613 vehicle sales (57.5%); the Pick-up/Cab Chassis 4x2 segment, up 2,057 vehicle sales (37.9%); the Van segment up 805 vehicle sales (53.7%); the 2.5 Tonne truck segment, up 63 vehicle sales (112.5%) and the Light Bus segment, up 1 vehicle sale (0.5%), improving on the same month in 2008.  The Heavy Truck Market is down 462 vehicle sales or 15.8%, when compared with the same month in 2008.

TOP TEN MAKES

Toyota continued in the top sales position in the November monthly market with 19,603 vehicle sales, ahead of Holden with 11,391 and Ford third with 8,868. Toyota, with a market share of 21.3%, holds market leadership in year-to-date terms.  Holden’s November result sees it in second position with a market share of 12.7%, with Ford's market share of 10.3% placing it third. Mazda, with sales of 6,594 and with a market share of 8.2%, hold fourth position. Hyundai achieved 5,262 vehicle sales in November and with a share of 7.0%, is in fifth place ahead of Mitsubishi, on 5.9% market share.