sales
sales

Records topple to SUVs

SPORT Utility Vehicles, or SUVs, as they’re usually called, are taking over.

May sales in Australia showed another hike in the number of SUVs sold, with small, medium and large models reaching new records.

Toyota sold 7500 of them, handsomely beating its previous record of 7050 SUVs set in March this year.

So far, Toyota’s SUV sales have topped 33,400 vehicles – an increase of 6000, or 22 per cent, compared with the same period last year.

The SUV march started last year, when they overtook passenger cars to become Australia’s largest automotive segment.

Industry statistician Vfacts shows SUV sales in May increased by 8.4 per cent over the same month last year.

Light commercials dipped by 0.5 per cent and passenger cars declined a whopping 15.6 per cent, with micro-cars the only segment to show growth in that part of the market.

The Toyota Hilux remained the nation’s top-seller in May, with 4385 sales or a 5.6 per cent gain on May 2017.

Second place was the Ford Ranger on 3674, reflecting a drop of nearly 10 per cent, followed by Toyota Corolla (3120),  Hyundai i30 (2779) and Mazda3 (2586).

Land Cruiser, on 2396, was sixth top-seller, with a 12 per cent jump over May ’17, then came Mazda CX-5 (2382), Rav4 (2063) and two Mitsubishis, the ASX on 2029 just three sales ahead of the Triton ute.

Topping the micro car sales was Kia’s Picanto, which claimed nearly 63 per cent of that segment, while Hyundai’s Accent dominated light car sales on 1251.

The light car segment was quite close, Corolla on 3120 leading Hyundai i30 (2779 and Mazda3 (2586).

Camry was unchallenged in the medium car section on 1451, or 54 per cent of that shrinking market, and two Mercedes-Benzes, the C-Class and CLA-Class at the top of the luxury mediums, with BMW 3 just shading Audi A4 by two cars to claim third spot.

Sports cars with price tags of more than $200,000 was led by Porsche 911 with 38 sales, from Mercedes-AMG GT on 20, with Ferrari next on 17, Aston-Martin (16), eight people bought McLarens, another eight favoured Lamborghinis, three bought Rolls Royces and two Morgan Aeros.

In total, 100,754 vehicles were sold last month, two percent down on May 2017.

Toyota’s total sales came to 19,571. Ssangyong had one sale, Skoda 590, Fiat 115 and Maserati 50.

The Made in China MG attracted 209 buyers.

CHECKOUT: Australia’s top 10 selling cars for 2017

CHECKOUT: Unbreakable Hilux still king of the hill

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