NZ Sales: May sales improve, slightly

NEW ZEALAND new vehicle registrations have improved slightly in May, the country recording 10,251 sales for an increase of just 65 units over the same time last year.

According to the Motor Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA), the figure signals stabilisation in monthly demand, at the same time noting softened year-to-date demand of 51,261 units, a decline of 3.0 per cent on the same time last year.

“We probably still have a period of subdued activity to come, but these May numbers do offer some cause for optimism and hopes for better times ahead,” said MIA chief executive Aimee Wiley.

For car and SUV sales, the MIA recorded a total of 6817 sales across May, up 448 units YOY, while light- and heavy commercial vehicle sales declined to 3016 (down 138) and 418 (down 245) units respectively.

Toyota continued its reign at the top of the New Zealand sales charts in May recording a total of 2392 registrations for a 23.0 per cent share of the overall market. It topped Ford with 1545 unit sales (15.0 per cent), Mitsubishi with 908 unit sales (9.0 per cent), Kia with 612 unit sales (6.0 per cent), and Nissan with 423 unit sales (4.0 per cent).

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Toyota also topped the May passenger car and SUV sales board, its RAV4 amassing 666 unit sales for a 10 per cent share of the overall market. The RAV4 outsold the Mitsubishi ASX with 457 unit sales (7.0 per cent), Ford Everest with 277 unit sales (4.0 per cent), Kia Seltos with 274 unit sales (4.0 per cent), and the Mitsubishi Outlander with 167 unit sales (2.0 per cent).

The RAV4 is also the top-selling model in New Zealand on a year-to-date basis with 3806 registrations overall, or 10.5 market share points.

In the light commercial vehicle category, we find Ford on top with Ranger sales numbering 1051 units for the month of May, or a 34.8 per cent share of the segment. The Ranger was followed by the Toyota HiLux with 910 unit sales (30.2 per cent), Nissan Navara with 238 unit sales (7.0 per cent), Mitsubishi Triton with 159 unit sales (5.0 per cent), and Toyota HiAce with 134 unit sales (4.0 per cent).

Year-to-date registrations show a much closer contest between the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux with total respective registrations of 3510 and 3438 units.

Of the new vehicles sold across May, the MIA notes 528 battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales (5.2 per cent), 351 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) sales (3.4 per cent), 2883 hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) sales (28.1 per cent), and 6489 internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales (63.3 per cent).

Business buyers remain the majority buyer type in May with 5651 purchases (55.1 per cent) ahead of private buyers with 3678 purchases (35.9 per cent), rental fleet buyers with 744 purchases (7.3 per cent), and government fleet buyers with 178 purchases (1.7 per cent).

Top 10 sales by Make (May passenger, SUV and light commercial)*:

Top 10 sales by Model (May passenger and SUV)*:

Top 10 sales by Model (May light commercial)*:

*All figures are supplied courtesy of the Motor Industry Association of New Zealand.