sales figures « Car & SUV

Toyota Corolla takes back No.1 sales spot in NZ

October 7th, 2011 by Car and SUV

The Toyota Corolla has taken back the number one sales spot on the NZ national sales charts, both for the month of September and year to date. The Corolla has faced stiff competition this year from the new 2011 Suzuki Swift and the pair have dueled it out for total sales supremacy.

Official data for the month of September shows Corolla outsold all other passenger and commercial vehicles, and Toyota’s Hilux ute took a strong second place. It was a very strong month for Toyota with four vehicles in the sales top 10 – the others being the Highlander SUV and the Hiace van.

Steve Prangnell, general manager Sales and Operations, said the sales figures reflect the full recovery of Toyota’s international supply chain, which slowed for several months after Japan’s earthquake and tsunami. “To have Hilux at the top of the overall year to date table, and Corolla a strong second, is incredibly pleasing. It shows Kiwis trust the Toyota brand and keep turning to the vehicles they know and love.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Corolla, Hilux, sales, sales figures, Steve Prangnell, Suzuki, Swift, Toyota | Posted in News | 2 Comments »

New model Suzuki Swift already dominating NZ car sales

March 7th, 2011 by Car and SUV

The new generation Suzuki Swift has only been on sale in New Zealand for one month but has already snatched the top sales spot.

Launched on February 5, the latest Suzuki hatch matched the top selling position of its predecessor by being the most favoured new car choice among Kiwi buyers.

“New car buyers – particularly private motorists – have voted with their wallets,” said Tom Peck, General Manager of Marketing for Suzuki New Zealand. “Consumers have realised the good value package presented by the new Swift with its better economy and the fact that it is recognised by Euro NCAP testing as one of the safest cars in the world,” he said.

Suzuki took 9.7 per cent of the total new passenger car market, a record high for the franchise. At the same time, Suzuki was third best selling new car make for the month, its highest ranking yet.

“Swift has been the number one selling car to private buyers in New Zealand since 2008 and for the last six years has been the nation’s favourite small car,” said Mr Peck. “We are delighted with the early sales performance of the new model which is more than living up to the reputation of the highly successful out-going version.”

A total of 351 new Swifts went onto local roads in February, according to the official figures from the Motor Trade Association. The next best sellers were the Hyundai i30 (310), Toyota Corolla (212) and Holden Commodore (191).

The local sales achievement came within days of Suzuki Motor Corporation announcing the two million sales milestone had been reached by the Swift, six years and three months after the introduction of the model. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: New car sales, new model, sales figures, Suzuki, Swift, Tom Peck | Posted in News | 1 Comment »

Toyota tops NZ new vehicle sales for 23rd year straight

January 12th, 2011 by Car and SUV

Toyota has topped new vehicle sales in New Zealand for the 23rd consecutive year, dominating its nearest rivals in 2010 and capturing the automotive industry’s ‘triple crown’ — first in passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and overall.

New Zealand Transport Authority data shows Toyota New Zealand sold 18,438 new vehicles in 2010, 22.9% per cent of the market it has led since 1988.

Toyota New Zealand chief executive Alistair Davis says, “Toyota is proud to maintain its market leadership and the trust of our customers, despite starting the year with the challenge of the mainly US-based recalls.

“A tough global economy in 2009 hit the market here, and put a focus on ensuring Toyota New Zealand had a lean, efficient business model in place. This put us in an excellent position to take advantage of the market rebound in 2010,” Mr Davis says.

Corolla was again New Zealand’s most loved vehicle with sales of 4,886 continuing a remarkable decade of dominance as the nation’s favourite car.

Hilux built on its status as a Kiwi icon, taking the light commercial vehicle title for the 28th successive year with sales of 3,664, and surging into second most popular vehicle overall. Hiace was again the top-selling van, with 1,724 sold.

Mr Davis says Toyota’s dominance of all four key market divisions — private, fleet, rental and government — shows Toyota’s wide range continues to meet the needs of New Zealanders.

Tags: new cars, sales figures, Toyota NZ | Posted in News | No Comments »

Chevy Camaro set to outsell Ford Mustang for first time in 25 years

December 6th, 2010 by Car and SUV

The new Chevy Camaro has gone from strength to strength this year and for a reward it looks set to steal away the yearly pony car sales crown from the Ford Mustang. It will be the first time in 25 years the Camaro has managed this achievement.

According to industry insiders, the GM has sold 75,685 Camaros in the States through to the end of November, while Ford has only shifted 68,264 units. With the current sales totals in mind, it’s estimated that Chevrolet will finish 2010 with around 82,500 sales and Ford with 74,500. Coming in third in the muscle car pack is Dodge’s Challenger with 36,000 units sold in 2010.

How did the Camaro break the trend and come up trumps?

There was a built-up demand for the Camaro among badge fans after its prolonged absence in the States, combined with an excellent product on launch has done the trick. What’s even more impressive about the Camaro’s sales total is that the Chevy has outsold the Ford and the Dodge with far fewer special editions and no convertible bodystyle like the Mustang. The rag top Camaro is on the way shortly and when that is finally released things will get even more interesting.

Tags: Camaro, Chevrolet, Ford, Mustang, sales figures | Posted in News | No Comments »

Suzuki Swift continues record-breaking NZ sales

June 15th, 2010 by Car and SUV

The Suzuki Swift can claim the title of most successful passenger car model ever sold in New Zealand and is still continuing on its record-breaking way.

The Swift was back as the top selling new car in May, according to official Motor Industry Association figures. Overall for the first five months of 2010, the Swift is the second best selling new car, beaten only by the Toyota Corolla and lying ahead of the third placed Holden Commodore.

Despite reaching the latter period of its production cycle the Swift has further increased sales and improved its market penetration this year.

Swift has been an amazing international success story for Suzuki with solid world wide sales and continued demand. In Britain the compact Suzuki is among the top ten models for the lowest depreciating cars.

To celebrate the fifth birthday of launching of the current model Swift, Maruti Suzuki in India invited owners to drive in unison through the streets of Gurgaon early in June. A total of 342 Swifts took part, setting a Guinness World Record, while a further 1,400 Swifts gathered in Mumbai and 600 examples were attracted to a similar function in Chennai.

The Swift parade shatters the Guinness Record for one make of car in a parade which was set here in New Zealand by Ford with 250 vehicles.

More than one million current model Swifts have been sold, including 450,000 in India. The world car is built in several locations and New Zealand sources its production from Japan.

“The continued popularity of the Swift in New Zealand and elsewhere is testament to the strength of the model,” said Tom Peck, General Manager of Marketing for Suzuki New Zealand.

Nine versions of the Swift are available locally, ranging from the five-door XE which has an on-road recommended retail of $18,500, including five-year roadside assistance.Apart from the range-topping $26,500 1.6-litre Sport variant, all Swifts boast an efficient 1.5-litre double overhead camshaft engine.

Click here to read a Car and SUV road test of the Suzuki Swift.

Click here to read a news item about the next-generation Suzuki Swift.

Tags: Motor Industry Association, sales figures, Suzuki Swift | Posted in News | 1 Comment »

Morgan hits record sales in 2009

January 13th, 2010 by Car and SUV

Morgan Aeromax SuperSports f

They don’t build ‘em like that anymore is what some classic car enthusiasts say. Well Morgan still does. And now the niche British automaker is building more of them than ever before. So while the rest of the motor industry was looking at excess back stock and factory closures, Morgan hit record sales figures in 2009, and expects the numbers to go even higher in 2010.

Morgan has consistently sold around 280 cars in its UK home market every year, and 2009 year was no different. What changed for Morgan was last year’s expansion into fresh markets, including solid sales in France and Germany that contributed to 690 units built and sold in 2009. This represents a huge increase on the usual 400 units a year level that the company’s used to.

For the new year, Morgan is starting production of its SuperSports model which, unlike its coupe predecessor the Aeromax, will be sold in the States. With a bigger market on tap, a £125k price tag and a production run of 200 examples, Morgan expects to built some 750 units in total this year, nearly doubling its regular sales figures.

Gallery

Tags: Aeromax, Morgan, sales figures, Supersports | Posted in News | No Comments »