Luxury car sales in top gear amid bump
LUXURY vehicle buyers are defying the economic downturn in the Far North.
Trinity Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Land Rover has reported that last month was its best in five years while other dealers say sales are healthy.
Trinity Prestige general sales manager Brendan Roberts said the overall car market in Cairns was down about a quarter but luxury vehicles were “buoyant”.
“We have the products people want,” he said.
“We sold 23 cars in February. The luxury market is bucking the trend. Buyers are across the board. From real estate, farmers, doctors to younger people in their 30s.”
Mr Roberts said MercedesBenz’s Simplicity plan made it easier to obtain the brand with people paying the car off over three years and then handing it back with no extra costs.
Audi Centre Cairns dealerprincipal Alan Ren said the marque was doing better compared with the same period last year.
“This is driven mostly by having the right products rather than the market. Small luxury SUV is booming, “he said
“Demographics is perhaps the most interesting as traditionally the brand has been more reliant on professionals.
“However, over the last quarter we seem to be getting a broader range of people in the community from early 20s to retired couples.
“A few of them have been holding back on purchasing a new car for a while but have decided the value and technology is there in the new products.
“The finance rate for Audi is about 50 per cent so people are obviously confident enough about the future to buy a vehicle now.”
Lexus of Cairns sales manager Michael Oxford said the dealership was “doing well sitting on a strong market share for the first few months of 2020”.
“Popular models at the moment are our SUV range here in Cairns,” he said.
“We get a range of demographics from real estate agents and teachers, through to your medical professionals.
“New vehicle purchases are changing from a buy-once-and -drive-it-until-it-dies mindset to a more flexible arrangement where owners can chop and change their vehicles with leasing and flexible finance options such as Lexus Ownership Solutions.”
Westco BMW sales manager Grant Woolcock said last month was “strong”.
“All our models are doing well. I think people are buying our cars because in the last 18 months BMW have come a long way with upgrading our models with the latest technology and a fresh new look for our models,” he said.