Marketplace

Shut up and take our money!

HIGHLIGHTS January is traditionally the month bulk buyers go on holiday and private buyers come out in strength. And come out they did, in record numbers that pushed the market 4.3 percent higher. The Toyota Hilux (3860 sales) may have dominated the charts, but only 59 sales separated the secondplaced Ford Ranger and the best-selling passenger car, the Mazda 3. Ford came within a tonneau cover of overtaking Holden, while Kia spring-boarded from a record sales year to post its best January result in VFACTS history.

LOWLIGHTS Holden’s 40-year-old Commodore nameplate dropped from the Top 20 list for the first time. It posted 871 sales as stock of the VFII ran out ahead of the all-new ZB’S arrival. It’s also the first time in nearly 58 years that the Ford Falcon posted a duck’s egg for its sales result. Other noticeable absences that lost favour with mum-and-dad buyers included the Mitsubishi ASX (872 sales) and Pajero Sport (408), the Toyota Kluger (897) and usual Top 5 contender, the Toyota Camry (754).