Toyota Corolla dominates October sales
Corolla creamed it last month, thanks to rentals in the booming tourism market, writes Rob Maetzig.
Amassive sales month for the world’s most popular car has completely skewed New Zealand’s new vehicles registration figures for October.
And it’s all to do with the healthy state of the country’s tourism industry.
The Toyota Corolla recorded 1772 registrations in October – way ahead of the next most popular passenger vehicle, the Toyota RAV4, which achieved 479 sales.
But of that total, close to 90 per cent – 1589 – of the Corolla’s registrations were as rental cars as that industry gears up for the summer tourism boom. Not only that, but 64 per cent of the RAV4S were also registered as rentals.
In third place was the Kia Sportage SUV with 354 sales, with just 28 per cent as rentals, followed by the Toyota Highlander SUV with 334 sales, with more than 78 per cent as rentals.
All this rental action has skewed statistics on the most popular vehicle segments, according to information provided by the Motor Industry Association.
Although year-to-date to the end of October it is still mediumsized SUVS and 4x4 utes that are the most popular vehicle types with 16 per cent and 14 per cent shares respectively, in October it was small cars that left all other vehicle types in their dust, the Corolla helping the category claim a 20 per cent share.
The unusually high number of Corolla sales also helped October become not only the strongest month of October on record for new vehicle registrations, but the secondstrongest month ever – beaten only by June this year.
In October a total of 15,530 new vehicles were registered, taking the total for the year to 133,766 which is 9.83 per cent up on last year.
‘‘The 2017 new vehicle market is expected to easily break through the 150,000 mark for the first time,’’ says MIA chief executive officer David Crawford.
Toyota remains the overall market leader with a 29 per cent market share, followed by Ford with 10 per cent and Holden with 9 per cent.
Toyota is also the market leader for passenger and SUV registrations with a 31 per cent share, followed by Holden on 9 per cent and Mazda with 8 per cent.
In addition, Toyota holds the lead in the commercial sector with a 24 per cent market share, followed by Ford on 21 per cent and Holden on 8 per cent. But it is the Ford Ranger ute that is the most popular commercial vehicle with a 19 per cent share, regaining the lead over the Toyota Hilux which is on 17 per cent.