SUVs, utes the new norm

It was only a few years ago that SUV and ute owners were a relatively rare breed here. Oh, how the worm has turned.

A new set of statistics shows vehicle preferences have changed significantly in this country over the past 15 years.

Motor Industry Association chief executive David Crawford has plotted the sales patterns of passenger vehicles, SUVs and light commercial vehicles every month since January 2002.

The exercise has illustrated some dramatic long-term trends. In June 2002 there were a total of 7523 new vehicles sold, and 4696 of them were passenger vehicles such as sedans and hatchbacks - a 62.5 per cent share. Another 1782 of them were utes and vans for a 23.6 per cent share - and just

1045 or 13.8 per cent were SUVs.

Five years later things had begun to change. June 2007 saw 8607 new vehicles sold, comprising 4575 (53.1 per cent) passenger vehicles, and 2215 (25.7 per cent) utes and vans. SUV sales had grown to 1817 for a 21.1 per cent share.

By 2012 the new vehicles scene had changed again, with the passenger car share falling further to 4282 (43.7 per cent), while SUVs had overtaken utes and vans to grab a 28.9 per cent share via its 2832 sales. The light commercials accounted for 27.2 per cent with 2671 sales.

Now, the new vehicle sales scene has changed even further. Statistics for June showed that sales for the month had grown to a record 13,175, with 4992 of them SUVs - a 37.8 per cent share. Passenger vehicles just held on to second place with 4162 sales for a 31.5 per cent share, while utes and vans achieved 4021 sales for a 30.5 per cent share.

Crawford says his research shows passenger vehicles dominated New Zealand’s new auto sales scene until the Global Financial Crisis hit. ’’On top of that there has been the Auckland economy which has been going gangbusters and which has been a major reason for the increase in SUV sales, and the Christchurch earthquake recovery which has been behind the growth in sales of commercial vehicles such as utes.’’