VFACTS August 2023 new-car sales: Another record month, Toyota bounces back

Deliveries of new motor vehicles increased in August 2023 for the fifth month in a row as vehicles ordered months prior arrived in greater numbers – and production bottlenecks continue to ease across the automotive industry.

Market leader Toyota set a new all-time August record – in a market up 15 per cent last month compared to the same month last year – after seven consecutive months in decline.

However industry experts say many of the vehicles driving the sales surge – for Toyota and other brands – were ordered months ago, or in some cases last year, and that it is not necessarily representative of the true demand for new cars last month.

Data published today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) industry body reports 109,966 new vehicles as sold last month, up 15.4 per cent on the same month in 2022.

For the second month in a row it is a new record – the best August in the record books – beating the previous high mark of 96,662 deliveries set in 2017.

It is up 18.7 per cent on the five-year August average prior to the pandemic of 92,626 deliveries – and brings the year-to-date sales tally to 788,584, up 9.9 per cent compared to the same period last year.

"The Australian automotive sector continues to demonstrate its strength, with August recording unprecedented sales figures, reflecting both a high level of demand from Australians and improved supply of vehicles," Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Tony Weber said in a media statement.

"Year-to-date sales have increased 9.9 per cent which is a better indicator of the underlying strength of the market."

Within the surge in sales was Japanese car giant Toyota, which retained its number-one spot and posted a 8.3 per cent sales increase compared to August 2022, with 22,321 deliveries – after a decline earlier this year as it struggled with production challenges and shipping slowdowns.

In March 2023 it posted a 39 per cent year-on-year sales decline.

The company says demand for its vehicles is still high – though not necessarily at the heights it observed during the pandemic – and says it is on track for improved production over the coming months, compared to the start of the year.

"We still have very high demand for Toyota [vehicles] which is incredibly good, and we're very thankful to all the people that give us that opportunity. We don't take it for granted," Toyota Australia sales and marketing boss Sean Hanley told Drive.

"Supply has improved. I said in the first six months of this year it would be hard – it proved to be that.

"The second half [of the year] that we're in now is significantly improved, and watch VFACTS [sales data] and you'll see some incredible numbers coming out of Toyota."

Mr Hanley said wait times are "starting to come down", though they remain at 18 months, two years or more for popular Toyota models including the RAV4 Hybrid family SUV.

In second place remained Mazda (8458 sales), leading Ford (7898) – its fifth top-three finish of the year – and Hyundai (6513) just three cars ahead of its sister brand Kia (6510).

The year-to-date lead between the South Korean sibling brands remains with Kia, with 51,820 sales reported compared to 50,741 for Hyundai.

Nissan – up 154 per cent, from 1666 to 4233 sales – returned to the Top 10 after lingering between 10th and 15th places in recent months, and 12th overall last year, driven by the X-Trail SUV (1533 sales, up 197 per cent) and Patrol (1032 sales, up 108 per cent).

Other brands driving the growth include MG (up 74.6 per cent, from 3074 to 5368) and Subaru (up 59 per cent, from 2960 to 4706).

Isuzu Ute posted an all-time record, up 68.3 per cent on the same month last year, with 3281 deliveries of the D-Max ute – placing it fourth overall – and 1431 sales of the MU-X four-wheel-drive wagon.

China remained the third-largest source of new motor vehicles, ahead of South Korea for the month – and so far this year – after surpassing it for the first time in a month in September 2022.

The Toyota HiLux was Australia's best-selling new motor vehicle last month with 5762 sales reported – down 7.3 per cent on the same month last year – just two vehicles ahead of the Ford Ranger (5760) which held the title in July 2023.

The HiLux has extended its lead in the year-to-date sales race, with 38,525 deliveries reported compared to 37,664 Ford Rangers (all figures combine 4x2 and 4x4).

If it continues its current momentum, the Toyota HiLux would be on track to be Australia's top-selling new motor vehicle for the eighth year in a row.

Following in third was the Toyota RAV4 (3317) ahead of the Isuzu D-Max (3281), MG ZS (3193) and Toyota Corolla (2808) – the only passenger car in the Top 10.

The Tesla Model Y electric SUV (2314 deliveries) finished seventh last month, down from fourth in July 2023 and second in June 2023.

When the 995 deliveries reported for the Tesla Model 3 sedan are added, the US electric-car maker reported 3309 sales – but it dropped out of the Top 10, finishing 12th.

Last month 6984 electric vehicles were reported as sold – up 64.9 per cent on the same month the prior year, which was the first month of Tesla Model Y deliveries in Australia – compared with 11,584 regular hybrids, most of which wore Toyota or Lexus badges, and 1113 plug-in hybrids.

Data below supplied by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), and compiled by Alex Misoyannis.

Note: The FCAI has reshuffled some of its categories for the new year, increasing the price limits, adding a new category (utes above $100,000), and moving some vehicles to different categories as their prices have risen (such as the Volkswagen Golf and Subaru WRX, which were previously in the small car under $40,000 category).