Toyota and Isuzu lead, but market in flux

MG has locked in a top 10 result with a solid August sales month

WITH both Toyota and Isuzu continuing to dominate their respective sales markets, casual observers could be forgiven for thinking nothing changed during August.

However, with a definite cooling of sales of both passenger vehicles and the commercial van and truck market, as well as significant movement within the topselling brands, the industry remains in a state of flux.

While the overall market increased over August 2024, the break-up by segment demonstrates the ongoing evolution of Australian vehicle buying habits.

For the first time, Chinese brands have established a solide position in the top 10 nationally, with GWM (7th), BYD (8th) and MG (10th) all showing big gains.

Sales of traditional passenger cars, particularly sedans and wagons, continued to fall as more buyers chose SUV models.

Comparing July and August sales for both classes with the same periods in 2024 shows passenger vehicles dropped to 13.5% of the market in July (17.4% 2024) and 13.1% in August (15.4% 2024).

At the same time SUV sales comprised 61.2% of the market in July (56.9% 2024), although they fell slightly to 60.2% in August (57.5% 2024).

Powertrain choices are also changing, year-on-year, with 21,788 hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles sold in August, compared to 20,258 in 2024.

While petrol-powered vehicles remained the top choice, with 39,991 units, this was down from 42,017 the previous year, diesel power grew to 31,611 sales in August, up from 29,271 in 2024.

These results can be skewed by the change in models offered by manufacturers, particularly in relation to more hybrids entering the market.

It is also unclear how sales of ‘mild’ hybrids, such as Toyota’s HiLux and Prado, are classed, with their reliance on diesel for most driving, compared to models like Hyundai’s Kona Hybrid, where electric drive is the dominant mode.