VFACTS April 2024: Record month, hybrids and plug-in hybrids surge

It was a record April for the Australian new car market, with demand for hybrids and plug-in hybrids outstripping that of electric vehicles (EVs).

A total of 92,202 vehicles were sold in Australia in April 2024, up 18.3% from April 2023.

Compared to April 2023, hybrid sales increased by 194.5% to 16,466 sales, while plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales increased by 138.5% to 1,300 sales.

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In contrast, EV sales were down 5.1% from last April, with 6,194 sales – heavily impacted by a 43.5% year-over-year decline for EV leader Tesla.

This resulted in a market share of 6.4% for EVs, down from 7.9% in April 2023.

However, it’s a little rosier for EVs when looking at year-to-date figures. In the first four months of 2024, EV deliveries increased 32.3% to 31,662, although hybrid sales increased 138.2% for a total of 51,669 sales.

PHEV sales also accelerated, increasing 135.6 percent year-on-year to 4,726 units.

New vehicle sales increased by double digits in every state and territory, with South Australia (33.5 per cent) and Tasmania (31.9 per cent) seeing the biggest jumps.

“April’s result underlines strong consumer confidence in purchasing new vehicles, exceeding our expectations, and is a testament to consumer choice and the resilience of the industry in a challenging economic environment,” said Chief Executive of the Federal Chamber of the Automotive Industry (FCAI) Tony Weber .

He noted that the industry has set 10 record monthly sales in the past year. This year got off to a strong start, with a record number of new car sales in the first quarter.

Despite expectations that new car sales may start to decline due to pressures on the cost of living, they remain buoyant – although it’s worth noting that sales are recorded after the customer takes delivery, and therefore some of these vehicles they may have been ordered months ago.

Brands

No surprise who’s the winner here: Toyota, as usual, with its 20,771 sales, representing a 72.7% increase over the same month last year.

Nissan saw a slight decline, falling out of the top 10 in monthly sales. However, it still remains seventh in the YTD tally.

Tesla posted a much larger monthly decline. Despite being the 10th best-selling brand so far this year, in April it ranked 13th and none of its vehicles were in the top 20.

Its sales figures are still reported in VFACTS even though the brand has left FCAI. Unlike Polestar, which also left, it no longer publishes its data.

Other brands reporting year-on-year declines were Hyundai (down 9.5 percent) and Volkswagen (down 4.0 percent).

Significantly larger declines were recorded by Ram (down 44.2 percent), Jeep (down 39.7 percent) and Renault (down 36.8 percent), while brands that reported big sales increases included Isuzu Ute (up 46.6 percent), GWM (up 50.3 percent), Suzuki (up 40.7 percent) and Chery (up 37.6 percent).

Models

The best-selling vehicle in Australia was the Toyota RAV4, with 5,857 sales – up 166.5% year-on-year.

The smaller Corolla Cross entered the top 20 for the month, posting triple-digit sales increases over last April alongside the Corolla, RAV4, Yaris and Yaris Cross.

However, Toyota did not have the best-selling car in Australia, with the Ford Ranger retaining its lead. While the HiLux held the lead in 4×2 ute sales, the Ranger beat it comfortably in the larger volume 4×4 ute segment.

Segments

• Microcars: Kia Picanto (392), Fiat 500 (40)
• Cars under $30,000: MG 3 (890), Mazda 2 (453), Toyota Yaris (393)
• Cars over $30,000: Volkswagen Polo (164), Mini Hatch (118), Skoda Fabia (39)
• Small cars under $40,000: Toyota Corolla (2,097), Kia Cerato (1,454), Mazda 3 (893)
• Small cars over $40,000: MG 4 (476), Audi A3 (345), Mercedes-Benz A-Class (251)
• Average cars under $60,000: Toyota Camry (1873), BYD Seal (811), Mazda 6 (104)
• Average cars over $60,000: Tesla Model 3 (911), BMW 3 Series (219), BMW i4 (206)
• Large cars under $70,000: Skoda Superb (16), Citroen C5 X (4)
• Large cars over $70,000: BMW 5 Series (57), Mercedes-Benz EQE (19), Audi A6 (13)
• Big cars over $100,000: BMW i7 (6), BMW 7 Series (4), Porsche Panamera (4)
• People movers under $70,000: Kia Carnival (647), Hyundai Staria (85), LDV MIFA (36)
• People movers over $70,000: Volkswagen Multivan (60), Lexus LM (27), Mercedes-Benz V-Class (19)
• Sports Cars Under $80,000: Subaru BRZ (74), Mazda MX-5 (58), Toyota GR86 (37)
• Sports cars over $80,000: BMW 2 Series two-door (131), BMW 4 Series two-door (42), Chevrolet Corvette (20)
• Sports cars over $200,000: Porsche 911 (59), McLaren range (11), Lamborghini two-door range (8)

• Light SUVs: Mazda CX-3 (1416), Suzuki Jimny (862), Toyota Yaris Cross (714)
• Small SUVs under $45,000: MG ZS (1707), Hyundai Kona (1303), Toyota Corolla Cross (1180)
• Small SUVs over $45,000: Audi Q3 (428), Lexus LBX (252), Volvo XC40 (251)
• Mid-size SUVs under $60,000: Toyota RAV4 (5,857), Mitsubishi Outlander (1,848), Kia Sportage (1,699)
• Mid-size SUVs over $60,000: Tesla Model Y (1,166), Lexus NX (368), BMW X3 (341)
• Large SUVs under $80,000: Ford Everest (2,400), Isuzu MU-X (1,876), Kia Sorento (1,054)
• Large SUVs over $80,000: BMW X5 (271), Defender (255), Range Rover Sport (180)
• Top Large SUVs Under $120,000: Toyota LandCruiser Wagon (1,169), Nissan Patrol (460), Kia EV9 (61)
• Top Large SUVs Over $120,000: BMW X7 (99), Mercedes-Benz G-CLass (46), Range Rover (43)

• Light vans: Volkswagen Caddy (67), Peugeot Partner (50), Renault Kangoo (25)
• Medium vans: Toyota HiAce (651), Hyundai Staria Load (333), Ford Transit Custom (253)
• 4×2 utes: Toyota HiLux (664), Isuzu D-Max (592), Ford Ranger (480)
• 4×4 utes: Ford Ranger (5089), Toyota HiLux (4029), Isuzu D-Max (1788)
• Large Pickups: Ram 1500 (276), Chevrolet Silverado (191), Ford F-150 (173)

Sales by category

Top segments by market share

Sales by region

Sales by buyer type

Sales by type of propulsion or fuel

Sales by country of origin

Below are the top five countries of origin:

MORE ▼: VFACTS March 2024: Big month leads to record quarterly resultsMORE ▼: VFACTS February 2024: Another record month for new car sales in AustraliaMORE ▼: VFACTS January 2024: Record start to year but slower times ahead