Australian new vehicle sales in both January (82,270) and February (89,898) have set records for those months, building on a record annual total of more than 1m new cars in 2007, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) said.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more


February sales were up 7.4% year on year.


“The February sales result is very pleasing for the automotive industry and shows that underlying demand from private buyers and business remains very robust, reflecting continued outstanding levels of vehicle affordability,” said FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar.


The diversity of market trends was shown by the fact that small cars and large sports utility vehicles (SUVs) were once again the main drivers of market growth in February.


Light car sales rose by 2,236 or 22.5%, the small car segment rose 1,645 or 8.6% and the SUV market grew by 3,365 vehicles or 22.6%.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

These gains were partially countered by declines in the large car (down 2,488 or 19.9%) and medium car (down 383 or 5.1%) segments.


“The volumes in the large and medium segments have been affected by the run-out of several key models. As new models [such as Ford’s redesigned Falcon] become available in the coming months we would expect to see some turn-around,” said McKellar.


He said a notable facet of the motor vehicle market last month was the large volume of vehicles being bought by businesses.


Sales of tool-of-trade pick-up/cab-chassis 4×2 utilities rose by 1,184 or 22.0%, while the van segment rose 602 or 39.1%.


Toyota was the top-selling brand in February with 23.0% of the market, ahead of General Motors’ Holden with 13.8% and Ford with 10.5%.


Year-to-date Toyota now leads Holden by 15,916 sales.