Australia March 2012: Nissan at all-time high, places X-Trail #10

Nissan X-Trail

* NOW UPDATED with the Top 269 best-selling models! Click on title to see *

The Australian market continues to lodge solid month after solid month, up 4% year-on-year in March to 97,616 registrations and bringing the year-to-date total to 260,122 units, up 5% on 2011. Now it’s getting really serious: after becoming Australia’s favourite car over the Full Year 2011, for the first time ever the Mazda3 manages to stay #1 for 3 months in a row, leading in March with 3,818 sales and 3.9%. It is the 5th time in the last 10 months that the 3 is in pole position in Australia.

Now with Thai production levels back to normal after the floods, the Toyota Hilux is up to 2nd place for the first time since last October and only the 3rd time in the last 12 months at 3,561 units and 3.6%, ahead of the Holden Commodore, Toyota Corolla and Holden Cruze, surprisingly flat in spite of the arrival of the hatchback version.

Mazda CX-5

The Nissan Navara is up to #6 for the first time since last May and the Nissan X-Trail breaks into the Australian Top 10 possibly for the very first time at #10, making Nissan the 4th best-selling brand in the country this month after Toyota, Holden and Mazda and kicking Ford down to #6 for the first time. Nissan’s 8,312 sales is the brand’s all-time record in Australia since becoming a full importer over 20 years ago.

Subaru XV

Mazda also has a record month thanks to the thunderous arrival of the Mazda CX-5 in 19th position for its first full month of sales in the country with 1,419 units sold. Australia is the CX-5’s 2nd best-performing country in the world so far behind the Netherlands where it ranks #18 this month… The Subaru XV continues to impress and leads the small SUV category for the 2nd month in a row with 1,002 sales and 1% share at #29.

Great Wall V-Series

Further down the ranking, the Great Wall V-Series pick-up shines at #40 with 719 units and 0.7% (and #38 year-to-date!), which means the summer of 2011-2012 will be remembered as the time the first Chinese model broke into the Australian Top 50. Other great performers this month include the VW Amarok at #52, Jeep Compass at #69, VW Jetta at #77, Hyundai i40 at #100 and Kia Optima at #101.

Previous month: Australia February 2012: Mazda3 #1, Subaru XV leads category!

One year ago: Australia March 2011: Commodore #1, Lexus CT and Chery land

Full March 2012 Top 269 Ranking Table below.