Australia September 2014: Jeep among Top 10 for first time ever

Jeep Grand Cherokee

* See the Top 15 models and Top 50 All-brands by clicking on the title! *

First positive year-on-year result for new car sales in Australia: up 2.5% in September to 94,978 registrations, which brings the year-to-date total to 832,953 units, down 2% on 2013. Northern Territory and New South Wales (both at +6%) are the best performing States/territories while Western Australia (-3%) and Tasmania (-5.5%) remain in negative. One category is pulling the Australian market up with all its strength: SUVs, up another 15% in September with small (+31%) and medium SUVs (+15%) doing best. All-in-all, SUVs now account for over 31% of the Australian new light vehicle market…

And one brand has particularly benefitted from all this SUV love: Jeep. While the Grand Cherokee was the first-ever Jeep to break into the Top 10 best-selling models in the country back in May (it is #15 this month), in September Jeep as a whole becomes one of Australia’s 10 favourite manufacturers for the first time in the history of the 70-year history of the brand! It sells 2,937 units for a 3.1% market share, up 43% on September 2013 and overtaking Honda to rank #10, potentially thanks to the arrival of the new Cherokee. There are a few other interesting events in this month’s brands ranking, with a podium 100% Asian for only the second time ever in Australia after February 2013: Toyota leads as usual with 18.8% share above Mazda at a round 10% (+25% thanks to the popular M day promotion) and Hyundai stable at 9.3%. Holden is down 11% to #4 – only the 2nd time the homegrown brand ever falls out of the podium – and Ford down 18% to #5…

Launched one year ago, Foton finally appears in the Australian sales charts in September.

Other great gainers in the manufacturers charts in September include Audi up 31% to #15, Isuzu up 69% to #17, Land Rover up 44% to #18, Renault up 31% to #19, Porsche up 24% to #26, Jaguar up 54% to #29, Citroen up 46% to #30, Maserati up 750% to #35 and Infinti up 71% to #38. In the bad news aisle, Great Wall continues to slide dramatically at -68% to #28 and exactly two years after the start of its short-lived comeback, Opel is back to selling no car in Australia with its 746 units total for 2014 likely to be final. Finally, we welcome a third Chinese manufacturer with official sales in Australia this month: Foton landing directly at #34 with 64 sales (Great Wall:132, Chery:36). Keep in mind MG and Geely also sell here but do not report figures.

The Mazda3 is now only 23 units below the Toyota Corolla year-to-date!

Now onto the models ranking and the race for the title of best-selling car in the country is the closest it has ever been in the history of automobile in Australia – yessir! Boosted by the M-day promotion, the Mazda3 ends 6 consecutive month of Toyota Corolla reign at 4,014 sales vs. 3,893, meaning it is now only 23 units below the Corolla year-to-date at 33,083 vs. 33,106! Impossible to know which model will come out on top but my bet is on the Toyota Corolla as the Mazda3 owed its September top spot to the heavily-promoted sales of M-day which won’t repeat until next year.

The Mazda CX-5 is the best-selling SUV in Australia again in September.

The Holden Commodore reclaims the #4 spot it holds year-to-date off the Hyundai i30 despite sales down 9%, the Ford Ranger continues its very robust run at +20% in 6th place, the Mazda CX-5 is up an even more impressive 25% to top the SUV segment at #8 with 2,093 sales and the Hyundai ix35 lodges its 4th ever Top 10 ranking after May 2013 (#9), December 2013 and January 2014 (#10) in 10th position.

Previous month: Australia August 2014: Toyota Corolla takes tiny steps towards 2014 top spot

One year ago: Australia September 2013: Toyota Corolla closer to coronation

Full September 2014 Top 15 models and Top 50 All-brands Ranking Tables below.