New Zealand Full Year 2016: Ranger repeats in third straight record year

The Ford Ranger is once again the best-selling vehicle in New Zealand. 

* See the Top 90 All-brands, Top 25 models and Top 15 rentals by clicking on the title *

Consult over 40 years of New Zealand archived data here

The New Zealand new vehicle market brilliantly posts a third consecutive all-time record year with registrations up 9.5% year-on-year to 146.753 units. At 102.514 sales, passenger cars break a record dating back to 1973 (97.346) and break the symbolic 100.000 unit-milestone for the first time. Commercial vehicle registrations are up 13.2% to a record 44.292 units. For the first time in the history of automobile in New Zealand, SUV sales overtake other passenger vehicles thanks to 52.913 units vs. 51.552. Toyota remains by far the most popular carmaker in the country but sees its market share thaw from 19.6% last year to 18.3% in 2016 due to sales up just 2% to 26.792. Reversely Ford surges 21% and improves its share from 10.3% to 11.4%, overtaking archenemy Holden in the process. Mazda (+11%), Mitsubishi (+13%), Nissan (+11%), Suzuki (+18%) and most impressively Kia (+60%) all post double-digit gains inside the Top 10. Further down, notice Skoda (+20%), Volvo (+20%), Land Rover (+21%), Isuzu (+29%), Jaguar (+114%) and Chinese outlet LDV (+118%) all taking off.

The Kia Sportage breaks into the NZ Top 10 in 2016. It was #32 in 2015.

The Ford Ranger is the best-selling vehicle in New Zealand for the second year in a row, easily beating the market with sales up 24% to 8.478 and widening the gap with the #2, the Toyota Corolla, from 304 units in 2015 to an imposing 2.204 this year. The Toyota Hilux (+10%), Holden Colorado (+4%) and Toyota RAV4 (+3%) follow, holding onto their ranking while the Mitsubishi Triton has a stunning year with deliveries 31% lifting it from #14 to #6. The Kia Sportage (+171%) and Hyundai Tucson (+500%) both break into the annual Top 10 and were instrumental in this year’s historical SUV performance. Notice also the Isuzu D-Max up 41% to #15, the Nissan X-Trail up 32% to #19 and the Mazda BT-50 up 31% to #22. The Toyota Corolla once again dominates the rental category with 50.5% of its total sales for 2016 being for rental companies, ahead of the RAV4 (44.1%) and Highlander (52.7%). The Ranger appears at #13 with only 5.9% of its sales going to rental fleets.

Previous month: New Zealand November 2016: Hyundai Tucson leaps up to #5

Previous year: New Zealand Full Year 2015: First #1 title for Ranger, record market

Two years ago: New Zealand Full Year 2014: Market up 12% to all-time record

Full Year 2016 Top 90 All-brands, Top 25 models and Top 15 rentals vs. Full Year 2015 figures below.

Full December 2016 Top 67 All-brands and Top 20 models below.