Sponsored post: Toyota spearheads Australia’s Top 5 most popular cars

Toyota was once again the top selling car manufacturer in Australia for July 2013. The Japanese car company and Australian car company Holden both featured two motor vehicles in the top five most popular cars, according to data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).[i]

The top five motor vehicles to sell in July were the Toyota Corolla (3,945 units), the Mazda 3 (3,464 units), the Toyota Hilux (2,971 units), the new Holden Commodore (2,827 units) and the Holden Cruze (2,467).

The FCAI also released encouraging statistics in July 2013 that showed new motor vehicles sales figures for the year to July were up 4.6% compared to the previous year. Such data reveals a revolution in buyer tastes compared to a decade ago, where larger cars were top of the leader board. Indeed, for the non-commercial automotive market, the historical Holden versus Ford battle has been replaced by the rivalry between the Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3.

In 2002, roughly 90,000 large cars were sold in the first six months compared to less than 30,000 large cars sold in the first six months of 2012. Of these large car sales, the hardest hit model was the Ford Falcon, which was one of the top selling vehicles a decade ago, but now does not even rate a mention in the top ten.[ii] If you are thinking about purchasing a new vehicle, here are some reasons why you may want to consider one of Australia’s current five most popular vehicles:

1.     Toyota Corolla It’s little wonder why this zippy runabout is top of the list for Australian new car buyers. The Corolla might have everything thing you want in an affordable car, including a robust 1.8L Dual VVT-i engine, 7-Speed Multi-drive transmission, iPod connectivity and an LCD Multi-information Display. In addition, its 7 SRS airbags and Vehicle Stability Control have contributed to its 5-star ANCAP safety rating.

2.     Mazda 3 Mazda only features one car in the top five most popular cars but what a car it is. The highly popular, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder Mazda 3 is impressively quiet at high revs and is both spacious and looks great with some nice finishings. Equipped with voice commanded iPhone connectivity and dual-zone climate control, the Mazda 3 is one comfy ride, perfect for a small family.

3.     Toyota Hilux The second Toyota motor vehicle in the top five most popular cars is the single cab Toyota Hilux. Boasting a tough 2.7L VVT-i engine, the Hilux also comes in a 3.0L Turbo Diesel. Blending modern comforts with a hardy exterior, this is one Ute that has proven its reliability and versatility both on the road and on the work-site.

4.     Holden Commodore Holden Commodore sales had been on a downward spiral for a while – until now. The all new VF Holden Commodore is the one we’ve been waiting for with around 70% of the car’s features revamped from its predecessors.[iii] The base model has a 3.0L V6 engine but power is slightly down to reduced fuel use and exhaust emissions. New features include electric park brake, auto parking assist, reverse camera, remote starting on automatic models, Bluetooth phone and even Siri voice recognition. The Holden Commodore is back.

5.     Holden Cruze With its on-road performance, classy interior design and affordable price, the Holden Cruze represents one of the best value cars on the market. The Cruze features Holden’s all new MyLink infotainment system. Featuring built-in app technology, colour touch screen, Bluetooth audio streaming and enhanced voice recognition, the Holden Cruze will no doubt appeal to those tech-head buyers out there.

This article is presented by AAI Limited ABN 48 005 297 807, AFSL 230859 trading as AAMI and is intended to be of a general nature only. AAMI does not accept liability for any loss incurred by reliance on this article. If you are interested in finding about more about AAMI car insurance products, visit aami.com.au to read the PDS for the product you are interested in.

Sources: [i]  http://www.fcai.com.au/news/news/all/all/336/july-sales-up-from-2012-but-lower-than-expected, [ii] http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/cars-whats-hot-and-whats-not-20120706-21l26.html, [iii] http://www.themotorreport.com.au/56617/new-holden-vf-commodore-review-evoke-calais-sv6-ss-ssv-ssv-redline-australian-road-test