Photo Snapshot: Bondi Beach – Sydney, Australia
VW Amarok in Bondi Beach, Sydney – Australia
Latest Australian car sales figures show that:
1. Jeep is one of the fastest growing mass manufacturers in the country at +26% over the First Quarter 2014: only Renault does better in the Top 20 at +29%. The Grand Cherokee is up 45% over the period to #15, making it the first Jeep to enter Australia’s Top 15 favourite vehicles.
2. Volkswagen is slowly but surely making its mark in the very competitive Ute market (Australian for Pick-up truck) with the Amarok, up 63% year-on-year over Q1 2014 to #38 with 2,013 sales, by far its highest ever quarterly ranking.
3. The new generation Mercedes A Class completely turned around the nameplate’s sales in Australia, up 151% so far in 2014 at #60.
Jeep Grand Cherokee and Cherokee in Bondi Beach, Sydney – Australia
All 3 above trends were confirmed with a quick trip yesterday to Sydney’s most iconic beach: Bondi, with half a dozen of each model mentioned above spotted in a couple of hours. It’s always good to see numbers verified on the streets…
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This Post Has 4 Comments
@Howard
According to the FCAI, combined SUV (4wd & high-riding wagons/crossovers) and commercials (pickups, trucks, vans) make up 53.7% of the total Australian market in YTD 2014. SUV sales are up 1.5% YTD compared to a 0.4% decline in “passenger” cars (sedans, traditional station wagons, hatches etc), so there is no evidence of a slip in SUV sales. There has been a drop in light commercial sales this year but this has been more than offset by the rise in SUVs. Having said that, I think the definition of an “SUV” may be a little looser in Australia compared to some other countries such as the USA. Much of the growth in SUV sales is being driven by the entry of new very small SUV models into the market. The term “commercial” is becoming something of a misnomer because large numbers of pickups are purchased by private buyers for family and recreational use only.
Cheers,
Rohan
Hi Matt – I am wondering that SUV is going through a slight slip in the Australia market since last year. There is a trend that Aussies prefer small sedans at this stage. Am I correct? In terms of Ute, I heard that the new Ford Ranger 2014 is going to be released in Australian market at the end of this year?
Kind regards
Howard
@ Matt
I must admit, i envy you traveling so much around, though of course i do not begrudge you touring, so keep alive and well 😉 Concering australia, i wonder, what the mixture/proportion between pick-up trucks one the one hand and “normal” cars (limousines/sedans/hatchback etc.) on the other hand is. Is it comparable to the USA?
Hi Tengil – glad you want me to stay alive, much appreciated 🙂
Pick-up trucks have enjoyed very strong growth over the past 5 years in Australia and although their market share is still below that of the US, Australian pick-ups is now getting closer and closer to their US counterparts in terms of market penetration.
Best,
Matt