New Zealand Full Year 2014: Market up 12% to all-time record heights Ford Ranger ends 32 years of Hilux as #1 ute

Ford Ranger

* See the Top 25 best-selling cars and Top 75 All-brands by clicking on the title *

Never before had New Zealand customers bought that many new vehicles: the Kiwi new car market is up a fantastic 12% year-on-year in 2014 to reach an all-time record 127,179 registrations, eclipsing the previous best of 123,247 units reached a full 30 years ago in 1984. Commercial vehicles, namely pickup trucks or “utes” as they are called here, pulled the market up with sales up an even more impressive 19% on the record it established in 2013 to lift it up to 36,662 units.

The Toyota Corolla celebrates 7 consecutive year as NZ’s #1 thanks to rentals.

Toyota remains the king on board but sees its market share worryingly slip down two percentage points to 19.4% because of sales up just 2% on 2013. Ford (+9%) and Holden (+15%) follow, with Mitsubishi up 25% to bypass Nissan to #6. Notice also Mercedes up 27%, Isuzu up 42%, Ssangyong up 47%, Jeep up 57%, Land Rover up 63% and Fiat up 129%, placing the Punto at a best-ever rental-boosted #15 in December (90% of the nameplate’s sales that month were to rental companies).

The Holden Colorado is up 20% to #5 in NZ in 2014.

As far as Chinese manufacturers are concerned, Great Wall steps out of the Top 20 but suffers much less than in Australia at just -7% to 955 sales. Foton is up threefold and 11 spots to #29 and 473 units while LDV is up 9fold to 391 deliveries at #31 but Chery tumbles down 17% to #33.

Fiat NZ sales are up 129% in 2014, the largest brand increase in the Top 20.

In the models ranking, the Toyota Corolla celebrates 7 consecutive years in pole position with 6,469 units and 5.3% share, however this crown is solely the works of rental companies: they purchased 3,046 or 47% of all Corollas in New Zealand this year. Instead, the main event is the 2nd place of the Ford Ranger with deliveries up an excellent 29% on 2013 to 6,330 and 5% share. This means the Ranger ends an incredible run of 32 consecutive years when the Toyota Hilux was the country’s #1 ute, and it was even #1 year-to-date up until October when the summer season boosted Corolla rental sales back into #1.

Toyota Highlander

The Holden Commodore is back up one spot to #4 thanks to the new generation enjoying its first full year of sales, the Colorado is up 20% and 3 ranks to #5, the Toyota RAV4 keeps its #1 SUV crown despite sales down 6% to #7, the Mazda3 is up 47% to #12, the Toyota Highlander up 146% to #14, the Honda Jazz leaps up to #17 thanks to the new model and the Isuzu D-Max is now inside the annual NZ Top 25.

Previous month: New Zealand November 2014: Market on track for record year

One year ago: New Zealand Full Year 2013: Corolla marks 6 years at #1 in strongest market since 1984

Two years ago: New Zealand Full Year 2012: Toyota Corolla #1 for 5th consecutive year

Full Year 2014 Top 25 models and Top 75 All-brands vs. Full Year 2013 figures below.

Full December 2014 Top 30 models and Top 60 All-brands below.