Australia February 2015: Toyota Corolla #1, Mazda CX-5 hits record #6

The Mazda CX-5 reaches its all-time highest ranking in Australia this month.

* UPDATED with detailed SUV sales data *

* See the Top 10 best-selling models and Top 47 All-brands by clicking on the title *

Flat January sales make room for a strong result in February in Australia: +4% year-on-year to 90,424 registrations, lifting the year-to-date total up 2% to 172,540 units. This has now become a habit: regular passenger car sales are down this month whereas SUV and luxury vehicle sales are in great shape. Brand-wise, just as it celebrates 6 million vehicles sold since its arrival in the country in 1958, Toyota is stable at 16,243 sales and 18% share, above Mazda at 10%. Hyundai overtakes Holden to climb back on the podium at 8,003 sales (+3%) vs. 7,809 (-10%) for the Australian brand. It is the 4th time in the past 6 months that Hyundai outsells Holden “at home” in Australia – a sign of things to come?

Toyota celebrates 6 million vehicles sold in Australia since its debut here in 1958.

Lifted by a discounted runout Triton (#7), Mitsubishi is up 33% to #5 at 6.9% share, Nissan is up 34% to #6, meaning both Japanese manufacturers distance Ford down to a lowest-ever #7 and 5.6% share, down a depressing 20% on February 2014. Since Ford’s announcement 18 months ago that it would stop local manufacturing by 2017, the brand’s sales have been in freefall, as it was the case for Mitsubishi back in 2009 when faced with the same decision of abandoning manufacturing in the country. Next in line is Holden which shouldn’t keep its hopes for a podium ranking in FY2015 too high.

Foton launched a mine-spec of its Tunland ute in Australia.

Strong performers in February include Honda up 9% thanks to the all-new HR-V debuting with a very strong month (825 sales), Mercedes boosted by the all-new C-Class (842 sales) up 15% to #11, BMW also up 15% and back above Audi (+9%) at #14, Jeep up 11%, Suzuki up 21%, Mini up 22%, Renault up 28%, Peugeot up 43%, Isuzu up 54% and Skoda up 63%. Foton (#28) is the best-selling Chinese manufacturer for the 2nd straight month above LDV (#36) while Great Wall (#39 at -93%) disintegrates and ranks below Chery (#38) for the first time ever. The announced launch of SUV-exclusive Haval in the country cannot come soon enough!

The Toyota Corolla reclaims the #1 spot in Australia in February.

The Toyota Corolla is back atop a models ranking in led in 2013 and 2014 thanks sales up 18% year-on-year to 3,939 units while the Mazda3 is down 9% to 3,598 but keeps the year-to-date lead for now at 7,501 deliveries (-12%) vs. 7,411 (+18%) for the Corolla. The Toyota Hilux remains 3rd despite sales down 15%, the Holden Commodore (-9%) is up two spots on last month to #4 but the performance of the month is delivered by the Mazda CX-5, once again the best-selling SUV in Australia and hitting its best-ever monthly ranking in the country at #6 thanks to sales up 19% to 2,085 (previous best: #7 in January and July 2014). This may be the last few months at this level for the CX-5 as Australia is one of the first countries in the world to receive the smaller CX-3 which will undeniably steal sales from its big bruva. Notice also the Nissan X-Trail extremely strong at #11 and the Mitsubishi ASX surprisingly up 154% year-on-year in February.

Previous month: Australia January 2015: Mazda3 leads, Holden Cruze up to #5

One year ago: Australia February 2014: Mazda3 remains most popular

Full February 2015 Top 10 models and Top 47 All-brands below.