Australia Full Year 2016: Exclusive State by State rankings available

The Toyota Hilux wins three Australian States in 2016, the Ford Ranger wins two. 

* See each State’s Top 100 best-selling models by clicking on the title *

For the 6th year on BSCB it is now time to share with you the best-sellers in each Australian State/Territory, and for the 2nd year we are able to extend the State rankings to the Top 100 models. This is exclusive data you won’t find anywhere else on the web. For the 4th straight year, the Toyota Hilux is the only nameplate managing three State wins (Queensland, Western Australia and Northern Territory) but this year its performance is finally rewarded with the #1 position nationwide (See our Australia Full Year 2016 article here). The Mazda3 loses Victoria but wins South Australia by the skin of its teeth and scores two State wins along with the Australian Capital Territory while the Toyota Corolla holds on to Australia’s #1 state, New South Wales. But the real winner in 2016 is the Ford Ranger: after snapping its first ever State win in 2015 in Tasmania, Ford’s ute not only holds onto this State but also snatches Australia’s #2 State: Victoria, and misses out on a South Australian win for just two sales… Finally, for the first time in its 38 year-career, the Holden Commodore doesn’t win any Australian State in 2016.

The Toyota Corolla remains the best-seller in New South Wales.

New South Wales (Sydney)

New South Wales is once again the largest Australian State in terms of car sales volume in 2016, up 4.4% to 397.563 units. In spite of sales down 1% to 14.985, the Toyota Corolla remains in the lead, fending off the Toyota Hilux gaining a stunning 26% and two spots to #2 and 13.752 units. The Hilux overtakes the Hyundai i30 (+15%) and Mazda3 (-3%) while the Ford Ranger surges 30% to 5th place. Going against the national ternd, the Holden Commodore actually improves its NSW ranking on last year to #6 thanks to deliveries up 9%. The VW Golf drops two ranks to #7, the Mazda CX-5 remains at #8 and the Hyundai Tucson is up 256% to break into the Top 10. The Mazda CX-3 (#13), Mitsubishi ASX (+44%), Hyundai Accent (+57%) and Kia Sportage (+85%) also make themselves noticed.

First ever win in Victoria for the Ford Ranger. 

Victoria (Melbourne)

Victorian new car sales are up 3.4% year-on-year to 326.269 registrations, and we witness a momentous shift in the lead of the models ranking of the State. For the first time ever, a commercial vehicle is the best-seller in Victoria: the Ford Ranger. Thanks to sales up a stunning 34% on 2015, the Ranger surges from #6 to pole position with 10.305 units, the only vehicle with a five digit-sales figure this year. The Mazda3 (-8%) is dethroned, the Toyota Corolla (-6%) is knocked down one spot to #3, the Hyundai i30 resists and gains one rank to #4 thanks to sales up 20% but the Toyota Camry (-2%) and Holden Commodore (-8%) also fall. Almost 2.000 sales below its archenemy, the Toyota Hilux struggles in Victoria and despite deliveries up 25% it only ranks 7th here. In the SUV charts, the Mazda CX-5 (-3%) is now under threat from the Nissan X-Trail (+10%) only 772 sales below. The Mazda CX-3 soars 43% to #11, the Hyundai Tucson is up 284% to #12, the Hyundai Accent up 90% to #19 and the Kia Cerato up 46% to #21.

The Toyota Hilux remains #1 in Queensland for the 10th consecutive year.

Queensland (Brisbane)

Queensland is only one of two States to see its total sales drop in 2016: down 1.1% to 233.026 units. As local production is scheduled to end in the country in 2017 and with no recent history of local automotive manufacturing in the State, pure importers hold a much larger share in Queensland than nationwide: only two nameplates (the Ford Ranger and Holden Colorado) are not Asian in the Top 20 vs. four in 2015. Queensland remains the kingdom of pickup trucks, affectionately nickamed “utes” in Australia (for utility), with 7 of them placing in the Top 16 vs. just 3 nationally. The Toyota Hilux celebrates ten consecutive years as the best-selling vehicle in the State and posts a flamboyant 14% gain to 10.512 deliveries, the Ford Ranger improves 17% and two spots to #4, the Mitsubishi Triton (-10%) drops one to #6, the Holden Colorado (-4%) also at #9, the Nissan Navara is up 25% and 4 ranks to #11, the Isuzu D-Max gains 8% but drops 3 ranks to #13 and the Mazda BT-50 edges up 0.2% to #16. In 2nd place overall, the Hyundai i30 is up 17% and two spots on last year, overtaking the Toyota Corolla (-10%) while the Mazda3 freefalls 14% to #5. The Hyundai Accent shoots up 73% and 14 spots on 2015 to brilliantly break into the Top 10 at #7.

The Toyota Prado ranks 6th in Western Australia vs. #20 nationwide. 

Western Australia (Perth)

Handicapped by the end of the mining boom, the Western Australian new vehicle market suffers a third consecutive sizeable decline in 2016 at -5.6% to 100.234. This State has lost 20% of its annual volume since the high of 125.544 sales reached back in 2013. Similarly to Queensland, Western Australia’s rugged terrain favours four-wheel-drives and the Toyota Hilux posts a 9th consecutive year atop the sales charts thanks to deliveries up 11% to 4.599. The Ford Ranger is catching up though: up 17% and one spot on 2015 to land in 2nd place with 3.916 sales. The Hyundai i30 also gains one rank to #3 thanks to sales up 15%, both nameplates overtaking the Toyota Corolla (-10%). Below the Mazda3 (-15%), the Toyota Prado remains at a stunning 6th place vs. #20 nationwide and is now followed by the Hyundai Tucson (+290%) – posting its highest annual ranking in all of Australia at #7 – and the Hyundai Accent (+75%).

The Mazda3 replaces the Holden Commodore at #1 in South Australia. Picture caradvice.com.au

South Australia (Adelaide)

New vehicle sales in South Australia are up 3.9% year-on-year in 2016 to 71.738 registrations and we have an all-new market leader in the State this year: the Mazda3, enjoying a 10% rise to 2.712 sales. The race was incredibly tight with the #2 though: the Ford Ranger ends the year just two lonely sales below the Mazda… Leader in 2015, the Holden Commodore (-9%) abdicates its title and drops to third place. With its local production scheduled to end in October 2017 before being replaced by an imported vehicle, we will probably never see the Commodore at #1 in any Australian State anymore. The Toyota Hilux is up a very vigorous 22% in SA this year but remains in 4th place, ahead of the Toyota Corolla up 2% but down 3 spots and the Mitsubishi Triton (-2%). The Hyundai i30 is up 19%, the Mitsubishi ASX surges 29% to break into the Top 10 and the Subaru Forester is up 28% to #12.

The Mitsubishi ASX hits its highest State ranking in Tasmania at #3.

Tasmania (Hobart)

Tasmanian new vehicle sales edge up 0.3% year-on-year in 2016 to 19.751 units. Last year, the Ford Ranger delivered its very first State win here, and it reiterates this feat in 2016 thanks to sales up 14% to 859. That’s 30 above the Toyota Corolla, author of a surprising 18% rise this year to 2nd place. #2 in 2015 only 14 units below the Ranger, the Mitsubishi Triton freefalls 33% to #8 in 2016. The Mitsubishi ASX for its part remains on the third step of the podium (+4%) by far its best State ranking in all of Australia. The Hyundai Accent is also at its State peak here in 5th place (+69%), with the Toyota RAV4 (+43%) shining as well at #7. The Subaru XV posts its only Top 10 ranking in the country in Tasmania at #10 thanks to deliveries shooting up 61% to #10. Notice also the Holden Trax up 145% to #15 and the VW Amarok up 15% to #20.

The Hyundai i30 hits its highest ranking in ACT and Queensland. 

Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)

New car sales in ACT are up 4% in 2016 to a record 18.816 units. After dropping 13% in 2015, the Mazda3 turns around with a 6% year-on-year increase to remain in the lead with 843 sales. The Hyundai i30 surges 34% and 3 spots on last year to land in 2nd position – its highest in any State, also reached in Queensland – knocking the VW Golf down to #3. The Toyota Hilux (+33%) and Ford Ranger (+47%) make inroads into the ranking to reach #5 and #6 respectively, while the Hyundai Tucson soars to #8. The Kia Cerato (+55%) misses out on a Top 10 ranking for just 16 sales, the Nissan X-Trail (+36%), Mazda CX-3 (+51%), Subaru Forester (+35%), Nissan Qashqai (+50%) and Honda Civic (+60%) also shine.

The Toyota RAV4 ranks 4th in Northern Territory: the highest in Australia.

Northern Territory (Darwin)

The Northern Territory, home of Uluru (aka Ayers Rock) symbolises Australian nature at its wildest. Larger than France, Germany and Spain put together, it is only populated by 243.700 inhabitants, 60% of them in its capital, Darwin. The smallest market in Australia, Northern Territory saw its sales gain 2% year-on-year in 2016 to 10.736, still a notch below the high of 11.393 hit in 2013. The Northern Territory is Toyota territory: the Japanese manufacturer holds more than double the market share it has nationwide at 38.8% vs. 17.8% across the country… Toyota places 8 nameplates inside the Top 11, with the Hilux holding the top spot for the 19th year in row with 10.4% market share, followed by the Toyota Corolla at 5.4%. There is a surprise in third place: the Ford Ranger gains 21% to step on the podium, whereas Toyota monopolised the Top 5 in 2015. The Toyota RAV4 impresses at +26% to #4, the Prado drops 27% to #5 ahead of the Mitsubishi ASX (+56%). Notice also the Toyota Fortuner breaking into the Top 20 for its first full year of sales.

Australia post: Australia Full Year 2016: Toyota Hilux first ever “ute” to lead annual sales

Previous year: Australia Full Year 2015: Exclusive State by State rankings available

Two years ago: Australia Full Year 2014: Exclusive State by State rankings available

Full Year 2016 Top 100 models in each Australian state vs. Full 2015 figures below.