Australia August 2021: Toyota places 4 models in Top 5, MG ZS repeats in Top 10, market up 33.1%

Toyota Prado sales are up 452.8% year-on-year in August.

06/09 update: now with Top 275 All-models.

New car sales in Australia surge 33.1% year-on-year in August to 81.199 units, leading to a year-to-date tally up 27.2% to 732.828 sales, the highest volume at this stage of the year since 2018. This splendid result is achieved despite the two largest states, New South Wales and Victoria, being in lockdown. NSW is down just 7% year-on-year to 21.794 while Victoria soars 153.6% to 21.167 on a very low comparison base a year ago. Queensland is up 32.2% to 19.139, Western Australia up 32.3% to 9.398, South Australia up 37.4% to 6.317, Tasmania up 46.9% to 1.660, Australian Capital Territory down -28.3% to 941 and Northern Territory up 33.6% to 783. In terms of segments, SUV sales are up 26.6% to 40.981 and 50.5% share vs. 53.1% a year ago and 45.6% two years ago, Light Commercials surge 71.2% to 19.236 and 23.7% share vs. 18.4% a year ago and 20.5% two years ago while Passenger Cars continue to lose share at +17.5% to 17.339 and 21.4% share vs. 24.2% in August 2020 and 30.1% in August 2019.

Private sales outpace the market at +34.7% year-on-year to 42.013 units and 51.7% share vs. 51.1% a year ago, business fleets are more modest at +19.1% to 28.452 and 35% share vs. 39.2% in August 2020, rentals soar 267.8% on a particularly low year-ago base to 4.542 and 5.6% share vs. 2% a year ago and government fleets are up 24.7% to 2.549. Australians primarily bought new vehicles made in Japan at 28.625 (+29%), Thailand at 17.558 (+51%), South Korea at 10.321 (+14.4%), China at 6.300 (+176.7%) and Germany at 3.407 (-9.9%).

Toyota (+60.4%) delivers the largest year-on-year gain in the Top 8 to lift to 24.6% share vs. 21.4% so far this year, it is followed by Mazda (+10.5%) at 9.4% and Kia (+12%) at 6.2%, ranking at a record #3 for the third time in history after April 2020 and May 2021. In fact three manufacturers hold 6.2% share this month: add Ford (+29.8%) and Hyundai (+10.9%). Mitsubishi (+11.5%) follows, with Volkswagen (+36.2%), Subaru (+57.5%), Isuzu Ute (+290.3%) and MG (+147.4%) all vastly outrunning the market in the remainder of the Top 10. Note Chinese MG sports a 6th Top 10 finish in the past 8 months and ranks #9 year-to-date. GWM (+405.3%) also delivers a spectacular uptick, repeating at a record #13 ranking. In order of sales, LDV (+74.5%), Lexus (+67.3%), Land Rover (+118.1%), Ram (+44.5%), Ssangyong (+111.3%), Mini (+48%), Jaguar (+136.7%), Genesis (+257.1%), Bentley (+225%), Lotus (+500%) and Rolls Royce (+100%) also shine further down.

Model-wise, the Toyota Hilux (+267.3%) rallies back up year-on-year on a transition year-ago month to hold onto the top spot with a strong 5.5% share. It distances its archenemy the Ford Ranger (+34.9%). However the Ranger leads the 4×4 ute battle in August (3.609 vs. 3.324) for the 4th time in the past 8 months and year-to-date. Outstanding hold for once of the Toyota Corolla (+143.4%) ranking third for the second month in a row above the Toyota RAV4 (-34.3%) reclaiming the SUV #1 spot it holds year-to-date off the Mazda CX-5 (+18.8%) down one spot on July to #6. The Toyota Prado (+452.8%) and Isuzu D-Max (+885.3%) both post surreal gains compared to depleted year-ago volumes. For the second month in a row and in history, there is a Chinese vehicle in the Australian Top 10: the MG ZS (+436.3%) improves one spot on July to a record #9 overall. The VW Amarok (+79.3%) breaks into the Top 25 for the first time at #21, with the Mazda BT-50 (+107.7%), Isuzu MU-X (+94%), Mitsubishi Outlander (+85.1%), Toyota Kluger (+63.7%), MG3 (+58.3%), Subaru Forester (+55.1%), Mazda CX-30 (+51.5%) and Toyota Land Cruiser PU/CC (+49.6%) also delivering strong gains further down.

Previous month: Australia July 2021: MG ZS breaks into Top 10 in market up 16.1%

One year ago: Australia August 2020: Victoria lockdown shrinks sales -28.8%, Toyota RAV4 #1 again

Full August 2021 Top 45 All-brands and Top 275 All-models below.