Australia January 2022: Market down -4.8%, MG ZS and MG3 in Top 10, Mazda breaks share record

For the first time in Australian history, there are two MGs in the Top 10.

7/02 update: Now with Top 262 All-models ranking.

New vehicle sales in Australia dip -4.8% year-on-year in January to 75,863 units. This is higher than 2011 and 2020 but lower than all years in between. Private sales are down -2% to 42,554 units, business fleets down -12% to 25,463, rentals up 11.9% to 3,492 and government sales down -2.4% to 2,094. All States and Territories are down year-on-year bar Tasmania (up 15.4% to 1,468). New South Wales is down -9.8% to 23,035, Victoria down -1.6% to 20,397, Queensland down -1.3% to 16,423, Western Australia down -7.8% to 7,578, South Australia down -2.2% to 5,170, the ACT down -9.7% to 1,175 and the Northern Territory down -13% to 617.

SUVs hold 52.2% market share thanks to 39,597 sales, up from 52.1% in January 2021 and 49.3% in January 2020. Light Commercials sell 18,259 units for a 24.1% share vs. 21.9% a year ago and 19.6% in 2020 while passenger cars sink further down to 15,737 sales and 20.7% share vs. 23.3% a year ago and 28.6% two years back. As for sales by fuel type, petrol is down -12.8% to 41,592, diesel is actually up 4.8% to 26,099, hybrid up 8.9% to 4,972, PHEV up 93.4% to 307 and EV up 109.5 to 620 without Tesla who refuses to communicate Australian sales. Looking at production source, Japan is down -6% to 27,528 sales, Thailand up 5.9% to 17,907, South Korea down -3.1% to 11,162, China up a spectacular 49.2% to 6,264 and Germany down -22.3% to 2,393.

Toyota (-8.8%) easily retains the brands crown with 20.2% share vs. 21.3% over the Full Year 2021 while Mazda (+15.2%) smashes its market share record at 12.9%, its previous best being 11.9% in January 2016 and 2017. Mitsubishi (+26.1%) takes advantage of an influx of stock to climb to third place overall, while Kia (+0.4%) outsells its sister brand Hyundai (-13.8%) to take 4th. Ford (-11.2%) drops to 6th just above MG (+46.9%) equalling its ranking record at #7 (also hit last November and December) and breaking its share record at 4.7% (previous best 4.6% last November). Subaru (-15.5%) is in trouble at #8 while Isuzu Ute (+14.9%) and Mercedes (-4.4%) round out the Top 10. Other great performers include the Chinese GWM Haval (+51.2%) and LDV (+36.6%) as well as Genesis (+433.3%), Renault (+150%), Chevrolet (+87.5%), Peugeot (+72%), Ram (+64.7%) and Ssangyong (+44.6%).

Model-wise, the Toyota Hilux (-8.2%) ends four consecutive months of Ford Ranger reign, despite the latter gaining 4% year-on-year. The Ranger still dominates the 4×4 ute category with 2,986 sales above the Mitsubishi Triton (2,604) and Toyota Hilux (2,569). Exasperated by the long wait (up to 12 months) to get their hands on a Toyota RAV4 (-53.5% on supply constraints), SUV buyers have switched to the Mazda CX-5 (+54.4%) up to a record third place (also hit in August 2020). The Mitsubishi Triton (+50.7%) and Toyota Prado (+88.8%) also display market-defying gains. The Isuzu D-Max (+4%) is solid in 6th place, making it four utes in the Top 6, while the Hyundai i30 (-15.9%) leads passenger cars just as the Toyota Corolla (-30.1%) remains outside the Top 10 for the 2nd month running due to supply issues. The event of the month is the presence of not one but two MGs in the Top 10: the ZS (+26.7%) at #8 and the MG3 (+80.6%), the latter lodging its first ever Top 10 finish in Australia. This means the two MGs outsell such blockbusters as the Toyota Corolla and RAV4 this month… The Subaru Forester (+20.2%) scores its first Top 10 finish since October 2018 at #10.

Previous post: Australia Full Year 2021: Toyota Hilux challenged by Ford Ranger, MG and ZS in Top 10, market up 14.5%

One year ago: Australia January 2021: Third straight double-digit market gain (+11.1%), Chinese up 156.4%

Full January 2022 Top 45 All-brands and Top 262 All-models below.