April sees collapse in new vehicle market

Media Release
4 May 2009

April sees collapse in new vehicle market

April has seen a collapse in the New Zealand new vehicle market of even greater magnitude than what has been experienced in major overseas markets. New car sales at 3525 (27.3% down on March 2009 and 36.5% down on April 2008), represented the lowest April for at least 35 years. New commercial vehicle sales fared slightly better. 1204 registrations in April were 23% down on March and 40.5% down on April last year. It was the lowest April for commercials since 2001.

Year to date combined sales for new cars and commercial vehicles, at 22,740, were 33% down on the same period last year, a sales rate which hasn’t been seen since before the sustained upturn which started in the late nineties.

“The new vehicle market is certainly experiencing challenging times,” said Perry Kerr, CEO of the Motor Industry Association, “but hopefully we are now past the worst if overseas experience is anything to go by, as market declines in other countries have levelled out over the last two or three months”.

Toyota continues to lead both the passenger and commercial vehicle markets, while Corolla is opening up a lead over Commodore as the country’s largest selling vehicle model.

Sheet 1: Top fifteen distributors, full year 2008, month of March and YTD March 2009, total vehicles, new cars, new commercials.

Sheet 2: Top fifteen sellers by model, full year 2008, month of March and YTD March 2009, top fifteen rental cars March 2009.

Registration Data 1975 Onwards – tables (xls)

ENDS

© Scoop Media