New-vehicle sales plummeted in Australia in April.
Social distancing measures announced by the government in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic saw sales fall to 38,926 in April, a 48.5 per cent drop from the previous year. The sharp fall represents the biggest decline of any month in 30 years, and the 25th month of declining sales.
Toyota topped the list with 26.5 per cent market share, posting more than 10,000 sales – a figure down 31.8 per cent on April last year. Toyota accounted for five of the six top-selling models: HiLux (2339), RAV4 (1911), LandCruiser (1603), Corolla (1195) and Prado (947). The Ford Ranger came in fourth, with 1540 sales.
Mazda (3022), Kia (2492), Ford (2251) and Hyundai (2247) rounded out the top five selling brands.
The picture is even worse in the UK, where fleet and business new car registrations fell by 96.3 per cent in April compared to the previous year as dealerships shut their doors due to the pandemic.
9 News reports that it’s a good time for buyers, with manufacturers slashing prices in an effort to boost sales. “Savings of around $2000 to $3000 will be seen on popular cars while some top end utes could see savings of up to $8000 off the RRP.”
“Although we were expecting a very poor month, the extent of this decline in sales is still alarming,” AADA CEO James Voortman said in a media release. “The COVID-19 related restrictions and associated economic anxiety have combined to send the sales of new vehicles off a cliff.
“The effect of these figures on the wider economy should not be underestimated. Passenger cars is Australia’s third biggest import; the industry contributes almost $13 billion to the economy; and dealerships employ nearly 60,000 jobs in cities and country towns across the nation.”