In Australia, 916,968 new vehicles were sold in 2020. The 13.7 percent decline was anticipated and may be attributed to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The market is primed for growth this year, thanks to strong revenues in the final months of 2020. Check out the review of vehicle sales by type, brand, and month.
Overview – Facts & Figure
- In Australia, 916,968 new automobiles were sold in the year 2020
- Vehicles purchase down 13.7% from 1,062,867 vehicles sold in the calendar year 2019
- SUVs accounted for 49.6% of the industry in 2020, up from 45.5% in 2019.
- Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) continued to be successful in 2020, with a market share of 22.4%.
- Toyota was the year’s best-selling brand, with 204,801 vehicles sold, accounting for 22.3% of the market.
- Australia sees a surge in electric car purchases that tended to account for a larger share of Australia’s overall new car demand.

Sales of new automobiles
Vehicle sales in Australia have been sluggish in recent years, with 2019 being particularly ugly. Even though Australians have more cars per capita than the rest of the world, the local economy has declined in recent years. Despite the recent reduction, the Australian economy is capable of selling about 1 million cars a year and has been for more than a decade.
About 11 million new vehicles were sold in Australia from 2011 to 2020. From 2011 to 2020, the new car demand grew on average year over year, but this pattern has changed from 2017 to 2020.
“The new-car sales result for 2020 was the lowest annual tally in 17 years – since 2003 – and the first time the Australian new-car market has dropped below 1 million since 2009,” Mr Dowling said.
Kinds of Vehicle Segment Sold
The March 2021 new car sales numbers are in. Utes and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) prove to be very common, with new car sales rising across the country as Australia’s economic recovery progresses.
Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) continued to be successful in 2020, with a market share of 22.4%. A total of 205,597 LCVs were sold, down 8.9% from the previous year.
SUVs accounted for 49.6% of the industry in 2020, up from 45.5% in 2019. 454,701 SUVs were sold during the year, down 5.9% from the previous year.
According to the latest FCAI new car sales figures, the Australian car industry is only recovering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 100,005 vehicles were sold in March, the best month in two years, up 22.4% year over year throughout the country.
Hottest Car Brands sold in Australia
According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, the Toyota HiLux has reclaimed the first spot as Australia’s best-selling vehicle, with 5,319 sales in March and pole position among many Utes, SUVs, and LCVs in Australia’s top 10 selling new cars for the month.
With Toyota as the year’s best-selling brand, with 204,801 vehicles sold, accounting for 22.3% of the market. Mazda came in second with 85,640 sales, accounting for 9.3% of the market, followed by Hyundai (64,807 sales, accounting for 7.1%), Ford (59,601 sales, accounting for 6.5%), and Mitsubishi (59,601 sales, accounting for 6.5%). (58,335 sales for 6.4 percent market share).
Top Selling Vehicle Models in Australia
According to data obtained from carexpert.com.au, with 45,176 orders, the Toyota HiLux once again topped the list, ahead of the Ford Ranger (40,973). Australia’s top two cars are Utes once again.
The Toyota RAV4 (38,537) was the top third overall, ahead of the Toyota Corolla (25,882), which was the top passenger vehicle once again.
Toyota Landcruiser (25,142) being the top 5 sales. While Mazda CX-5 for the first time in a few years, not the number-one SUV (21,979), Hyundai i30 (20,734), Mitsubishi Triton (18,136), Toyota Prado (18,034), Kia Ceratoand Hyundai Tucson rounded out the top ten.
SUVs and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) became the most common vehicles in December 2020, with sales up 24.1% and 21.6%, respectively, over December 2019.
Passenger vehicles (sedans and hatchbacks), on the other hand, were down 11.1%.
Just two passenger cars made the top ten list in December: The Corolla and the i30.
Top Selling New Cars By State
Following a comparatively low 2020 sale growth due to COVID-19, each state showed signs of good development in early 2021. Queensland had the most growth in January sales, delivering 2,549 more new vehicles than the previous year. Sales in New South Wales and Western Australia also increased by 2,129 and 1,638 percent in 2021, respectively.
The Australian capital territory, Gold Coast and QLD had the slowest rise, each adding fewer than 400 new cars from January 2020 to January 2021.
The trend of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles
Compared to the rest of the developing world, Australia has been reluctant to adopt electric vehicles. However, a sharp rise in electrified car sales in 2020 indicates an increasing need for low-emission cars.
From 3861 in December 2019 to 6540 in December 2020, sales of electrified vehicles – including plug-in hybrid, hybrid, and pure electric – rose by 69.3%.
Yet, hybrid cars, especially the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, were once again the main drivers of development.
Pure electric car sales increased by 97.8%, from 91 in December 2019 to 180 in December 2020 (excluding Tesla, which does not have figures).
Hybrid vehicle sales increased by 68.1% in December 2020, from 3642 in December 2019 to 6124 in December 2020.
Plug-in hybrid vehicle sales rose by 84.4% in December 2020, from 128 in December 2019 to 236 in December 2020.
Global New Auto Sale
Prior to the pandemic, it was predicted that global vehicle sales would hit 80 million. The industry’s economic troubles persist, and new cars’ demand fell in 2020. According to Statista recordings, South America and Europe were among the most affected countries, with car prices down by around a quarter year over year.
According to Bekker from best-selling-cars.com, global vehicle prices in all major regions of the world were lower in 2020. With sales down 6% to just under 20 million cars, China remained the world’s biggest and best-performing single-country car market. Car prices in Russia and Japan fell by around a half, although they fell by about 17% in the United States and India. Car prices in Brazil fell by 27%, while the huge European market shrank by 24%.
The decline in overall vehicle sales is seen in Australia and seen throughout the developing world.
One hypothesis is that people are on a vehicle-buying strike because of the COVID-19 financial impact while extending the lives of their gasoline vehicles before cheaper electric vehicles become available. According to this hypothesis, if the availability of electric vehicles is adequate, there will be a massive rush to purchase them.
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