Toyota Corolla dominates new vehicle sales in October - but 90 per cent are rentals

Thursday, 2 November 2017

Toyota Corolla rental vehicles will be crawling all over New Zealand this summer, if new car registration figures are any indication.

A massive sales month for the world's most popular car has completely skewed New Zealand's new vehicles registration figures for October.

And it's all to do with the healthy state of the country's tourism industry.

The Ford Ranger has taken over as the most popular one-tonne ute in New Zealand.

The Toyota Corolla recorded 1772 registrations in October - way ahead of the next most popular passenger vehicle, the Toyota RAV4, which achieved 479 sales.

But of that total, close to 90 per cent - 1589 - of the Corolla's registrations were as rental cars as that industry gears up for the summer tourism boom. Not only that, but 64 per cent of the RAV4s were also registered as rentals.

In third place was the Kia Sportage SUV with 354 sales, with just 28 per cent as rentals, followed by the Toyota Highlander SUV with 334 sales, with more than 78 per cent as rentals.

All this rental action has skewed statistics on the most popular vehicle segments, according to information provided by the Motor Industry Association.

Although year-to-date to the end of October it is still medium-sized SUVs and 4x4 utes that are the most popular vehicle types with 16 per cent and 14 per cent shares respectively, in October it was small cars that left all other vehicle types in their dust, the Corolla helping the category claim a 20 per cent share.

The unusually high number of Corolla sales also helped October become not only the strongest month of October on record for new vehicle registrations, but the second-strongest month ever - beaten only by June this year.

In October a total of 15,530 new vehicles were registered, taking the total for the year to 133,766 which is 9.83 per cent up on last year.

'The 2017 new vehicle market is expected to easily break through the 150,000 mark for the first time,' says MIA chief executive officer David Crawford.

Toyota remains the overall market leader with a 29 per cent market share, followed by Ford with 10 per cent and Holden with 9 per cent.

Toyota is also the market leader for passenger and SUV registrations with a 31 per cent share, followed by Holden on 9 per cent and Mazda with 8 per cent.

In addition, Toyota holds the lead in the commercial sector with a 24 per cent market share, followed by Ford on 21 per cent and Holden on 8 per cent. But it is the Ford Ranger ute that is the most popular commercial vehicle with a 19 per cent share, regaining the lead over the Toyota Hilux which is on 17 per cent.

**TOP 10 VEHICLES - OCTOBER

Toyota Corolla - 1772 sales

Ford Ranger ute - 853

Toyota Hilux ute - 762

Toyota RAV4 - 479

Kia Sportage - 354

Toyota Highlander - 334

Mitsubishi Triton ute - 328

Mitsubishi ASX - 323

Holden Colorado ute - 308

Mazda3 - 303**