Record numbers of luxury vehicles being sold
It's a good time to be in the luxury car business, with record growth expected this year.
The Motor Industry Association is anticipating a record year for new vehicle registrations across all categories, including in the luxury and premium car market.
Strong net immigration was one driver of growth, said MIA chief executive David Crawford.
Jaguar XF. Picture/Matthew Hansen
With the cost of debt being low, consumers were also putting vehicles on finance, Crawford said.
A strong luxury car market was a good sign for the rest of the industry.
"If we see luxury and premium vehicles sales going up then it means the rest of the new vehicle market is also strong," he said.
Almost 8680 luxury and premium vehicles were brought into New Zealand during 2015.
The MIA estimates that this could jump to more than 9500 this year, based on figures for the eight months to August.
McLaren 540C. Picture/ Matthew Hansen
More than 240 Jaguars have been brought into the country since January, compared to 175 across the whole of 2015.
Fifteen McLarens have been first-registered in New Zealand so far this year, compared to nine during 2015.
Twenty-seven Bentleys were brought into the country in the eight months to August, compared to 30 in 2015.
Not all brands are on track to beat last year's figures. While eight Lotus were brought into the country last year, none were first registered here between January and August.
See the list of luxury vehicle registration statistics below:
-NZ Herald