- Fouth consecutive month of year-on-year growth.
- Toyota RAV4 and Ford Ranger still dominate their segments.
- Overall market remains fragile, says Motor Industry Association.
New Zealand new-vehicle sales enjoyed their fourth consecutive month of year-on-year growth in October, the 14,240 total representing a 13.5% lift on the same period last year.
But the Motor Industry Association (MIA) says it's more a case of a "stabilising market... than a rebound".
“The past four months have shown pleasing and sustained improvement, but the overall economy remains subdued and the market fragile," says MIA chief executive Aimee Wiley, "Conditions are still tight, with households under pressure and confidence only beginning to recover. The modest lift in registrations
signals stabilisation rather than expansion - a gradual firming as the market starts to find its
feet.”
Passenger vehicles again led the market, with 10,712 registrations, up 12.9% on October 2024. Hybrid models remain dominant. The Toyota RAV4 was the top-selling model with 1636 registrations, followed by the Mitsubishi Outlander (590) and the Toyota Yaris Cross (552).
Light commercial vehicles totalled 2918 registrations, down slightly from 3078 in September but 22.8% higher than October 2024. The Ford Ranger again led the segment with 836 sales, ahead of the Toyota Hilux (759) and Mitsubishi Triton (244).
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) fell to 507 registrations, down from 608 in September and 648 a year earlier. Conversely, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) rose to 503 units, up from 389 last month and 345 in October 2024.
Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) showed the strongest growth, with 4669 registrations, up from 3922 in September and 3347 a year earlier.
NZ'S TOP 10 NEW VEHICLES YEAR-TO-DATE
Toyota RAV4 (9138)
Ford Ranger (7862)
Toyota Hilux (7232)
Mitsubishi ASX (4077)
Mitsubishi Outlander (3652)
Mitsubishi Triton (2970)
Kia Seltos (2938)
Ford Everest (2538)
Nissan Navara (2156)
Toyota Hiace (1750)