If you think the roads are getting busier and more full of cars, you might be onto something: more than quarter of a million cars joined the queues on the roads in 2015. A new record number of new car registrations was set last year, with 286,722 imported used or new cars producing a 4 per cent net increase in New Zealand’s vehicle fleet.
New vehicle sales also reached a new a record high, with 134,041 registrations, up 6862 over 2014. Motor Industry Association CEO David Crawford said this is the first time new registrations have broken through the 130,000 barrier.
Toyota was far and away the top-selling marque overall, its 20 per cent market share led by its Hilux and Corolla models, but the perennially popular Corolla was pipped to the post as the top-selling new model by the Ford Ranger. A total of 6818 new Rangers were registered, ahead of 6520 Corollas and 5623 Hiluxes. This is the first time a commercial model has outsold a passenger vehicle overall.
The top three passenger vehicles were the Corolla, Toyota’s Rav4 and the Holden Commodore. In the luxury sector, Mercedes, BMW and Audi all enjoyed around 2 per cent market share, selling between 2095 and 1765 new cars.
Statistics show two-thirds of the 134,242 new vehicles sold last year were bought by businesses, rental companies and government.
SUVs continue to dominate the New Zealand market, accounting for just over one out of every three sales (34% of the market), with a total of 45,376 registrations during 2015.
‘2015 will likely be remembered as the year in which the New Zealand new-vehicle registrations soared while the New Zealand economy showed weaker growth in the face of several unfavourable economic indicators at home and abroad. The breadth of new models with increased performance and comfort features, combined with competitive prices and a high level of choice makes New Zealand one of the most competitive new car markets anywhere in the world,’ said Crawford.