The FCAI, the peak body for Australia’s automotive industry, has released new vehicle sales figures for April 2022. A total of 81,065 vehicles were sold in April bringing the year-to-date total to 343,501. This result represents a decrease of 12.2% on the same month in 2021.
FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said this was the result of global issues which are impacting new car production and shipping. “We know this is not a reflection on the demand for new vehicles in the marketplace. This is a reflection on the global automotive industry’s ability to supply vehicles to not only the Australian market, but all markets throughout the world,” said Weber.
“Automotive manufacturers continue to suffer from a shortage of microprocessor units which is impacting their ability to ramp up production to pre-pandemic levels. COVID-19 continues to impact manufacturing and supply, particularly where factories have been forced to close and shipping operations are yet to fully recover. This is being reflected in the extended delivery time for new vehicles.”
Sales were down in every state and territory in April as Toyota led the market with sales of 17,956 vehicles. Mazda came in second with sales of 7,378 vehicles, followed by Mitsubishi, Kia and Hyundai making up the top five brands.
The Toyota Hi-Lux was the highest selling model with 4,493 units, Ford Ranger came in second with 3,581units and the Toyota RAV4, the Mazda’s CX-5 and the Isuzu Ute’s D-Max making up the top five model.