Car News

After almost three decades of record-low new-car prices, buyers are slowly coming to terms with paying top dollar and waiting weeks or months to take delivery of their new vehicle due to stock shortages and delays caused by the global semiconductor crisis. A study by a US automotive industry analyst firm claims new-car buyers struggled with the long lead times at first, but are slowly getting used to paying full retail prices and dealing with limited vehicle supply.

New-car sales across Australia have bounced back from the worst April on record – during the peak of coronavirus lockdowns – to deliver the best April on record. And the Ford Ranger has topped the monthly sales charts for only the third time in its history, displacing the Toyota HiLux which maintains its lead in the year-to-date tally and is on-track for its sixth annual win in a row.

The electric 2021 Porsche Taycan is now Australia’s best-selling large luxury sedan, according to the latest sales figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. The ‘Large Car over $70,000’ category has long been dominated by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series, with the top spot almost exclusively held between the two of them every month since 2000.

The sudden and shock shutdown of the Holden brand last year has prompted sweeping reforms that will better protect consumers – and car dealers – from being abandoned by foreign automotive giants in the future.

The Toyota LandCruiser, Nissan Patrol and Mitsubishi Pajero continued their sales surge last month as more Australians plan to holiday at home amid restrictions on international travel. Despite the age of all three vehicles – launched in 2007, 2010 and 2006 respectively – sales of the three nameplates combined have increased by 69.9 per cent in the first two months of 2021 versus the same period last year.