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Toyota's sales total was down by 15.9 per cent over 2008, the worst of the top 10 apart from Hyundai, but it still finished the year with 200,991 deliveries to the 119,568 of GM Holden and 96,501 for Ford.
Toyota has continued its run as Australian sales leader, topping the list for 2009.
and despite dire predictions, and the ongoing impact of the global economic crisis, an impressive total of 937,328 new vehicles were delivered in Australia by December 2009. Sales are expected to continue at a similar level through 2010, jumping back over one million - a milestone only hit twice in the past - by 2011.
"It ended up being a very, very good year," says Dave Buttner, sales chief of Toyota. The Japanese brand was sales leader for the seventh straight year in '09 but Holden continued its reign as Australia's favourite car with the Commodore.
Local makers filled the top three sales spots as usual - Toyota, Holden, Ford - with Mazda in fourth place and best of the import-only brands. Hyundai continued its Korean charge with sixth overall, and a similar result for its Euro-designed i30 compact, as Volkswagen tailed the top-10 brands.
The results for last year were boosted by up to 80,000 vehicles by the Federal government's investment allowance and this will contribute at least another 20,000 through 2010 as business buyers take delivery of vehicles ordered before December 31.
Toyota's sales total was down by 15.9 per cent over 2008, the worst of the top 10 apart from Hyundai, but it still finished the year with 200,991 deliveries to the 119,568 of GM Holden and 96,501 for Ford. Breaking into the sales categories, SUVs and light-commercial vehicles resisted the overall downturn best.
Buttner refuses to give an exact showroom prediction for 2010 - after severely under-calling 2009 at 880,000 - but says another 935,000 year should be achievable despite likely increases in interest rates and petrol prices. "There are always potential pitfalls. But I don't really see any negative clouds on the horizon," Buttner says.
TOP 10 BRANDS (Source VFacts)
1. Toyota 200,991
2. Holden 119,568
3. Ford 96,501
4. Mazda 77,739
5. Hyundai 63,207
6. Mitsubishi 56,998
7. Nissan 52,901
8. Honda 41,443
9. Subaru 35,506
10. Volkswagen 30,087
