Holden Commodore 2016 News

Australian new car market roars to new sales heights, but post-election blues may put brakes on in back half of 2016

Australia sets new-car sales record, but uncertainty after the Federal election could see a slowdown ahead.

Hyundai has shocked the car industry by selling a record number of its i30 hatchbacks in June -- in the process setting a staggering 11-year high for any new vehicle sold.Contrary to perception, new-car sales figures are self-reported by car dealers and the car industry.Although new cars cannot be counted twice, the sales figures are not based on actual registrations.Hyundai dealers who spoke to News Corp Australia on condition of anonymity said the i30 sales numbers in June were “fairly straight” and “not as bad as some other brands that were asking us to call cars (declare them as sold).”“Hyundai had a bit of a push at the end of the month but it would be less than about 10 per cent of our total order take on i30,” said a leading metropolitan Hyundai dealer.Hyundai’s success may be about to come to an end, though, because it has raised the price of the i30 in July by $3000, to $22,990 drive-away. A manual verison of the car is now $20,990 drive-away.“We reckon sales will fall off a cliff now, $19,990 is the sweet spot for that car,” said another major Hyundai dealer.Savvy customers may still be able to grab a bargain, however, because most dealers are sitting on unsold Hyundai i30 stock that was intended to be sold at $19,990 drive-away.“It’s up to us to let them go for that price or charge somewhere in between $19,990 and the higher price,” said a Hyundai dealer.The four-month sales surge has blasted the Hyundai i30 to lead new-car sales year-to-date ahead of the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3, our top sellers for the past five years.Ute sales were also string in June, with Toyota delivering 4600 HiLux pick-ups closely followed by Ford with 4050 Rangers.The locally made Holden Commodore and Toyota Camry also performed well driven by new discount offers, with more than 3000 of each finding driveways.Official sales figures for June are due to be published by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries early next week.

NSW Highway Patrol insider suggests European and US alternatives are on the cards after the end of Falcon and Commodore as we know them.

SUVs and utes are hot, sedans are not — that's the message from the latest monthly vehicle sales figures.

As June 30 approaches, things get frantic in the new-car sales business. Brands and dealers feel the pressure and deals come thick and fast — some are better than others.Some car "brokers" make ridiculous claims about saving up to 25 per cent on a new-car price. Best be sceptical as there just has to be a catch — old build plates, unpopular model or colour, old stock etc. Best to deal with the makers direct, as the deals are sharp enough.Market leader Toyota has drive-away pricing on some popular models. The Corolla Ascent manual starts at $20,990, saving about $2500 on full freight. The auto is $2000 more.The Yaris Ascent auto starts at $17,990 drive-away, while the Camry is at a lossmaking $26,990 including prestige paint that usually adds about $500.Toyota is adding extras for no cost on some HiLux variants, for example the tow and stow pack worth $1300.Mazda is taking the drive-away pricing route on some models, starting with the Mazda2 at $16,990 drive-away for the manual. But it also promotes unspecified end of financial year "bonuses" on others. The Mazda6 gains a safety pack at no extra cost.Nissan finance is doing 1 per cent interest on its more popular models and there is drive-away pricing on less favoured badges. The Micra, soon to depart Australia, is the best buying at $12,990 drive-away for the manual, about $2700 off.Mitsubishi is doing free auto upgrades on several models.Hyundai has a mix of incentives. These include drive-away pricing on Accent Active manual hatch at $14,990 — about $3500 off (and just $1000 for an auto). It still has the i30 Active auto at $19,990, roughly $7000 off.There is five years' free servicing on some Hyundais and, on others, free third-party, registration and stamp duty (but not dealer delivery). ABN holders get a $1500 factory bonus on iLoad.Kia's run-out Cerato is $19,990 drive-away, plus free auto plus a $1000 gift card — making it the cheapest small car with auto in Australia. It's about $6000 off full price.In addition, all Kias have an unbeatable seven year/unlimited kilometre warranty.Holden's Step Up Sale has range of incentives, among them drive-away pricing, free auto and three years' free servicing.Holden is doing three years' free servicing on its SUVs, free auto and three years free servicing on the Colorado and Ute and free auto on Commodore. The Spark LS manual at $14,990 drive-away is just $1000 above its RRP.Ford's range is variously boosted by drive-away pricing, cash bonuses of $500, $1000 or $2000 dependent on the model, tech packs on some of the commercial vehicles (Ranger) and auto on some cars.Drive-away pricing is a given or should be at this time of year. If you can't get it, shop other brands.

New car sales are continuing at record pace, but there are big changes in the types of cars we are buying.

As we head into the biggest month of the year for new-car sales it's not always easy to pick the real deals.

After 11 straight years of decline Ford has finally started its sales turnaround -- and has notched up a rare win against an old rival.

Ford has bled $1.05 billion in red ink over the past five years, as it prepares to shut its factories.