Holden Cruze News

THE new boss of Holden has boldly claimed the company will be Australia's top-selling car brand by the year 2020 -- just three years after shutting its factories. Holden hasn't been number one for 11 years, has just posted a 20-year low, and currently sells a little more than half the number of cars as market leader Toyota.Despite this, Holden boss Gerry Dorizas has bravely set his targets high barely five weeks into the new job. It seems like a tall order when the claims are judged against Holden's current model line-up.But behind the scenes the company is searching every corner of the globe to bolster its showrooms once Holden doesn't have a car factory to protect beyond 2017. That means all bets are off and Holden executives are going through the entire General Motors catalogue to fill every possible niche to win back buyers who've defected to other brands.Some of the cars listed here may seem fanciful based on Holden's recent history. But make no mistake, anything is possible in Holden's new era.As with all car makers, Holden refuses to discuss its future model plans and these cars are by no means confirmed. But this list has been compiled with some inside knowledge and a review of how Holden has done business in happier times, such as the late 1990s and early 2000s when European and US models helped drive it to Number One.Here are the 10 cars that could power Holden to the top of the market over the next six years.1. CamaroYou read it here first: Holden executives told dealers in a secret meeting late last year it's hopeful of getting the next generation Chevrolet Camaro in local showrooms by 2018, just after the homegrown Commodore fades from view.Normally such hot news would be kept under wraps, but Holden was trying to give dealers a confidence boost after announcing the 2017 factory closure.A right-hand-drive version of the current Chevrolet Camaro was under development when it was axed in 2009, in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis.Now that Ford has confirmed the Mustang is coming to Australia (due in late 2015) Holden is believed to be fighting hard for a right-hand-drive Chevrolet Camaro to meet its rival head-on.And the iconic Corvette? Former General Motors CEO, Dan Akerson, told Carsguide in January 2013 a right-hand-drive version was coming -- only to be corrected by his second-in-command Tim Lee less than 24 hours later.It's unlikely there will be a right-hand-drive version of this generation Corvette, but the head of General Motors global product development, Mark Reuss, a former Holden boss, told Carsguide in January 2014 he wants right-hand-drive versions of all Chevrolet vehicles in the future.2. Cascada convertibleIn the same top-secret meeting Holden dealers were told about the Camaro, they were also told the Opel Cascada convertible will be coming to Holden showrooms by year's end.The Cascada -- Spanish for rain or waterfall, unusual for a convertible given that they're about sunshine, except when they leak -- was supposed to be introduced as an Opel before General Motors pulled the German brand from sale locally last year, less than 12 months after it launched. All Holden needs to do is fit Holden badges, get cars to dealers and starting printing brochures.The Cascada is the spiritual successor to the Astra convertible, which Holden sold across two generations from 2001 to 2010.Holden is yet to decide whether the convertible will wear the Cascada badge or if Holden will use the Astra name for the convertible.Holden dealers have told Carsguide they would prefer the Astra badge because of its recognition, but Holden executives have been referring to the car by its Opel name in preliminary meetings.3. Astra hatchThe Holden Astra is going to return to showrooms, it's just a matter of when. At the moment, Holden doesn't want to dent sales of the locally-made Cruze but the Astra is on stand-by, ready to go.Holden dealers had to clear the unsold Astra stock once the Opel brand was withdrawn from Australia, so the network has already handled the new model.The three-door and five-door hatch versions of the Astra are likely starters, but the Astra sedan will probably be left behind, leaving the next generation Cruze sedan to fill the void.4. Cruze sedanHolden will import the next generation Cruze sedan once the locally-made model goes out of production. It will opt for the Cruze sedan (over the Astra sedan) because it will give Holden a strategic price step through the small-car range.The Cruze sedan will likely be the price-leader at close to $20,000 while the Astra hatch will likely be priced closer to fellow European, the Volkswagen Golf, at about $23,000.General Motors is yet to commit to a new version of the Cruze wagon.Although the current Holden Cruze wagon is well priced and regarded as a sound vehicle, it is selling in small numbers, with buyers favouring SUVs.5. Trax faceliftThe recently-released Holden Trax compact SUV is well-equipped and sharply priced but hasn't proved popular with buyers.It seems not everyone is a fan of its cutesy Dumbo Elephant looks. But a fix is a phone call away.The Trax's twin, the Opel Mokka, was due to go on sale locally until the brand was withdrawn late last year.The Mokka has a more European design inside and out even though it comes from the same South Korean factory as the Trax.Holden could simply fit Trax badges to the better-looking model on a “facelift” for a sales boost.6. BarinaAs one of the best-priced and roomiest cars in its class, the current-generation Barina is another Holden that deserves to be selling better.But it is heavy and thirsty compared to the class leaders. And while the attractively designed interior looks good in brochures, the plastics are hard to the touch and feel cheap once you're behind the wheel.The next Barina will likely continue to come from South Korea (rather than sourcing the European Opel Corsa) because it will enable Holden to keep prices low.Better quality plastics will improve the interior's appeal, while a more efficient engine and a lighter body will improve fuel economy, giving the next Barina a better chance in the cut-throat light-car class.7. Captiva SUVAn all-new Captiva SUV can't come soon enough. Most cars have a model cycle of five-to-six years. The Captiva is entering its ninth year on sale and a new-from-the-ground-up model is still about two years away.The current Captiva is selling well because it is the cheapest ticket into a seven-seat full-size SUV. But the new model will have to step up to newer competition, especially if it loses its current $10,000 price advantage.The other key to the Captiva's success is the two-model strategy: a slightly smaller five-seater and a slightly bigger seven-seater.Holden would like to continue with two models given the SUV market is still booming, but General Motors is likely to consolidate to one model globally.The Captiva is critical to Holden's 2020 Number One target: it accounts for almost one-third of sales and is currently the biggest selling model behind the Commodore and the Cruze.8. Next CommodoreHolden has scrapped plans to share the next generation, front-wheel-drive Commodore with a Chinese Buick.Now that the Commodore (or whatever Holden chooses to call its next large sedan) is no longer going to be built locally, Holden has the luxury of choosing between the Buick, Chevrolet or Opel versions of the same car.Expect four-cylinder and V6 power for the front-drive sedan, but there will no longer be a Commodore V8, wagon or ute.The Camaro is expected to fill the V8 void, while Commodore wagon customers will either downsize to a Cruze or step up to a Captiva SUV. Commodore ute buyers will have to learn to love the Colorado.9. Colorado uteThe Holden Colorado is travelling ok but it's still not selling as well as the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton. That means there is still plenty of sales potential.The Colorado is being held back at the moment because it doesn't drive as well as its peers and the cabin isn't as user-friendly or as upmarket as the newer competition.It also doesn't look like a tough truck. Making it drive better will take some chassis tuning, but making it look tougher is not as hard as it sounds.General Motors in North America redesigned the nose for the Chevrolet version of the 2015 Colorado, to make it look like a full-size pick-up. And guess what? The parts clip straight on to the Holden Colorado. Simples.10. Tahoe/SilveradoHolden has been trying to get right-hand-drive versions of General Motors' full-size SUVs and pick-ups from the US for more than a decade. Since, in fact, the Chevrolet Suburban was discontinued after being sold here between 1998 and 2001.Back then, when the Australian dollar was weaker than it is today, the “Holden” Suburban sold for between $64,000 and $87,000.At today's exchange rates, the prices for the Tahoe SUV and Silverado pick-up would likely be between $50,000 and $75,000 -- smack bang in the middle of Toyota Prado and Toyota LandCruiser territory, which last year accounted for more than 10 per cent of Toyota's sales.General Motors is yet to confirm right-hand-drive versions of its full-size pick-ups and SUVs -- but former Holden boss Mark Reuss, now the head of GM's global product development, told Carsguide in January this year he wants right-hand-drive versions of all future models.If they became available, Holden would grab them with both hands.What about HSV?Holden's performance-car division will continue to build the Clubsport sedan and wagon, Maloo ute, Grange limousine and GTS super-sedan until the very end of Commodore production in October 2017.Carsguide understands it may even stockpile enough cars to run into 2018 because once these homegrown heroes go, there will be no more.In the meantime, HSV is looking to broaden its model range. Don't be surprised to see the high performance Opel Astra OPC hot hatch and Opel Insignia OPC sedan and wagon appear in Holden showrooms wearing HSV badges.HSV has sold Opel's high performance Astra before and the Astra hatch and Insignia were sold here last year as Opels before the brand was withdrawn from sale.That means they've been approved for Australian Design Rules and there is already parts availability. All that's missing are the HSV badges.Friends in high placesHolden boss Gerry Dorizas believes Holden will get more support now than ever before from its overseas head-quarters.Former Holden boss Mike Devereux is in charge of sales for the Asia-Pacific region, and the man who saved Holden from extinction during the GFC, Mark Reuss, is now in charge of General Motors' global product development.The new president of General Motors, reporting directly to CEO Mary Barra, is New Zealander Dan Ammann, who grew up around Holdens.Will Zafira make it?Opel was poised to introduce the latest Zafira people mover in Australia before the brand was withdrawn suddenly late last year.Holden is understood to be evaluating whether the Zafira can be priced competitively against the other seven-seater family wagons before introducing it locally.Holden sold the Zafira in Australia between 2001 and 2006 but was dropped from the line-up as buyers began to favour seven-seat SUVs.Today, the people-mover category represents just 0.9 per cent of the new-vehicle market.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Holden parent company General Motors is set to officially unveil the next Chevrolet Cruze at the New York motor show this week, but has already released images and information that give a good idea of what's on the way -- and what we'll get here with Holden ceasing local production of the model.The Cruze has been given a facelift with a more angular split grille and reshaped front bumper that echo the more recent styling of the Malibu sedan. Upper-spec models will get LED daytime running lights in the fascia.The rest of the exterior echoes the current Cruze styling, but there are changes in the cabin, the most significant being a better infotainment system featuring a 7-inch screen and extra USB ports, 4G connectivity that makes the car a wifi hotspot, smartphone handsfree integration that will read text messages to the driver, and Apple's Siri system for iOS 6 and 7.Minor updates include the relocation of switchgear, revised cupholders and new exterior and interior colours. There's no confirmation that we'll get all the connected technology here in the Cruze update, but we expect more information from Holden after the car is revealed.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

THE Holden Commodore has made a surprising recovery in the March sales race with a staggering 85 per cent sales increase compared with the same month the prior year -- narrowly missing a place on the podium as the nation’s fourth most popular car.Official figures released today show it was the Commodore’s third-best monthly sales tally since the new VF model went on sale 10 months ago, as the Holden brand overall posted a 19 per cent sales surge -- the strongest growth of any Top 10 brand and the seventh month in a row it has outpaced the market.However, the sharp percentage increases are largely due to the Commodore posting its second-lowest monthly result ever in March last year (1606 sales). The Commodore’s tally for March this year of 2967 sales is still down compared with the 2012 figure of about 3200 deliveries.But the Commodore’s old arch rival, the Ford Falcon, continued to rank well outside the Top 10, with just 641 deliveries. The Cruze small car that is built alongside the Commodore had a tough run, with sales down 30 per cent on the same month last year -- about half the sales rate as the same month just two years ago.March is the typically the second-biggest month for new-car sales as the Japanese brands have a surge in the lead-up to the end of the Japanese financial year, which closed on March 31. The sharp discounting prompts also the non-Japanese brands to compete.Last year’s top-selling car, the Toyota Corolla, led the March sales race -- but the Mazda3 small car, which was the market leader in January and February, still leads the year-to-date tally. The third-placed Toyota HiLux ute again squeezed the Commodore off the podium in March. But the Commodore still managed to outsell the popular Hyundai i30, Ford Ranger ute and Toyota Camry sedan.The Commodore also proved more popular than the updated Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4 SUVs, which ranked just inside the Top 10 sellers list for March. The official figures show the new-car market is beginning to make a recovery after a downturn in January and February. Sales in March were down by just 0.1 per cent, to 97,267 deliveries, while sales in the first three months combined are down by 2.4 per cent.But the downturn has been exaggerated by Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi, which have all posted massive sales slowdowns for the first three months of this year, likely because their dealer networks are still clearing cars that were declared as sold in 2013.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo axedMitsubishi has confirmed it will not develop an Evolution XI to follow the current model, with a spokesperson saying there were no plans for another generation of the iconic rally legend. However while they are farewelling the Evo, there is hope for development of another performance model utilising the Japanese brand's focus on electric vehicles.2015 Holden Cruze | spy shotsGeneral Motors’ next Cruze world car has been scooped in a totally undisguised state in a Shanghai holding yard, previewing the model we’ll see as the replacement for the locally manufactured Holden JH Series II model.Schumacher’s wife building $18m home medical suiteThe wife of seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher is reported to be preparing a £10 million ($17.9 million) medical facility at their family mansion in anticipation of her husband being forced out of his current hospital intensive care unit place.Carmakers get in on April Fools Day adsCar brands love April Fools Day, using it as a channel to let off some marketing steam even more ludicrous than some of their regular advertisements and merchandising. And we love it too, because no car idea is too ridiculous to consider.

General Motors’ next Cruze world car has been scooped in a totally undisguised state in a Shanghai holding yard, previewing the model we’ll see as the replacement for the locally manufactured Holden JH Series II model.The new Cruze is expected to make its official debut at the Beijing motor show later this month, and introduces a new look for the small car lineup that will likely be little changed when it touches down locally sometime next year.We’ve already seen spy photos of the new model undergoing winter testing early last year, and this undisguised example looks to echo the shapes visible beneath that mule’s camouflage, but is the first sighting of the production model’s head and taillights.This example is wearing the Chevrolet bowtie badges used by the current model across several international markets, and the new interior features similar shapes to several recent GM models including our VF Commodore.The new model is expected to ride on a revised version of the current model’s Delta II underpinnings, and will enter a market already populated by fresh examples of the Mazda 3, Volkswagen Golf and Toyota Corolla.Under the bonnet will be new 1.4 and 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engines, following a similar reduced-displacement policy to the Volkswagen Golf.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

Opel cars could be back in Holden showrooms by the end of this year, starting with the sleek and sexy Cascada convertible priced about $50,000.

ONE of Holden's top selling family cars has unwittingly been disadvantaged by special conditions in the Free Trade Agreement with South Korea that were intended to help the struggling company -- in effect adding up $1500 to the cost of one of its most popular vehicles.Under the proposal, the removal of the 5 per cent import tariff will initially not apply to vehicles with six-cylinder engines -- a move the Federal Government says is designed to protect local car makers as they wind-down their manufacturing facilities.But Holden is the biggest importer of V6 cars from South Korea. Last year Holden sold more than 10,000 V6-powered Captiva SUVs and it was the company's third-biggest selling model behind the locally-made Commodore and Cruze.The policy faux-pas is likely to hurt Holden more than the South Korean brands. Hyundai no longer imports a V6 car and its sister company Kia sells only a small number of V6 versions of its Sorento SUV and Carnival people mover.The Captiva V6 typically sells for between $30,000 and $40,000 and the 5 per cent import tariff added to the wholesale cost of the car is estimated to be up to $1500 on dearer models.Despite the unexpected setback Holden insists it is happy with the Free Trade Agreement; seven of its 11 vehicles come from South Korea and two of the 11 come from Thailand, which has had a Free Trade Agreement with Australia since 2010.A statement from Holden said: "Holden imports several car models and various parts from (South) Korea and exports engines from our Port Melbourne plant. While we have only just started analysing the details of the FTA, our first look suggests it will be good for our business."While the removal of the 5 per cent import tariff on cars from South Korea is expected to start from next year, six-cylinder and V8 cars will be excluded from the free trade deal for a further three years until Toyota, Holden and Ford shut their Australian factories.All three local manufacturers currently produce six-cylinder cars, although Toyota, Ford and Holden also produce four-cylinder vehicles and Ford and Holden also produce V8s. However, the exemption of V8 vehicles in the Free Trade Agreement is unusual given that there are no V8 cars made in South Korea for right-hand-drive markets such as Australia.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Don't hold your breath for a new-car bargain once the last of Australia’s car factories close by the end of 2017. If anything, prices may rise. Toyota, Holden and Ford have been force-feeding locally-made cars onto dealers and fleet buyers at ridiculously discounted prices for years, just to keep their factories running.Late last year Toyota was offering the new Camry for $26,990 drive-away, about $8000 off the full RRP. Early last year, the Cruze became the cheapest locally-made Holden in almost 20 years when its RRP dropped below $20,000.But deals like these will likely evaporate once the Toyota Camry and Holden Cruze -- and the vehicles that will replace the Ford Falcon sedan and Territory SUV -- are fully imported. Toyota, Holden and Ford will be able to simply order the number of cars they think they can comfortably sell without flooding the market.And, of course, it goes without saying that government departments will no longer be forced -- or encouraged, as it is called -- to buy locally-made cars. This preferential treatment has artificially inflated the true demand for Australian-made vehicles for decades. Which is why secret internal forecasts by Toyota, Holden and Ford show demand for the cars that will replace their locally-made models will be slashed.Toyota forecasts demand for the Camry could be cut by more than half. Holden and Ford are similarly pessimistic. How many Falcon buyers will take to the new Mondeo, its likely replacement? Ford sold just 10,000 Falcons last year compared to just 3000 Mondeos.Likewise, how many Holden customers will find a front-drive four-cylinder or V6 sedan appealing, whether or not it has a Commodore badge? If the recent lacklustre response to the Holden Malibu sedan is a guide, not many (1300 deliveries last year compared to the Commodore’s tally of 27,000). Without an oversupply of vehicles or the desperate need to keep a factory to keep running, there will be no need for Toyota, Holden and Ford to discount so dramatically.Instead, they will compete on a relatively even footing as vehicle importers with the other 60 or so brands in Australia. Which is why currency exchange rates, not tariffs, will play a greater role in determining car prices in the future. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, the peak body that has been all but silent as the industry crumbled over the past eight months, this week called for all import tariffs on motor vehicles to be scrapped now there is no local industry left to protect.“Post-manufacturing, there is no rationale to maintain the 5 per cent tariff on imported motor vehicles,” the chief executive of the FCAI, Tony Weber, said in a media statement. But this posturing by the FCAI is unlikely to have the Federal Government quaking in its boots. Australia is heading down that path anyway. The Federal Government is keen to create the perception that car prices will drop once it pushes ahead with more Free Trade Agreements.We already have FTA deals with North America and Thailand, but Japan and South Korea are set to follow. These four countries alone accounted for almost 75 per cent of all imported vehicles sold in Australia last year. You might expect South Korean giant Hyundai, its sister company Kia, and Holden (it sources most of its passenger cars and SUVs from South Korea) to be delighted about the prospect of a zero tariff. But they’re more worried about currency fluctuations. The chief executive officer of Hyundai in Australia, John Elsworth, a former high-ranking Holden executive, says currency will continue to be a greater factor in vehicle pricing because import tariffs are already so low -- and currencies can swing by more than 5 per cent in a day, let alone across a month or a year. Indeed, there has been a more than 60 per cent fluctuation in the Australian currency over the past decade.In the year 2000 one Australian dollar bought an average of US0.63 cents; last year it bought a peak of US$1.04 and we’ve been tracking mostly above US0.90 cents since. Add to the mix the impact foreign governments can have on exchange rates. Japan, for example, has been accused of artificially devaluing the Yen over the past 12 months to boost exports. It partly explains why the prices of the imported Toyota Corolla and Nissan Pulsar and other Japanese cars are at 20-year lows.Who knows what Australia’s exchange rates will be like four years from now? The car companies -- and the government for that matter -- certainly don’t. “The biggest variable is obviously exchange rate (and) that can fluctuate daily in both directions,” said Mr Elsworth. “Reacting to that and shifting prices wouldn't make sense -- you have to work longer-term in this business.” In other words, car companies ride the currency wave. Some months they make less profit, some months they make more.Sometimes they get caught short, and start discreetly deleting standard equipment from cars hoping customers won’t notice, such as a glovebox light or a vanity mirror. Fitting thinner carpet is another example. But they always try to keep the RRPs relatively stable so they don’t adversely affect customer confidence and, ultimately, the resale value of vehicles. Did you know depreciation is the single biggest cost of car ownership after you’ve bought it?Luxury Car Tax, on the other hand, is something that needs to be dealt with, but, sadly, probably will be left alone. Even the Productivity Commission advised against it in its preliminary report into the car manufacturing industry. “Because it is levied on a narrow base, the LCT is a higher-cost and less efficient method of raising revenue than more broadly-based taxes,” the Productivity Commission report said. “The LCT is also arbitrary in its effect, in that it leads to taxpayers with the same economic means paying different amounts of tax depending on their taste.”Quoting the 2010 Henry Tax Review, the Productivity Commission helpfully added that LCT “falls on people with a preference for relatively expensive cars, but not on those with a preference for diamonds, fur coats or yachts”. For background, the LCT is 33 per cent of the price of a vehicle above $60,316, or above $75,375 on vehicles that use less than 7.0L/100km according to the Australian standard fuel rating label.The concession was introduced several years ago by the then Labor Government in an attempt to appeal to environmental interests. Instead, it favoured buyers of prestige cars. It is a further sign of how backwards this policy is when any government thinks 7.0L/100km is fuel-efficient; most popular German cars now comfortably dip below this, which is why Toyota is now the biggest contributor to LCT by virtue of all the LandCruisers it sells, among other gas-guzzlers.Understandably, Toyota and others have come out swinging against the LCT. In its submission to the Productivity Commission, Toyota said: “The luxury car tax is not a form of protection for local car makers. In fact the market share of locally built cars has dropped significantly since the LCT was introduced. Toyota supports the abolishment of the LCT as it is a punitive and inequitable tax paid by more Toyota customers than anyone else.”But the Coalition Government is unlikely to scrap a tax that brings in an estimated $450 million each year, especially when it has so many financial black holes to fill. Which means, for now, it would seem car prices aren’t likely to change one bit once the Australian car factories close -- unless the dollar reaches new, stratospheric heights.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling Where your car comes from: percentage split of all imported cars in 2013Japan 35 per cent (FTA planned)Thailand 22 per cent (FTA already in place)South Korea 13 per cent (FTA planned)United States 3.5 per cent (FTA already in place)Germany 7.5 per cent (no FTA planned but many cars attract LCT)United Kingdom 3.5 per cent (no FTA planned but many cars attract LCT)Other countries represent 15.5 per cent of imported vehicles, including Spain, Czech Republic, India, China, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, Mexico, Portugal, Belgium, France, Italy, Indonesia, Poland and others.Source: FCAI  

The Corolla was finally crowned Australia's favourite car in 2013 after 46 years in the market -- but you won't hear about it from Toyota. The car giant, which has been the overall market leader for 11 years in a row and 17 years since 1991 but never had the top-selling vehicle, is going to follow Mazda's lead by not advertising the Corolla's sales success."There are no plans at this stage," said Toyota Australia executive director of sales and marketing, Tony Cramb, when asked if the company would advertise the Corolla's historic win.Mazda also gave us the silent treatment when its Mazda3 small car took top sales honours in 2011 and 2012. It is suspected Mazda didn't want to boast that it ended the iconic Holden Commodore's record 15-year winning streak.But it turns out both Toyota and Mazda are wary of their success. Insiders from both companies admit popularity can work against them if they cars are seen as being everywhere. "People want to be seen to be driving something different, not be part of the pack," said one insider.Mazda was also keen to distance itself from the Corolla, which has a reputation for blandness because older models were better known for their reliability than their current styling pizazz.However, it may come as a shock to many Mazda buyers but more Mazda3 small cars were sold in Australia in the past three years than the Corolla. Figures from the car makers show that only 40 per cent of Corollas are bought by private buyers, compared to more than 80 per cent of Mazda3s.Toyota is only the fourth brand in 60 years to win the Australian new-car sales race; the others being Mazda, Holden and Ford. It was the third year in a row Japanese cars have led the Australian car market; locally-made models have been the top sellers since WWI, say automotive historians.The Corolla is the world's biggest selling car, with more than 40 million on the road worldwide, including more than 1.25 million delivered in Australia since 1967.The Corolla was built in Australia from 1968 to 1999, becoming the first Toyota ever assembled outside Japan, but production ended because it became too costly to build small cars locally. The model is now made in 15 factories in 14 countries including Japan, Canada, South America, Turkey, Pakistan, Venezuela, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, Taiwan, India, and two factories in China.The Corolla won the 2013 new-car sales race after swapping the monthly sales lead three times with reigning champion the Mazda3 – the Mazda led the first three months of the year before the Corolla landed its first win for 2013 in April, and then led the year-to-date tally for the first time in June. In the end, the Corolla was the top selling car for eight months of the year, including the last four in a row.Incredibly, it was only the Corolla's fifth-best result (record was 47,792 set in 2007), another sign of the fragmenting market that is killing local car manufacturing. The Corolla earned top-seller status despite selling less than half the Holden Commodore's annual peak.Korean car maker Hyundai ranked fourth overall but was the second-biggest seller of passenger cars in Australia in 2013. Mercedes-Benz won the luxury car sales category, outselling BMW and Audi. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan was the third best-selling medium-size sedan behind the Toyota Camry and Mazda6.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowlingTop 10 cars 2013Toyota Corolla 43,498 up 12.1 per centMazda3 42,082 down 4.6 per centToyota HiLux 39,931 down 1.7 per centHyundai i30 30,582 up 7.9 per centHolden Commodore 27,766 down 9.1 per centToyota Camry 24,860 down 8.7 per centMitsubishi Triton 24,512 up 32.4 per centHolden Cruze 24,421 down 16.3 per centNissan Navara 24,108 down 7.4 per centFord Ranger 21,752 down 7.2 per centTop 10 brands 2013Toyota 214,630 down 1.6 per centHolden 112,059 down 2.3 per centMazda 103,144 down 0.7 per centHyundai 97,006 up 6.0 per centFord 87,236 down 3.5 per centNissan 76,733 down 3.8 per centMitsubishi 71,528 up 21.5 per centVolkswagen 54,892 stable 0.0 per centSubaru 40,200 stable 0.0 per centHonda 39,258 up 9.6 per centFalcon and Commodore hit new all-time lows in 2013Ford Falcon: 10,610 (compared to a peak of 81,000 in 1995)Holden Commodore: 27,766 (compared to a peak of 94,500 in 1998)A decade of record sales2004: 955,2292005: 988,2692006: 962,6662007: 1,049,9822008: 1,012,1642009: 937,3282010: 1,035,5742011: 1,008,4372012: 1,112,0322013: 1,136,227Locally made cars: then and now1999: 223,083 (including 184,000 Commodores and Falcons)2013: 118,510 (down 15 per cent on 2012, and the lowest since 1958) 

The top-two sellers will be driving the competition; an all-new Mazda3 is around the corner and Toyota will introduce an all-new Corolla sedan to sell alongside last year's champion.Good supply of the two all-new top-selling models means that everyone else in the small-car class -- representing almost a quarter of all new vehicles sold -- will have to sharpen their pencils or risk becoming old stock.To that end, the Mitsubishi Lancer will be in runout for most of the year, while Suzuki will also be pushing hard to clear the decks of its popular Alto city car, ahead of the new model which has grown in size.The locally-made Holden Cruze will also find the going particularly tough against the newer models; Holden has already admitted it loses money on each one it builds and can't limbo much lower on price.Volkswagen will likely maintain its promotional pricing on the Golf every other month as the German factory ramps up production, while Hyundai also has its revised i30 hatch and Elantra sedan twins to take to market."There's never been a better time to buy a new car," said Toyota Australia executive director Tony Cramb, intentionally repeating an old industry cliché.Low interest rates and improved consumer confidence have helped drive sales, he said.Several runout models -- particularly the Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton utes, both of which were Top 10 finishers -- have prompted unprecedented discounts.The new-car market dipped by up to 3 per cent from August to November 2013 in the wake of the Rudd Government's proposed changes to Fringe Benefits Tax rules on company cars, but the industry expects a full recovery in 2014 after December's modest rise of 1.4 per cent.The industry has forecast an increase from last year's record of 1,136,227 new-car sales, to 1,145,000 in 2014.However, Mr Cramb said new-car sales in 2013 would have been higher if not for changes to Fringe Benefits Tax rules proposed by the former Labor Government."The FBT announcement made by the former government definitely slowed down business sales … there are many companies still just making their way back to normal purchases," said Mr Cramb.He said it took the market "a lot longer than we had anticipated" to recover form the botched plan that would have quadrupled the tax on company cars."Companies have extended leases, delayed purchasing decisions, and rather than coming back once … the new Government made it clear they were going to implement previous Government's policies, there was a skepticism in the market among the big fleet companies."This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling