Mazda 3 News

The Federal Government wants to herald the arrival of cheaper cars once local manufacturing ends in late 2017, but it hasn’t done it’s sums, say experts.The Federal Government will announce on Wednesday radical changes that would allow private buyers to import brand new cars -- in the belief they will be cheaper.But the car industry is expected to fight the proposal on the grounds it won’t lead to more affordable cars for the masses -- and could risk the jobs of dealership staff employed across the country.The industry also warns the changes would lead to warranty and service complaints and will only benefit the super-rich who can afford luxury models and exotic sports-cars.Independent comparisons by News Corp Australia show the cost of Australia’s most popular cars such as the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 --both of which start at about $22,000 and are the same price they were in Australia 20 years ago -- are on par with the US and cheaper than Europe once taxes, currency exchange rates, and differences in standard equipment are calculated.But a significant price gap emerges on vehicles price above Australia’s $63,184 Luxury Car Tax threshold, which adds 33 per cent to the cost of vehicles in excess of this amount.warranty and service complaintsthe super-rich who can afford luxury models and exotic sports-carsFor example, a Porsche 911 sports-car costs $89,400 in the US and $217,000 in Australia.But once taxes, exchange rates and LCT are taken into account, there is about a $20,000 difference in price, which Porsche says can be attributed to extra equipment that is standard in Australia but optional overseas.The office for Paul Fletcher, the federal minister for major projects and infrastructure, which will oversee the proposed changes, is expected to make the announcement today, government sources said.The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, the car lobby group, did not respond to a request for comment by the time this article was published.Spokesman for Porsche Cars Australia, Paul Ellis, told News Corp Australia: “There’s been insufficient consultation with the industry. Our understanding from the highest levels of office inside the government is that the government and senior ministers had acknowledged our concerns, and was not pursuing any changes.”Mr Ellis warned: “Manufacturers will have no obligation to provide warranty on (privately imported) vehicles that don’t meet Australian Design Rules, and we will have no obligation to service and maintain those cars.”

Australians are on track to buy more SUVs than passenger cars for the first time in our motoring history.Official new-car sales figures for January show the gap between passenger cars and SUVs is the closest it has ever been.Passenger car sales were down by 11.5 per cent while demand for SUVs surged by 19.5 per cent.If the trend continues, SUVs could overtake passenger cars by the end of this year.Just 2141 sales separated the two vehicle types last month (35,214 versus 33,073); this time last year the gap between the two biggest categories was six times greater.New-car buyers kept their foot on the accelerator in January, buying 84,373 vehicles of all shapes and sizes.But Ford’s arch rival Holden dropped dramatically in January (down by 18.8 per cent, the biggest decline among the Top 10 brands) after posting a sales surge for the previous four months in a row.There were four utes in the Top 10, and they were also the top-selling models for Ford, Holden and Nissan. But Hyundai once again pushed Holden out of third place outright, after doing so for seven out of 12 months last year.Three luxury brands finished just outside the Top 10. Audi has only overtaken BMW on seven individual months in more than 50 years in Australia, including four times in 2015, and once in 2014 and 2013.Top 10 cars in January 2016Mazda3: 3722, down 4.6 per centToyota Corolla: 2758, down 20.6 per centFord Ranger: 2418, up 35.5 per centToyota HiLux: 2341, up 0.4 per centHyundai Tucson: 2065, up 26.2 per centHyundai i30: 1852, down 11.5 per centMazda CX-5: 1750, up 3.0 per centHolden Colorado: 1691, up 9.5 per centNissan Navara: 1670, up 60.5 per centVolkswagen Golf: 1606, up 4.4 per centTop 10 brands in January 2016Toyota: 12,453, down 8.8 per centMazda: 10,016, up 11.2 per centHyundai: 7001, up 1.4 per centHolden: 6824, down 18.8 per centNissan: 5563, up 22.6 per centFord: 5504, up 2.7 per centMitsubishi: 5007, up 22.7 per centVolkswagen: 4341, down 1.3 per centSubaru: 3405, up 9.7 per centKia: 3116, up 29 per centSource: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

Sales figures show our car market is becoming more like the US.

We're hungry for imports - SUVs above all - and cool on big sedans.

Forget Holden v Ford, the new car battle is Toyota Corolla versus Mazda3, and the Toyota now has an almost unassailable lead.

New-car sales are powering as we near the end of the year — and it looks set to remain a buyer's market.

This weekend is shaping as a good one to buy a new car, as three of the four top-selling brands hold sales events.

For the first time in its 67-year history, Holden is at risk of finishing outside the Top Three sellers in 2015.

Australians are continuing to gorge themselves on new cars, taking advantage of low interest rates before currency pressures force prices to rise later in the year.

Half-time is typically a time for reflection.With six months of 2015 gone — and the official sales results arriving last week — it's time to look at what was hot and what was not in showrooms this year.At a glance, small cars are out and tiny SUVs are in. Diesels and hybrids are out, and turbocharged petrol cars are in. Luxury brands are in demand, local cars are not.Honda and Isuzu sales are surging, Ford and Holden have hit new lows.Sales of baby SUVs are up by 23 per cent in the first half of the year, thanks to the arrival of new offerings from Mazda and Honda. The surprise last month was that Honda's HR-V outsold Mazda's CX-3, despite a get-in price that is $5000 more than the baby Mazda. Buyers are no doubt attracted by the roominess of the Honda's cabin, which shares the clever design of its donor vehicle, the Jazz. Mitsubishi has also benefited from the increased showroom interest in this type of vehicle, with sales of its ASX surging by more than 45 per cent.They share their underpinnings with the new breed of SUVs, but they haven't been hurt by their arrival. Honda again leads the charge, with sales of its City sedan and Jazz hatch surging. Sales of the all-new Mazda2 are also strong and it remains best-selling car in the class. Other models that have captured the imagination of buyers are the evergreen Suzuki Swift and Toyota Yaris, as well as the Volkswagen Polo, which is up by more than 50 per cent thanks to sharp pricing.Low interest rates mean that a luxury badge is now within reach of more car buyers. As a result Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus are all enjoying double-digit growth. Understandably, most of the action is at the lower end of the market, with models high on the shopping list including BMW's Mini (up 59 per cent) and Audi's A3 (up 23 per cent). BMW's new 2 Series coupe and Lexus's NX small SUV have also launched with a bang, but the biggest success story is CarsGuide's 2014 Car of the Year, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which has doubled its sales in the first half of the year.Somebody is cashing in on Australia's property boom, with sales of sports cars costing more than $200,000 rising more than 20 per cent, albeit off a low base. Ferrari and Lamborghini dealerships are busy this year, with Ferrari logging 95 local sales compared with 52 in the same period last year and Lamborghini jumping from just seven sales to 60. The segment's most popular car, the Porsche 911, also enjoyed solid growth. At the other end of the spectrum, sales of affordable sports cars slumped as the initial shine predictably wore off the Toyota 86, Subaru BRZ and Hyundai Veloster. That will change, though, when Mazda's all-new MX-5 arrives in the second half of the year.They're big news in Japan and Europe, but micro cars haven't captured the Australian car buying public's imagination. Despite the arrival of an all-new model in the Suzuki Celerio and a midlife update for the Nissan Micra, sales are down by almost a third.They're still the nation's car of choice, but the arrival of baby SUVs has put a dent in the popularity of the small-car brigade led by the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3. This time last year, the Mazda3 was the top-selling vehicle in Australia, but sales this year are down by almost 10 per cent, cannibalised by the newer and funkier CX-3. Toyota, which has no mini-SUV in its range, fared better with the Corolla, which almost held its own in a market segment that shrank by 10,000 cars.When locally made cars began to slide in popularity, most pundits said it was because they were too big and thirsty, but the figures show otherwise. Large cars are down by 14 per cent this year, but medium and large SUVs have enjoyed solid growth. Toyota's Camry, which has a hybrid version, has fared better than the rest of the locals, but the Holden Cruze small car has experienced a bigger sales slide than Ford's Falcon and Territory. Overall, the prognosis remains bleak. Australians bought almost as many German-made cars as locally-made ones in the first six months.The Europeans are mad for it — and most 4WD utes use it too — but Australians, it seems, don't like getting their hands dirty. After an initial spike in interest in diesel passenger cars and SUVs among private buyers and fleets between 2005 and 2010, the interest continues to wane. Sales of diesel passenger cars grew sixfold from 2005 to 2010, while diesel SUV sales more than doubled. But in the first six months of this year — and on the back of a decline last year — sales of diesel cars fell by more than a quarter. Diesel SUV sales were stagnant despite big growth in overall SUV sales.Honda - up 33.4 per centIsuzu - up 30.3 per centSkoda - up 30.2 per centRenault - up 30.1 per centLexus - up 24.9 per centFord - down 17.6 per centVolvo - down 16.6 per centFiat - down 16.4 per centHolden - down 8.9 per centNissan - down 0.6 per centToyota - 101,714 - up 0.6 per centMazda - 56,591 - up 9 per centHolden - 51,737 - down 8.9 per centHyundai - 50,099 - up 1 per centMitsubishi - 35,866 - up 9.8 per centFord - 34,810 - down 17.6 per centNissan - 32,950 - down 0.6 per centVolkswagen - 32,020 - up 12.1 per centSubaru - 21,659 - up 8.1 per centHonda 20,602 - up 33.4 per centToyota Corolla - 21,750Mazda3 - 20,427Toyota HiLux - 18,781Hyundai i30 - 15,801Ford Ranger - 14,144Holden Commodore - 13,769Mitsubishi Triton - 13,709Mazda CX-5 - 12,489Volkswagen Golf - 11,829Toyota Camry - 10,426