New-car sales hit the brakes in May but cheap utes drove out of showrooms - Cars Guide
Sales of the most basic versions of the Toyota HiLux ute increased by 12. 4 per cent while the Mitsubishi Triton -- both of which scrape below the $20,000 threshold -- surged by a staggering 42. 7 per cent, as both brands cleared old stock and... However, the actual number of bargain basement utes delivered was relatively small (996 Toyotas and 421 Mitsubishis), and they appear to be the only two winners in a dark month for the rest of the car industry. New-car sales hit the brakes for the first time in four months in May, figures due to be released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries at midday Wednesday are expected to show. The number of new cars reported as sold was down by 1. 3 per cent compared with the same month the previous year, to 93,327 deliveries, making it the weakest May result in four years. Half of the Top 10 brands were down, including market leader Toyota , Holden , Ford , Hyundai and Nissan -- and German car maker Volkswagen closed to within just 460 sales of former top-seller Ford. The Toyota HiLux ute was the top-selling vehicle across all types -- for the 14th individual month since 2008 and the first time in almost two years -- however its sales were down by 4 per cent (once all versions of the HiLux are tallied) compared... Source: www.carsguide.com.au
