Surge in Aussie car sales

New vehicle sales in Australia surged in November, industry data showed yesterday, with consumers clearly confident enough to splash out on big-ticket items despite rising interest rates.

The Australian Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries said vehicle sales jumped 6.2 per cent in original terms compared to October to reach 85,833. Adjusted for seasonal factors, that equated to an increase of 9.2 per cent for the month.

Toyota again took top sales position in November, with a share of 22.8 per cent. The Holden unit of General Motors took second spot with 13.3 per cent. Ford held 10.3 per cent, while Mazda had 7.7 per cent.