Strong August for new vehicle sales

Toyota was once again the best-selling car model in New Zealand.

New Zealanders are continuing to see now as a good time to buy new vehicles, with sales last month again hitting 25-year highs, according to latest figures.

The Motor Industry Association (MIA) said there were 2,602 new commercial vehicles registered in August, an increase of 17.4 per cent compared to a year ago. It was also the highest total for an August since 1984.

Likewise, passenger vehicles sales last month were at the highest level since 1987. There were 6,828 registrations, up 14.5 per cent from last year.

David Crawford, chief executive of the MIA said August continued "a remarkable year" for new vehicle sales.

"With the year to date new vehicles registrations running 10.7 per cent ahead of this time in 2012, the new car sector continues to perform at levels last seen in the 1980's," he said.

So far this year, commercial vehicle registrations are up 24.4 per cent and new passenger vehicles up 6.1 per cent compared to a year ago.

Toyota maintained its dominance in the market with a 17.8 per cent share of total sales last month. The next most popular car makers were Holden and Ford.

In the year to date, Toyota is also the market leader with a 19.3 per cent market share, followed by Ford and Holden.

The top-selling car model in August was the Toyota Corolla with 328 registrations.

In the commercial segment, the Ford Ranger was the top selling model with 392 registrations.

The Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) segment was the most popular, accounting for 24 per cent of total registrations.