Kiwi car buyers take a different route to rest of world

APNZ

11 Mar, 2014 04:33 AM2 mins to read

The Toyota Corolla was New Zealand's top selling passenger vehicle last year.

New car buyers here are taking a different route to the rest of the world when it comes to their choice of vehicle, the Motor Trade Association says.

Comparing New Zealand's 10 best-selling vehicles last year against the top 10 worldwide highlighted how lifestyle needs dictated the type of vehicle bought, MTA spokesman Ian Stronach said.

Toyota's Corolla topped the charts locally, as well as the world overall - one of the few instances where local buying patterns showed any alignment with global trends.

But buyers here showed a strong preference for practical, multi-task type vehicles, while the rest of the world tended more towards smaller and mid-sized four cylinder vehicles.

With New Zealanders regularly transporting things like pets, mountain bikes, firewood and boats, vehicles here were often required to be capable of many roles, Mr Stronach said.

"It's not surprising our buyer preferences vary so much from major worldwide trends. Cars tend to be more of a focus in the lives and lifestyles of New Zealanders than in other parts of the world, where they are sometimes regarded solely as an urban transportation solution.''

New Zealand's 'Top 10' featured two sport utility vehicles (SUVs), four utilities and just four standard passenger vehicles. Worldwide, it was a much different picture, with eight passenger cars and just one SUV and one utility.

"If what we drive says anything about us, it might be that we place a priority on functionality and flexibility; we like our vehicles to be capable of more than one task, and we don't follow every trend that originates offshore,'' Mr Stronach said.

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Top 10 NZ vehicles:

1. Toyota Corolla - car

2. Toyota Hilux - utility