Large cars still surviving despite fuel prices

[fpv_gtho]

Big car passion still the fashion
29apr05

Large family cars are still leading local sales, despite fuel prices. JAEDENE HUDSON reports

Australian consumers are ignoring concerns about rising fuel prices and are continuing to buy fuel-thirsty V8s.

Ford and Holden, our two biggest V8 manufacturers, have not seen any significant shift to the smaller, more fuel conscious cars.

An examination of Australian new car sales for the first three months of the year reveals that family cars are still the country's most popular buys.

Already the first quarter of 2005 has seen a number of records broken and the 980,000 yearly sales target looks close to the mark. But just what are we buying?

And what are the most popular models?

Well, no surprise perhaps, that the Holden Commodore is leading the charge.

The General sold 17,167 Commodores to the end of March, ahead of Ford — with 13,190 motorists buying the Falcon.

Within the Commodore market, Holden says the SV6 has jumped in popularity by 40 per cent and is now the second biggest seller behind the entry-level Executive.

Holden spokesman Jason Laird says that despite the current fuel-price concerns, the company "is not seeing any appreciable shift from V8s to V6s." "In fact we are selling more V8s than we have ever seen before," he adds.

Laird says it would take a much higher spike in prices (going up to the $1.50 a litre mark), and rising over an extended period of time, before such a shift in numbers would become apparent.

While large car numbers decline each year, Laird says the fact both Commodore and Falcon are late in the model cycle is the main contributor to the changing figures.

With the introduction of the new VE Commodore next year, along with a new-model Falcon, Laird predicts large car numbers will spike again. He says:

"The large car is still the largest selling class in the country."

Seventh place is a surprise, with Ford's newest recruit the only SUV on the list. Ford has so far sold 5815 units of its popular Territory.

Ford Australia spokeswoman Sinead McAlary says Territory sales are a close split — between 45 per cent AWD and 55 per cent RWD.

She says within that, Ghia remains the top selling AWD version and the TX is the top-selling RWD version. Territory customers are also spending an average $1000 per vehicle on accessories.

But McAlary says while a few customers are moving from the Falcon, swapping between the two has been minimal.

"Territory is bringing new customers into Ford dealerships that we haven't seen before. "They are coming from a range of other vehicles, including brands that have never been cross-shopped with Ford previously.

"Some of them are definitely coming from the large-car segment where Falcon is a leading contender so, despite rather minimal swapping between the two vehicles, Ford has the lifestyle alternative to keep them within our brand, which is the ultimate goal. Customers coming from other entrants in the large car segment (and those coming from larger SUVs and people movers) are swapping brands to buy the Territory, so we are primarily adding to our customer base." Just 57 cars separate spots 10 and 11, with Ford and Holden fighting it out in the utility market. That two makes of utility made the top 11 is proof of the growth seen over the past few years in this segment.

Traditionally Ford dominated Holden but the Lion now has a 57-car lead on the Blue Oval. Both brands enjoy a comfortable 300 plus sales lead over the next-placed Hyundai Getz. Laird attributes the ever growing popularity of the utility to their flexibility and price point — and the fact that they are now sports cars, rather than just work vehicles.

"You can buy a world-competitive sports performance car to a price equal to a relatively standard offering in a sedan. Utes have street cred and flexibility — they are sports cars," he says. A comparison with 2000 shows the Commodore and Falcon figures were within a few hundred of what they are today. While the Commodore has fallen by just under 500 cars, Falcon has picked up by 80 cars during the same period.

Absentees from the list this year include the Mistubishi Magna and Lancer, which between them accounted for more than 10,000 cars five years ago.

At the bottom of the 2005 list is a group of single-sellers.

Most of these are no longer available.

[twil]

the future is starting to look very bright for ford

[SlickHolden]

Just goes to show a Aussie will always pay more for petrol when they love there big V8's.
My mate has a friend who will not drive a Ute without a V8. But i was telling him he should buy a VZ ute now cause he owns a VSIII Ute with 5lt. I was telling him the 175alloytech would have more power and 10 times better fuel ecconemy then his 5lt,
But no no no way he said must have a V8 mate
I would still get a V8 in my VYII Calais even with petrol this high i would just try to be smart when driving it to try and save some petrol on my trips If i can

[fpv_gtho]

One of my neighbours had a VS3 ute, i think he put an aftermarket exhaust on it cause it sounded pretty good, definately louder than stock. Only bad thing was the idiot had those crappy Snap-On seat covers

There is a big mentality over V8 utes though, the XR6T sedans outsell the XR8 sedans, but its the opposite with the utes.

[Blue Supra]

you dont see many XR8 utes thats for sure.

when (not IF) petrol gets to $1.50 a litre im selling my 200SX and buying a NA "non-needing-premium" car. maybe an AWD magna

[fpv_gtho]

Maybe its just a Canberra thing, but half the Ford utes i see period, are XR8's.

You have to wonder though if the government would lower the fuel taxes if it got too high.

[Blue Supra]

Originally Posted by fpv_gtho

Maybe its just a Canberra thing, but half the Ford utes i see period, are XR8's.

You have to wonder though if the government would lower the fuel taxes if it got too high.

more then half the ford utes i see are turbos.

i dont think they would. just "encourage" us to buy mor economical cars.

[fpv_gtho]

Alot of people buying the utes probably see it as getting the XR6T with one of the APS kits for the same price as a sedan or something...

They might do that, its hard to tell. Maybe start offering government rebates for cars like the Prius and Civic hybrid? I think theyve already got a deal with Toyota so that some of the MP's can drive around in them

[Blue Supra]

yeh the ACTPS has a Prius or three running around.

[fpv_gtho]

Personally i dont think i'd want to be caught dead in one......if gof forbid i ever became an MP, it'd be a GT all the way

[SlickHolden]

Guy down the road here has a XR6T ute.
I just herd a VZ S V8 ute yesterday. Was in first gear low revs and built up and sounded like a real hot V8 they do get them V8 utes sounded great

[fpv_gtho]

dual exhaust Gen 3 and theyre still not the same as the single exhaust BOSS though, shows how much that "unique" firing order of the Gen3 screws it up