NZ new car buyers buck world trend

Comparing New Zealand’s 10 best-selling vehicles in 2013 against the top 10 worldwide highlights just how unique the local new vehicle market is. There are few similarities, and plenty of differences, MTA spokesperson Ian Stronach says.

Toyota’s ubiquitous 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.

New Zealand buyers 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 are often required to be capable of many roles.

“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. Many Kiwis are still strongly inclined towards outside activities, and the choice of vehicles tends to reflect this,” Stronach says.

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

Interestingly, several models that have featured strongly in both New Zealand new and used import sales charts over the years have had less impact on the world stage; our long-time favourite large car, the Holden Commodore doesn’t even make the top 100 models, while the well-performing Suzuki Swift just makes the list, in 99th place.

With the exception of Ford’s F Series range of large pickups, all the models in the world’s best selling list are available in New Zealand.

“Obviously every market will consider itself unique, but in New Zealand’s case there might be a bit more substance to that notion. 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,” Stronach says.