Latest monthly registration figures have surprised the industry, but it’s not expecting this boom to last.

RAV4 was a sales star for Toyota last month.

CASHED-up Covid-19 returnees look to be contributing to a spike in national new vehicle sales – with the July count almost at record level.

Motor Industry Association data for last month suggest registrations of 12,263 new vehicles; that’s 3.1 percent and 366 units better than the count for July of 2019 and also the second-strongest July ever recorded by the MIA.

The result was also in stark contrast to June, when sales of 11,514 vehicles were recorded. That count presented as a 17.5 percent on the same month of the previous year. Yet June was in itself way better than April and May when, in the midst of the Covid-19 lockdown, 1039 and 8313 registrations were respectively recorded.

MIA chief executive David Crawford describes the July result as surprisingly strong, given the current worldwide economic conditions.

“Returning cashed-up Kiwis and alternative spending to international travel are thought to be behind the July result,” he says.

Market leader Toyota New Zealand says no-one could have anticipated the level of sales last month, given that it is usually a cooling off period in the wake of May and June, which have traditionally been big sales months.

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“The level of new orders across our entire range has surpassed our expectations,” says chief executive Neeraj Lala, adding that TNZ’s July result was the biggest retail month since the launch of the brand’s Drive Happy business model in April of 2018.

Crawford warns however that as the year progresses the economic outlook is for a continuing tightening market.

Despite July’s good result, the tough three month during the opening half of 2020 have meant that year to date the new vehicle market is down 24.8 percent or 21,694 vehicles.

July saw 8200 passenger vehicles and SUVs registered which was 3.5 percent up on July last year, while 4063 commercial vehicle registrations were up 2.3 percent.

The top three models for the month were the Toyota RAV4 SUV, followed by two utes, the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux.

Toyota remained the overall market leader with an 18 percent share, followed by Ford with 10 percent and Mitsubishi with eight percent.

Toyota also led passenger and SUV sales with a 17 percent share thanks to solid sales of the RAV4, Corolla and C-HR, followed by Kia on nine percent largely due to sales of Sportage and Seltos SUVs, and Mitsubishi with eight percent, thanks to continuing good sales of ASX and Outlander.

Ford regained the market lead in the commercial vehicle sector with a 22 percent share, resting on the imprint of its top-selling Ranger ute but also good sales of Transit van. Toyota was second on 20 percent thanks to Hilux and Hiace van, while soon-to-disappear Holden was third with a 10 percent share via sales of 381 Colorado utes.

Overall the top segments in July were dominated by SUVs. Top spot went to SUV Medium with a 22 percent share, followed by SUV compact on 19 percent. The Pick Up/Chassis 4x4 segment held 16 percent share.

Last month’s top 15

Toyota RAV4                 796 sales
Ford Ranger                  781
Toyota Hilux                 627
Mitsubishi Triton          383
Holden Colorado          381
Kia Sportage                 320
Mitsubishi ASX              265
Suzuki Swift                  251
Toyota Corolla              230
Nissan Navara               229
Mazda BT-50                227
Mazda CX-5                  222
Mitsubishi Outlander    220
Hyundai Tucson            206
Kia Seltos                     184