Last month the worst this year for registrations counts. 

HEFTY rental car reliance might well have fuelled the new car market in April, but nowhere near enough to pull it out of the doldrums.

Preliminary data for the month suggests it was the worst month since the market entered decline, at end of last year.

Once again, too, electric cars were stuck in a mire, with none of the types that regularly looked good in 2023 stats showing up.

The emerging picture of April looking to be just as poor as the three months preceding relies on preliminary data, from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi published by news avenues today.

Comment has yet to come from the Motor Industry Association, which represents new car distributors.

With 6119 new passenger vehicles and 3114 new commercial vehicles registered, April presented a total of 9233 vehicles registered, a 9.2 percent year-on-year drop overall, and a 12.3 decline on the March count of 11,616 units, which in itself raised concern. 

January and February results, of 12,649 then 9663 unit respectively, were also well down on the same months of last year.

The top seller for April was a Toyota. The RAV4 medium sports utility (above) has been popular as a private car, but also is a mainstay of rental activity. In achieving 1011 registrations, it was the only new car to achieve a four figure count.

Taking second was the Ford Ranger, which often leads the standings, but this time accrued 836 registrations, while third was its perennial rival in the one-tonne ute sector, the Toyota Hilux, on 512. 

Fourth went to the Mitsubishi Triton, which has recently launched in updated form. Some 415 Tritons found homes.

Rounding out the top 10 were the Suzuki Swift, with 256 registrations, Mitsubishi Outlander (245), Kia Seltos (207), Ford Everest (182), Mitsubishi ASX (180) and Nissan Navara (174).

The National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s decision to axe the Clean Car Discount scheme for new EVs selling less than $80,000, and the introduction of Road User Charge on electric vehicles from April 1 seems to continue to hurt EV interest.

The Tesla Model Y, BYD Atto 3 and MG4 that performed well in 2023 have all been small contributors again. 

Tesla’s sports utility product ostensibly stands as the country’s most popular NZ-new electric year to date, but the combined count for the year to date - 292 units - is lower than it’s tally from its single best month of 2023. The second best performer in that period is the Tesla Model 3, with 153 registered new.

The MG4, with 77 sold year to date, and Atto3, on 48 over four months, present an even more sobering picture.

Even with such a bleak period, brands still try to find a positive. One example being Lexus, which has determined to make hay of being the top luxury brand for the month … on strength of its range of models achieving 104 registrations.