Mercedes Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen continue strong line
While the light commercial market booms for ute-based models, van sales remain stable and somewhat predictable according to the latest VFacts figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
The commercial van pie isn’t so much getting bigger it’s just been cut up into slightly different sized portions.
Fleet deliveries provided some boost for Renault at the start of the year, however, February figures saw a slight ebb to the flow of the French brand especially at the heavier end of the spectrum.
But it’s the usual suspects, Mercedes Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen holding sway over their traditional sales heartlands.
Heavy vans battle monster trucks
The Australian preference for light trucks over heavy vans continues and is unlikely to abate any time soon.
Taking market leading light truck offerings from Isuzu, Hino, and Fuso out of the picture, the Mercedes Benz Sprinter comes out on top at 14.3 per cent of the LDV market with Renault’s Master hot on its heels at 8.8per cent.
Interestingly the heavy variant of the Ford Transit (4.7 per cent) is accounting for itself well in the wake of the market leaders.
Volkswagen’s Crafter van (3.3 per cent) is currently coasting but an all-new platform due later this year may put it back in the fray.
The Iveco Daily manages to occupy the middle ground while Fiat’s ageing Ducato barely manages a ripple on the sales stat surface though it remains a popular option as a motorhome platform.
Box war
At the crossover threshold between business and private buyers, the mid-sized 1-tonne van market continues to be hotly contested. And Toyota continues to dominate with the HiAce at 36.1 per cent of the segment.
The Hyundai iLoad (28.5 per cent) continues to snap at the heels of the ageing Toyota in a segment where lack of automatic transmission options in key competitors are continuing to feed sales to both the Toyota and Hyundai.
The manual-only Renault Trafic (8.8 per cent) maintains a distant 3rd place with the Ford Transit (6.8 per cent) not far behind.
This picture could change in the near future as the Transit has an auto option waiting in the wings.
Mini-me
The Volkswagen Caddy continues its lead in the mini-van market a 47.7 per cent share ahead of the Renault Kangoo at 26.2 per cent.
The recent addition of a new petrol drivetrain for the Renault may help bridge the gap over the next few months.
Suzuki’s delightfully low-tech APV slots in at 3rd place with 18.19 per cent of small van sales.