2013: Aussie truck market holds steady

The latest FCAI sales data indicates the Australian heavy commercial vehicle market held its ground in 2013, posting a marginal increase of 0.2 per cent

According to data recently released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the Australian heavy commercial vehicle market held steady in 2013, recording a slight increase in sales of just 0.2 per cent.

A total of 31,696 vehicles were sold in the segment last year, up from 31,648 in 2012.

The light duty market, comprising LCVs and trucks from 3501kg to 8000kg GVM, was the strongest performer, its 13,909 sales representing an increase of 2.7 per cent over the previous year. Strong performers here included Fiat’s Ducato, Mercedes-Benz’s G-Wagon (4.6t), and Renault’s Master.

The medium duty market, spanning GVMs and GCMs of 8001kg to 39,001kg, registered 8288 sales – a drop of 4.3 per cent compared to 2012, when 8660 sales were recorded. Mitsubishi performed strongly here with its Canter and Fighter.

The heavy duty market recorded 9499 sales, a rise of 0.6 per cent from 2012. Segment leader Kenworth recorded a 25.2 per cent market share and with 2392 sales a slight increase of 1.4 per cent, while Volvo and Scania were also strong performers. Freightliner recorded 770 sales – a healthy rise of 4.1 per cent over 2012.

While sales for the month of December were slow, the 2718 units recorded equating with a drop of 3.7 per cent over December 2012, the outlook for the industry – now free of the spectre of a federal election – generally remains healthy.

2013: Aussie truck market holds steady

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