Bargains keep sales on boost

WE are poised for another year of new-car bargains, if the start to 2016 is a guide.

The Hyundai i30 was the top-seller for the third time in 10 months, as buyers embraced a $19,990 drive-away deal that included automatic transmission, rear-view camera and five-year warranty — a saving of about $7000 on the full RRP.

The Mazda3 remains the nation’s biggest seller in the first three months of the year. The reigning champion for the past three years, Toyota’s Corolla, is off to a slow start.

With Toyota, Mazda and Hyundai battling it out for No.1 in the small-car class, buyers can expect prices to stay sharp.

Hyundai’s continuing i30 deal undercuts the recent promotion of the Corolla auto at $21,990 drive-away.

There are deals on the Mazda3 hatch and sedan but the company doesn’t publish drive-away pricing, instead teasing buyers with “free onroads”. Some buyers pay more than others because dealer delivery fees vary.

Market leader Toyota appears to be struggling under the weight of new competition — its sales are down for the third month in a row. Mazda, running second, has enjoyed 13 consecutive months of growth.

And Hyundai is on track to overtake Holden this year, having eclipsed the rival on seven occasions last year and this year to date.

Holden’s former arch rival Ford appears to have finally turned the corner, posting sales increases for the fifth month in a row. This is Ford’s first significant sales turnaround after 10 years of straight decline. Last year Ford posted its lowest result since 1966.

In other upsets, luxury brand Mercedes-Benz made it into the Top 10 ahead of Honda and Kia, while BMW delivered more vehicles than Isuzu.

Sales for March were steady (down 0.5 per cent to 104,512 deliveries) but a question mark remains over their accuracy.

The figures represent the number of vehicles reported as sold by dealers and car companies rather than being based on registrations.

They are compiled by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, the car lobby group, and supplied to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Nevertheless, Australia is on track for another record year of car sales. Reported sales for the first quarter reached 285,328, up 2.8 per cent on the same period of 2015, a record year.