Car sales circuit breaker: November posts rebound

November's sales were up 12.4% compared to November last year, up to 95,205 units from 84,708, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries' (FCAI) 'VFACTS' report.

October's results were down just 1.5%, marking 31 consecutive months of decline.

In the market for a new car? The table below features car loans with some of the lowest fixed and variable interest rates on the market.

Loan duration

5 years

Loan amount

Update resultsUpdate

Compare

Filters

Lender	Car Loan	Interest Rate	Comparison Rate*	Monthly Repayment	Interest Type	Vehicle Type	Maximum Vehicle Age	Ongoing Fee	Upfront Fee	Total Repayment	Early Repayment	Instant Approval	Online Application	Tags	Features	Link	Compare	Promoted Product	Disclosure
loans.com.au	loans.com.au Variable Car Loan - New/Demo	5.94% p.a.	7.07% p.a.	$579	Variable	New		$8	$400	$34,749					Available for purchase of new/demo vehicle Get a personalised rate, won't impact your credit score Borrow from $10k to $150k, 3 to 7 yr loan term Unlimited additional repayments, flexible repayment options	More details	Compare	Promoted	Disclosure
Stratton Finance	Stratton Finance Car Loan (New) (5 Years)	5.67% p.a.	6.10% p.a.	$575	Fixed	New		$0	$350	$34,524					A leading Australian Finance Broker with proven experience you can trust We've assisted more than 150,000 customers access over $8 billion in finance! We are the experts at getting the keys in your hands	More details	Compare	Promoted	Disclosure
OurMoneyMarket	OurMoneyMarket Car Loan Secured Fixed (Exceptional Credit) ($5k-$100k) (New) (5 Years)	5.95% p.a.	5.95% p.a.	$579	Fixed	New		$0	$0	$34,757					No vehicle age limit No ongoing or early exit fees 1-7 years loan terms. Pay monthly, fortnightly, or weekly	More details	Compare	Promoted	Disclosure

FCAI chief Tony Weber welcomed the positive turnaround.

“Why are we seeing an improvement now? We believe there are a few contributing factors, including rising optimism from the Australian public as COVID-19 restrictions ease," Mr Weber said.

“This increase in consumer confidence is backed by government support programs during the pandemic, the easing of lending restrictions, and the current competitive automotive market.

“We also believe that, given our inability to travel internationally, many Australians are choosing to purchase a new vehicle and holiday at home this year – and we fully expect to see a notable increase in family driving trips over the Christmas season."

Year-to-date, however, sales are down 16.1% on the same period last year.

In total, SUVs claimed 52.5% of the market share in November, and light commercial vehicles (utes, vans etc.) claimed 22.3%. 

Of the top ten-selling vehicles, just two (in bold) weren't an SUV or ute.

1. Toyota HiLux - 5,038
2. Ford Ranger - 4,260
3. Toyota RAV4 - 3,800
4. Toyota Landcruiser - 2,947
5. Toyota Corolla - 2,774
6. Toyota Prado - 2,602
7. Mazda CX-5 - 2,412
8. Isuzu D-Max - 2,095
9. Hyundai i30 - 2,047
10. Hyundai Tucson - 1,995

In the top ten, the Toyota Prado posted the biggest gain on November 2019's sales, up 116.1%. 

Passenger vehicle (hatchbacks, sedans) sales continued to dwindle, down 10.1% compared to November 2019.

Throughout the pandemic, used car sales' values have been soaring according to Moody's Analytics. 

The 'utility' segment, which includes utes and SUVs, had increased 32% in value, however Moody's auto economist Michael Brisson in August said this could be short-lived. 

Used car sales' rising values in 2020 have coincided with new car sales dwindling.