Holden sales in freefall after announcing closure

The announcement of Holden’s planned exit from the Australian new-car market has had an instant impact on sales with the venerable marque falling outside the top 10 brands.

According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) February VFACTS report, the numbers are damning

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With 4008 recorded registrations this year to date (YTD), Holden has fallen to position 12, sandwiched between German giants Mercedes-Benz (4531) and BMW (3950).

It’s a far cry from the days when the Red Lion challenged the likes of Toyota (32,488 YTD) and Ford (9025 YTD) for top-brand billing.

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While chief executive of the FCAI, Tony Weber, said that the market has seen a downturn for the past 23 months, the Holden result is significant.

“There is no doubt that this is an extraordinarily difficult time for the automotive industry – a situation sadly underpinned by the recent announcement of Holden’s withdrawal from the Australian market,” Weber said.

More pointedly, Holden’s February figures means that sales have plummeted by 49.8 percent (to 1367) compared to the same month in 2019.

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Commodore sales have collapsed, with just 132 units finding owners in February 2020, which is in stark contrast to its heyday, where Holden sold 10,028 VTs in March 1998.

However, the traditionally strong Colorado is also facing tough times, with registrations falling from 1152 in January 2020 to just 598 in February (4x2 and 4x4 variants combined).

Despite the market lapping up SUVs, with high-riders making up 49.2 percent of the entire market according to the FCAI, the Equinox (111), Acadia (115) and Trailblazer (115) all sold in small numbers.

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Behind the Colorado, the Trax was the next highest-selling Holden with 233 registrations.

These incredibly small sales figures are despite the fact that Holden dealers have begun to slash prices across the entire range as they attempt to clear stock.

Bargain hunters wanting a new car would be well advised to head to a Holden dealer as some models have had several thousand slashed off their prices.

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HOLDEN SALES BREAKDOWN FEBRUARY 2020

Astra – 63

Commodore – 132

Trax – 233

Equinox – 111

Acadia – 115

Trailblazer – 115

Colorado – 598

TOTAL – 1367

TOP 10 BRANDS YEAR TO DATE 2020

Toyota – 32,488

Mazda – 13,925

Hyundai – 11,388

Mitsubishi – 10,621

Kia – 9825

Ford – 9025

Nissan – 7248

Honda – 6958

Volkswagen – 6879

Subaru – 4853