The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released new motor vehicle sales for the month of January, which registered a seasonally-adjusted -2.4% fall in sales over the month but a 10.8% increase over the year:
In seasonally adjusted terms, six of the eight states and territories posted a decrease in sales.
The Northern Territory managed the largest decrease, with sales falling by -7.7% over the month. Queensland (-4.8%) and New South Wales (-3.5%) also experienced solid falls, whereas South Australia (+3.8%) and Tasmania both bucked the trend, recording rises in sales in January.
Car sales remain in an uptrend, however, driven by strong growth in sales of Sports Utility Vehicles or SUVs (4WDs) and ‘other’ vehicles, although passenger motor vehicles (PMVs) have also risen recently:
Moreover, the trend remains up in all mainland states:
