Weekly Dealer Car Enquiries: February 21, 2021

In this series, which we hope to bring to you on a regular basis, we’ll be detailing some of the key numbers and trends that we’re seeing in terms of dealer connections made through our site.

As this data is considered somewhat representative of broader industry activity, and serves as one of the more insightful leading indicators for potential car sales, we hope it will fulfil a few purposes for our broad audience. First, to document not just how we’re performing as business, but how dealers and the wider market stand to perform, so you don’t have to wait til that next set of official sales data.

Without further ado, here’s what happened over the last week.

Total new car enquiries

In the week ending Sunday, February 21, new car enquiries found a steady footing compared with the week prior. Whereas last week there were 2,620 dealer connections made across the seven-day period, this time around there was a total of 2,627.

It’s pleasing to see some consolidation around this number given the uncertainty that had been lingering over the new car market in Victoria, where a snap lockdown flowed through to the new period. 

With this lockdown lifted, and the vaccine rollout now beginning across the country, it is highly likely a new wave of optimism may dawn over the new car industry. Further helping the cause was the release of last week’s jobs data, which showed the Australian economy continued to improve, with unemployment dropping to 6.4%, and underemployment back near pre-COVID levels.

New car interest by brand

Mazda extended its lead over Ford in second place as interest in the Japanese brand picked up last week, however, the leading trio - with Kia being the other name - have cemented their position as the most-desired brands among PriceMyCar members for some time now.

Elsewhere, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen caught the eye of a number of prospective new car buyers, despite being in the premium segment of the market. 

Isuzu snuck back into the top six brands thanks to a solid showing last week, with the brand now drawing significantly greater interest than a year ago, thanks largely to its new D-MAX ute. 

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