Weekly Dealer Car Enquiries: October 31, 2021

In this series, which we aim to bring to you every week, 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 a 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, October 31, new car enquiries were down just 1.2%, totalling 1,647 queries. Interest among new car buyers has seemingly found a base, which comes after the easing of lockdown restrictions in the nation’s two-largest states. These areas have also shown rebounding confidence, with the gains being driven by an uptick in sentiment.

Heading into the holiday season, and with a greater sense of ‘normality’ returning to the country as we pivot to living with COVID, the outlook for the rest of the year looks promising in terms of buying interest, even if we have flagged the ‘competition’ for discretionary spending as international borders reopen. 

Nonetheless, the challenge for dealers and buyers alike will be securing stock, with supply shortages still hampering the industry, and something that could persist well into the new year. With this in mind, new car buyers will need to order their next car well in advance, and as more awareness builds on this point, we anticipate there may be a build-up of forward orders leading into Christmas.

New car interest by brand

Mazda led the way as the most sought-after brand last week, touching 200 new car enquiries. Given the brand’s expansive SUV line-up, and the fact its BT-50 ute has gained traction in recent months, it’s little surprise the Japanese auto-maker is at the top of the list for many new car buyers.

Fortunes were mixed for the other leading car brands, with Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Nissan posting marginal gains, albeit at the expense of Kia, Isuzu and Ford.

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