The automotive industry has started the year on a positive note with a significant increase in the number of new vehicles sold during January.

Official VFACTS data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) shows that 74,864 passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were sold in January, up 11.6 per cent (or 7,785 vehicles) on the same month in 2009.

“This is a strong result and provides the market with a confidence boost heading into 2010,” FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar said.

“Business purchases remained strong in January with some buyers taking delivery of vehicles ordered last year under the Federal Government’s business tax break,” he said.

“New car affordability is better than ever and has been further enhanced by the tariff cut on many imported vehicles,” he said.

“New car buyers have effectively been handed a ‘tax cut’ and many brands have moved quickly to reduce prices or increase vehicle specifications,” Mr McKellar said.

“As a result, it is expected that this will encourage private buyers to return to the marketplace in greater numbers throughout the year,” he said.

Toyota retained the top selling position with a market share of 19.5 per cent; followed by Holden with 14 per cent and then Ford with nine per cent.

Source: http://www.fcai.com.au/news/all/all/236/strong-start-to-the-year-for-new-car-sales-

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Lead by the 2010 LaCrosse, Buick sales overall rose 17.7 percent in January, compared to the same month last year. The LaCrosse luxury sedan saw a 139 percent sales increase from January 2009.

The LaCrosse continues to attract new customers to Buick, with 18 percent of vehicle trade-ins coming from people with non-U.S. makes. The vehicle is also attracting younger buyers, with more than one-third of LaCrosse buyers being younger than 55 years old, and 46 percent with household incomes above $75,000. Redesigned from the ground up, the 2010 LaCrosse offers all-wheel drive, a suite of advanced personal technologies and safety features and a luxurious interior.

The Enclave, Buick’s luxury crossover, also posted strong results with a 5.6 percent increase in sales compared to January of 2009. The LaCrosse and Enclave were recently named a best buy by Consumer Guide’s 2010 Best Buy and Recommended Award. In addition, the LaCrosse and Enclave were named Sedan of the Year and Three-Row SUV/Crossover of the Year by MotherProof.com.

“We are pleased to see the LaCrosse and Enclave sales have increased 139 and 5.6 percent compared to last January,” said Brian Sweeney, general manager of Buick GMC.

Source: http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/news/news_detail.brand_buick.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2010/Feb/0202_buick_sales

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Audi SUVs are collecting top honors: readers of OFF ROAD magazine have selected the Audi Q5 as the off-road vehicle of the year in the SUV category. The Audi Q7 took third place in the luxury SUV category. The awards were presented last night in Munich.

In the survey of readers, the Audi Q5 took first place in the SUV category. Hans-Joachim Radde, Head of Marketing Germany at AUDI AG, accepted the prize and remarked: “The Audi Q5 combines dynamics and sportiness with a highly variable interior. It’s an all-round talent for recreation and family. And in the long run, that’s what customers in this segment want.”

The Audi Q7 also found favor among the magazine’s readers, taking third place in the luxury SUV category. “Sports, recreation and business – that’s what the Audi Q7 stands for. And with the 3.0 TDI clean diesel, it already meets the strict Euro 6 limits that will come into effect in 2014,” Radde said.

Almost 25,000 OFF ROAD readers cast their votes this year, selecting from 97 models in eight categories. The automotive trade journal has held its reader survey since 1982.

Source: http://www.audiusanews.com/newsrelease.do?id=1668

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