The Australian truck market bounced back in August, not quite to record levels but enough to still put the year to date tallies ahead of last year’s all-time record number at the end of the eighth month with the August monthly numbers line ball with last year .
Truck sales for August this year total 3922 compared with 3926 last year, but the 2023 tally is at 31498 compared with 28307 at the same point last year, meaning that it will almost certainly be another record this year.
Isuzu topped the market yet again with 1183 total sales for August and a 30.2 per cent overall share , while Hino was next best with well less than half the Isuzu talent, selling 433 units for 11 per cent market share. Fuso was third overall with 347 sales and 8.8 per cent share. Isuzu meantime has a tally of 9291 sales so far this year putting it almost 1000 trucks ahead of where it was in 2022.
Volvo and Kenworth continue their tussle for supremacy in the heavy duty sector and for fourth and fifth in the overall market, with Volvo edging a little further ahead of its rival. Volvo sold 308 trucks in total in August, with 302 Heavy duty models and six medium duty, while Kenworth sold 284 in August. The result places Volvo 42 trucks ahead of Volvo in overall terms year to date and just 16 trucks (2276 to 2260) ahead in the battle for heavy duty supremacy, with four months left to play.
Mercedes-Benz came in in sixth in the overall market with 132 sales to be ahead of Iveco on 121, while Scania was the only other maker over the 100 mark with 116 sales to be eighth overall.
Mack had a stellar month to climb into the top ten with 92 sales on ninth , while its stablemate UD Trucks rounded out the top ten with 90 sales for the month.
As mentioned, Volvo continues to lead the Heavy sector with the numbers we already revealed , however it has to eb remembered that in 2020, in the midst of the Pandemic, Volvo led Kenworth by 52 units at the end of August, but went on to be beaten by Kenworth, 374 units to the good of its Swedish rival at the end of December. It is that unpredictability that means no one should be writing off the Paccar brand just yet.
Isuzu was next best behind Volvo and Kenworth, registering 168 sales in August, well ahead of Scania with 116 for the month and Mack with a very strong 92, just pipping Mercedes with 90 Heavies. UD and DAF tied for seventh with 78 sales, while Fuso was eighth with 54 sales, just edging Hino on 49 rounding out the top ten in the sector.
Iveco had a reasonably strong month as its first S-Ways came on line for delivery, the Italian brand selling 38 heavies up on its August 2022 total. MAN was next best with 25 sales, while Penske stablemates Western Star sold seven and Dennis Eagle six heavy trucks in August.
It was business as usual in Medium Duty last month, topping the sector with 50.5 per cent of the market thanks to 338 sales in the sector for the month, almost double that of Hino with 174 and 26 per cent share. Fuso was third thanks to its 109 medium sales which gave it 16.3 per cent share.
UD was fourth overall with 19 medium duty sales, followed by Iveco and MAN both with eight registered in the medium sector, while DAF sold five, SEA Electric four and Mercedes and Volvo two each.
In Light Duty Isuzu was even more dominant with 647 sales and 50.4 per cent of a more diverse sector. Isuzu sold more than three times the number nearest rival Fuso registered. Fuso, with 198 sales in August light duty sales just edged out Hino on 197 sales for the month. The Japanese brands were the only ones to make three figures, with Iveco next best on 77 sales of its Daily cab chassis truck, while Euro stablemate and rival Fiat sold 65 Ducato trucks. Fiat finished ahead of Mercedes with 38 Sprinter trucks, while Renault with 18, V W with 17, Hyundai with 14 and Foton with one light duty rounded out the sector sales.
Mercedes topped the van sales with 186 Sprinters, just topping rival Renault with 182, VW with 55, Ford 48 Transits, Fiat 46 Ducatos and Iveco with 21 Dailys.
The battle for heavy duty will be a captivating one for the remaining four months and as we say, you can write off Kenworth at your peril, they know how to win, however it will be close and fiercely fought all the way to 31 December we reckon, bring it on!
