Commodore thrashes Falcon in October sales

[DanielXR8]

Commodore thrashes Falcon in October sales
Jez Spinks, drive.com.au, 03/11/06

The Holden Commodore has recorded its best sales month of 2006, and it has been acheived at the expense of Ford’s Falcon, reports JEZ SPINKS.

All-new (VE) Commodore has bolstered Holden's sales in the large-car segment.

Holden’s Commodore is continuing its fight to revive Australia’s large-car market with the all-new VE, but Ford’s rival Falcon has slipped farther down the popularity rankings.

The Commodore’s sales total of 5455, released today in official industry figures for October, is a second consecutive record month for Holden’s large car, improving slightly on September’s result - the first full month on sale for the new VE model.

More significantly, the Commodore’s result was not far off doubling that of the Ford Falcon, which recorded 2945 sales. This is the biggest sales gap this year between the two rivals, giving Commodore a huge 53.1 per cent share of the large-car market – its best result since October 2002.

Falcon’s 27.7 market share for October still kept the Ford in second place, but the car lost another place in the best-sellers table after it was outsold not only by the Toyota Corolla (3722 sales) but also, for the first time in 2006, the four-cylinder Toyota Camry (3046).

The Corolla has squeezed the Falcon out of its traditional sales runners-up spot for most of the year, but Ford will be surprised to have seen its large car slip to fourth place in October’s results.

Ford Australia says Falcon’s October transition from BF to updated BFII model didn’t help matters but that the result was still unacceptable.

“Essentially, with Falcon, we should have done better,” says Ford Australia spokesperson Sinead McAlary. “The large-car market was still there and the other guys got their fair share. It’s something we’re aware of, and we’re looking at it.

“We had a decent month for Focus, Territory, and Falcon ute versus Commodore ute, but we just didn’t get the job done with Falcon.

“Our share of the large-car market in October isn’t acceptable for us,” continues McAlary, “and we’ll be doing what we need to do to ensure it doesn’t happen again. We’ll have to be more aggressive now for the rest of the year and going into next year.”



Today’s October sales results coincided with Ford Australia’s announcement to its employees that a voluntary redundancy package was available for up to 600 staff.

McAlary says the redundancy offer is linked to the company’s recent decision to reduce local production from mid-November.

Holden, meanwhile, said it was too early to predict whether Commodore’s result signalled a long-term return to form for the large-car segment, which is down 19.8 per cent year on year.

“[Our] results are again solid, and market share is certainly higher,” says company spokesperson Jason Laird. “And [Commodore] is up 11.2 per cent year on year.

“We built the best possible car [VE Commodore] we could, to see what the market reaction is to it, but we’re not going to make bold forecasts at this point. But it’s a pleasing result given the market conditions.

“Trends build over time, but things are pointing in the right direction.”

Toyota’s new rival for the Commodore and Falcon, the Aurion, only went on sale in October, so its 343 sales for the month don’t offer a significant indicator of how the Camry-based V6-powered car will fare in the large-car segment.

It certainly didn't stop Toyota from retaining its formidable lead at the top of the manufacturers' table, with three top five cars - Corolla (2nd), Camry (3rd) and Yaris (5th) - contributing to the company's best October sales result for 16 years.

Toyota, which has sold 175,952 vehicles so far in 2006 for a 21.9 per cent market share, says it is on course for an all-time record sales year in Australia.

"The new Camry continues to exceed expectations after its first full two months of sale," says David Buttner, Toyota Australia's senior executive director of sales and marketing. "Corolla continues to set the pace for small cars, [plus there were] continued strong sales of Yaris."

"We are confident Toyota will exceed last year's total of 202,817 sales by a healthy margin," says Buttner.


Top 10 best-selling vehicles in Australia, October 2006 (passenger cars & SUVs)
1. Holden Commodore 5455
2. Toyota Corolla 3722
3. Toyota Camry (4cyl) 3046
4. Ford Falcon 2945
5. Toyota Yaris 2858
6. Mazda3 2585
7. Hyundai Getz 1594
8. Ford Focus 1584
9. Holden Astra 1575
10. Ford Territory 1349

[FPV8U]

Falcon Falling behind Camry is an a Joke, time for Ford Aus to take some action, maybe advertising could be the go, they advertise the Fairmont Ghia and thats it!!!

What about the XR8, XR6T or a XT for all i care get the falcon back into peoples minds.

[RspecAU]

Originally Posted by FPV8U

Falcon Falling behind Camry is an a Joke, time for Ford Aus to take some action, maybe advertising could be the go, they advertise the Fairmont Ghia and thats it!!!

What about the XR8, XR6T or a XT for all i care get the falcon back into peoples minds.

I agree Ford's advertising isn't as good as it should be and there merchanise isn't much better.

[raymon81]

Pffft, i see more new Camrys on the road than Commodores! oh yeh makes sense now, most of the commodores have been recalled.

[KW XRT]

Originally Posted by FPV8U

Falcon Falling behind Camry is an a Joke, time for Ford Aus to take some action, maybe advertising could be the go, they advertise the Fairmont Ghia and thats it!!!

What about the XR8, XR6T or a XT for all i care get the falcon back into peoples minds.

With the recall of all the V8's it's no wonder there selling they got to maske twice as many


XR Turbo :eclipsee_ winning the Makers championship one does wonder why it is not advertised more .The lates race description in AA desribes the Turbo as blindingly fast and outstandingly driven from the drop of the flag it was a no contest.In reality the opposition was probably in for oil. :

cheers kyren

[Kryton]

really?
ive only seen around 8 VE's running around where i live.
but then again ive only seen 1 BF2 as well.

the hype of the VE will die down in the coming months.
while they do appear to be good cars, i am already over them.

[WASP]

Not surprising unfortunately. The BF2 is a great car, but it's a big ask for it to sustain sales performance against the onslaught of all these 'all-new' models. In my opinion the 2008 model Falcon is going to have to become a 2007 reality somehow.

[16wantsI6]

if you ask me, i actually dont understand FORDS marketing perception.
sure i may not be a business man of any kind, but everyone knows that to get your product out and known is to advertise.

Holden love to advertise and usually make catchy adds which stick in peoples minds and for the average A-B driver they will probably take that in consideration.
I bet that most of average aussies don't even know what BFII is or even BF for that matter.
where as even the most public transport enthusiastic person would know what a VE commodore is.
So i think that if Ford want to up there sales they really need to advertise, show the base models and what value for money they are, show the xr6T and xr8 and show what they are like on the road and how they perform. (surely they can show a car going around a race track?)
show the luxo cars but i think they need to do better than the new Fairmont add lol.

so yeah if ford want to up sales i really think they need to start advertising, start clogging up the tv screens like holden seem to do and they should see an increase.

i also think FPV should start advertising especially the F8 and force6.

[Van D]

^^ You're right on that one.

Most people who I know don't even know there's a BF falcon.

It's ridiculous really. If Ford don't pull their finger out soon in the marketing department, I can only see it going majorly downhill. Orion better be advertised extensively with DESCENT ads (for once)..

[Ryan]

I've been seeing ALOT of VEs around.

Infact I see 1 or 2 everyday. Even moreso than VYs/VZs.

[Bill M]

The guy responsible for the camry chicken :rolleyes: Bob Miller said many years ago that "Ford couldn't sell a beer in a heat wave"
I think he's right.
cheers
Bill.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by Bill M

The guy responsible for the camry chicken :rolleyes: Bob Miller said many years ago that "Ford couldn't sell a beer in a heat wave"
I think he's right.
cheers
Bill.

A candid admission of the IQ of the Camry market, but a reflection of the market as a whole. Unfortunately for Ford, having quality designs doesn't budge perceptions easily. As I keep saying, why can't Ford get some of them out under the Mazda badge (assembled in Japan if necessary) - mightn't help local jobs in the short term but could have long term benefits in shifting perceptions.

[AU2PWR]

VE's are everywhere in Cranbourne , Ford just has to Get something new going and stop playing Catch Up , Its the calm before the Storm

[Dezza]

I can understand the Commodore beating Falcon, but Camry? Gee a lot of people have given up on life, to buy a Camry

[Lightning Strike GT]

Brand new car , brand new model and everyone had to have it first for the bragging rights and driveway envy with their neighbours and friends
Give it time the fad will ease and and the sales will stabilise

[Boss 290]

why do people buy camerys? is it the price? i know the falcon looks nicer, drives smoother, are more powerful, have better handling and brakes...whats the camery got? fuel eco and a cheap price?

[SS beast]

Originally Posted by Boss 290

why do people buy camerys? is it the price? i know the falcon looks nicer, drives smoother, are more powerful, have better handling and brakes...whats the camery got? fuel eco and a cheap price?

Fuel econ, price, quality & reliability are all that matter to some people. As for the looks, that's a mater of opinion, as they say "beauty is in the eye of the beer holder". I know I would need several 6 packs for a Falcon to look good to me and even more to make a Camry look decent. I hope Ford gets their Falcon sales act together and manages to run second to the Commodore. It's going to be a struggle though with BFII, still too many traces of AU in there, they may have a chance if and when an "all new" Falcon comes out.

[Boss 290]

Originally Posted by SS beast

Fuel econ, price, quality & reliability are all that matter to some people. As for the looks, that's a mater of opinion, as they say "beauty is in the eye of the beer holder". I know I would need several 6 packs for a Falcon to look good to me and even more to make a Camry look decent. I hope Ford gets their Falcon sales act together and manages to run second to the Commodore. It's going to be a struggle though with BFII, still too many traces of AU in there, they may have a chance if and when an "all new" Falcon comes out.

an xr6 is right near it when it comes to economy. i dont know about prices but for 38 grand for a falcon the camary would have to be dirt cheap for me. quality and reliabilty may give the camary points but why have they got this reputation? i havent seen too many cars built better quality wise then my falcon and it hasnt failed me yet in the reliabillity stage....i can understand why people may not like the look of the falcon or comodore but camarys look like a car someone would get if they just need it for practacality. ill agree with you with some models being ugly but im 100 percent certain that the ba and bf are the best looking australian cars made in this era....comodores vt,vx,vy,vz looked nice and sleek but i prefer the ba and bfs mean muscle look over those models. the ve is dead ugly and i would prefer to drink the beer when looking at that..but whats the point in that because id be too drunk to drive it so to be on the safe side i will stick with the best looking car made in oz now....the ba 2 gt...p.s looks are in the eyes of the beer holder so dont take this too personal cheers

[SS beast]

Originally Posted by Boss 290

an xr6 is right near it when it comes to economy. i dont know about prices but for 38 grand for a falcon the camary would have to be dirt cheap for me. quality and reliabilty may give the camary points but why have they got this reputation? i havent seen too many cars built better quality wise then my falcon and it hasnt failed me yet in the reliabillity stage....i can understand why people may not like the look of the falcon or comodore but camarys look like a car someone would get if they just need it for practacality. ill agree with you with some models being ugly but im 100 percent certain that the ba and bf are the best looking australian cars made in this era....comodores vt,vx,vy,vz looked nice and sleek but i prefer the ba and bfs mean muscle look over those models. the ve is dead ugly and i would prefer to drink the beer when looking at that..but whats the point in that because id be too drunk to drive it so to be on the safe side i will stick with the best looking car made in oz now....the ba 2 gt...p.s looks are in the eyes of the beer holder so dont take this too personal cheers

All in good fun mate. The Falcon is a good looking car, compared to most cars on the road, I am a die hard Holden man so can't agree with your comment that the VE doesn't look good (agressive looking too I reckon with the flared guards). Holden & Ford both need to hold those damn Toyotas back though..........Cheers, it's beer 'o' clock.

[Boss 290]

Originally Posted by SS beast

All in good fun mate. The Falcon is a good looking car, compared to most cars on the road, I am a die hard Holden man so can't agree with your comment that the VE doesn't look good (agressive looking too I reckon with the flared guards). Holden & Ford both need to hold those damn Toyotas back though..........Cheers, it's beer 'o' clock.

at this point it looks to be holden showing the real competeion though...if only ford marketed aswell as they do. it must come down to marketing because thats the only reason why i could see these toyotas outselling ford and holden

[Steffo]

Originally Posted by SS beast

Fuel econ, price, quality & reliability are all that matter to some people.

All of those reasons provide the perfect argument AGAINST buying the Camry. :

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by Steffo

All of those reasons provide the perfect argument AGAINST buying the Camry. :

Or a Falcon for that matter

[Steffo]

Originally Posted by MAGPIE

Or a Falcon for that matter

Agreed. But it betters Camry in almost all categories.

[Hawk]

Originally Posted by Boss 290

why do people buy camerys? is it the price? i know the falcon looks nicer, drives smoother, are more powerful, have better handling and brakes...whats the camery got? fuel eco and a cheap price?

Have you watched TV lately? Or listened to radio lately? Or watched the premier sporting events recently? Toyota is EVERYWHERE. Not only can they push every other car maker out of the market by using so much money on marketing (which isn't just advertising people), but they can build on the perception that their cars are good enough for the everyday person.

How many Joe Public's see the Toyota brand and equate it with reliability and dependability? When it comes to buying a car, Toyota's are okay to look at, drive fine for what Joe wants, have enough power, move around corners without a problem, pull to a stop fine and are not focused on blowing away the guy next to you at the lights. Add that to a cheap price and running costs and why wouldn't Joe buy a Toyota?

The fact is Ford does not have its premier car's 're-birth' at the most suitable time, has styling that is ageing against its major rivals despite refreshers (which Joe doesn't know/hear about anyway), retains the perception that because it is a large car it is not capable of delivering frugal fuel economy and retains the perception (possibility?) that it is not as reliable as its rivals. Why is this? Because the marketing power/dollars are simply NOT THERE and because its rivals are doing more than enough to represent themselves in the spotlight - because they can.

I love Fords, and people can call me alarmist/pessimistic, but there are a lot of things that are not aligned well enough at the moment for Ford to bring the Falcon back to the top.

[05MkIIFutura]

Originally Posted by Boss 290

whats the camery got? fuel eco and a cheap price?

Better build quality, reliability and cheaper to run

[05MkIIFutura]

Those Holden numbers are inflated, alot will be pre-release orders to the fleets. There is absolutely no point in reading anything into this and the newspaper journo should have know better than make those claims - just last month there were articles about the worst new-release month since the VT.

Just wait till it all settles down.

[Fordoldie]

Originally Posted by 05MkIIFutura

Those Holden numbers are inflated, alot will be pre-release orders to the fleets. There is absolutely no point in reading anything into this and the newspaper journo should have know better than make those claims - just last month there were articles about the worst new-release month since the VT.

Just wait till it all settles down.

Just this month the media now quote second record month in a row so not sure where you got that one from?
You are right one would suggest a number of pre-ordered rentals being in those numbers however.

"NEWSFLASH"
How about the news that you cant have a VE Taxi? At least not until later in the year/New year. Apparently they forgot to tell everyone that you cannot fit a Taxi meter to them as they havent designed a software compatible. Someone I know just picked up his new VE SV6 in Auckland to be told by the fitter they couldnt fit his car out! Bet they are not telling too many people that one....

[ClevlndStemer]

Originally Posted by 05MkIIFutura

Those Holden numbers are inflated, alot will be pre-release orders to the fleets. There is absolutely no point in reading anything into this and the newspaper journo should have know better than make those claims - just last month there were articles about the worst new-release month since the VT.

Just wait till it all settles down.

Inflated how? Are Ford's numbers inflated? Cause Ford would certainly be wanting some Fleet contracts. The numbers quoted are of cars that have been registered in the last month, all makers get the numbers the same way, there is no conspiracy. The VE is a good car and can't doubt that, I have seen so many of them in Melbourne over the last month. Many people have waited for this car for a long time. I don't expect BF2 to do anything spectacular with Aurion here now.

[05MkIIFutura]

Originally Posted by ClevlndStemer

Inflated how? Are Ford's numbers inflated? Cause Ford would certainly be wanting some Fleet contracts. The numbers quoted are of cars that have been registered in the last month, all makers get the numbers the same way, there is no conspiracy. The VE is a good car and can't doubt that, I have seen so many of them in Melbourne over the last month. Many people have waited for this car for a long time. I don't expect BF2 to do anything spectacular with Aurion here now.

The manufacturers can definately manipulate sales figures. The only reason the Falcon has ever out-sold the commodore in recent years (on ONE occasion) is because the deliberately timed the delivery of a few hundred vehicles to large fleets, and that is a fact straight from Ford's mouth.

When i say "inflated", i dont mean someone added some zero's when the motor registeries werent looking, i meant they will prob be higher than average because Holden will be delivering the pre-ordered fleet vehicles.

[Dezza]

Fuel economy of Camry isn't even that good. A small 4 cylinder engine dragging a long a big heavy body isn't particularily light on fuel.