Looking back at 2024, it was full of motoring surprises. We’ve chosen our top 10 to round off the year. Happy holidays and see you in 2025!
Motoring surprises
1. Volkswagen UK used a social media poll to choose a name for its new bright yellow colour T-Cross SUV. ‘Rubber Ducky’ was the winner, with 46% of the vote.
2. There were more diesel than electric cars in Norway. It’s true that sales of electric cars outnumbered petrol cars this year for the first time. Out of 2.8 million registered private cars, 754,303 were electric and 753,905 were petrol. However, just under a million were running on diesel.
3. Cars are becoming more and more boring. Electrification, platform sharing, an obsession with safety and getting bigger, too much technology, more driving assistance, more sameness and “an inevitable dulling of sensation”.
4. We want to own hybrids rather than battery-powered electric vehicles. Sales of hybrids are booming. Meanwhile, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen are pulling back on EV plans.
5. Our most popular choices in the last quarter of 2024 were SUVs and light commercials – 80% of sales. Toyota is still the market leader. RAV was easily the best seller in Sept, Aug, and July, toppling utes, Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, from their long run.
6. This year, vehicles from China were the third most popular choice, knocking South Korea into fourth place. Sales of Chinese cars jumped from 4,154 in 2014 to 193,433 in 2023 and rising.
7. Did you know Saturday and Sunday are the safest days on our roads, even though 11am on Saturday is the busiest time in Sydney? Friday has been the worst day for crashes since 2014.
8. Finder research found 13% of people admit to texting, 9% use social media, 7% had watched a movie or changed their clothes and 42% of drivers eat – all while driving.
9. It’s become a dangerous place to be a driver. Australia ranked a surprising 15th worst country globally. It also came 40th worst for road death rate (5.4 deaths per 100,000 population) but 7th worst for vehicle crime.
10. The most popular car in Australia is still the Toyota Corolla, except for under 25s, who prefer Mazda 3 and Hyundai i30. The trusty HiLux came 4th and the Ford Ranger 6th for all ages.
Bonus motoring surprise
You can still find the cheapest greenslips in NSW at greenslips.com.au Calculator, after more than 20 years.
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