New Zealand is located in the far southern hemisphere – Wellington is the southern most capital city in the world and the country is one of the most remote. Australia is some 1,500km to the west, while the pacific islands of New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga are some 1,000km to the north. The country mostly consists of the North and South Islands with other smaller islands around them. In total, the population is around

Even so, there is a comparatively high proportion of young New Zealanders in relation to other industrialised countries.

The majority of the population lives in urban areas, with over half living in the four largest cities of Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Hamilton.

New Zealand is an English-speaking country. This is largely the result of colonisation by the British following the treaty of Waitangi, signed with the Maori people in 1840. The UK’s entry to the European Union in the 1970s has resulted in a decline of British influence and greater economic independence. The country now has a market economy and trades globally. New Zealand’s dependence on international trade makes it vulnerable to the variations in the global economy. The country was severely affected by the 2008 global financial crisis, leading to the longest recession in over 30 years.

Dairy products are now the country’s largest export. New Zealand’s dominant trading partners are Australia and China.

New Zealand has never had a domestic volume motor manufacturer. Instead, the country relied on kit assembly from a variety of manufacturers, but this came to an end by the end of the 20th century and all motor vehicles are now imported. In New Zealand’s British colonial days, British manufacturers were well represented in the country. Now geographical proximity to Japan and the Asia Pacific region means that Japanese manufacturers dominate and Korean manufacturers have gained a share of the market.

With a total car parc of 2,482,513 at the end of 2013, new car sales are small compared with Western European countries, although with a population of 4.4 million, per capita ownership of vehicles is comparatively high. According to the Motor Industry Association (MIA) of New Zealand, 82,433 passenger cars were registered in 2013. Toyota was the best selling manufacturer with 16,182 registrations during the year, followed by Holden with 9,081, Hyundai with 7,186, Ford with 7,140 and Mazda with 5,830.

According to LeasePlan, Toyota has been the best selling manufacturer in New Zealand for the past 26 years. A similar pattern is repeated where business cars is concerned. The top five manufacturer choices are Toyota, Holden, Ford, VW and Hyundai. Favoured vehicle types are generally mid range four-door saloons or five-door hatchbacks.

Besides new car sales, New Zealand also has a strong used car import market.

LeasePlan says this figure reached 105,000 in 2013. This compares with a figure of 113,117 that the company quotes for 2013 new car registrations, which includes 30,861 light commercial vehicles. Most of these used vehicles are sourced from Japan and it is clearly a thriving sector for car sales. The market is no doubt assisted by the dominance of right-hand-drive countries in the region.

New Zealand, along with Australia, Japan and Korea are all right-hand-drive markets, which makes it easier to trade vehicles in the region.

New Zealand’s new car market is currently thriving. Data from the country’s Motor Trade Association shows that sales have grown in 2013 and so far this year in 2014. The MIA estimates that New Zealand’s car fleet grew by more than 57,000 units in 2013, the strongest growth since 2005. MIA data shows that new car sales rose 7.0% in 2013, while sales of used imported cars grew by 26%. So far in 2014, the MIA estimates that new car sales have risen by 14%, while used imports have risen by 31%.

MIA data shows that new car registrations stood at 29,007 at the end of April 2014, compared with 25,891 in the same period in 2013, an increase of 12%. Data shows that overall April 2014 registrations were up 7% on April 2013 at 8,729.

The MIA says that this was the strongest April since 1982. Of these 6,151 were passenger vehicles and registrations were up 4% on April 2013. YtD data suggests that passenger vehicle registrations were 12% higher than the same period in 2013. SUVs accounted for 30% of sales in April.

Toyota is the passenger car market leader for April, followed by Holden and Hyundai. The best selling car for April was the Toyota Corolla, followed by the Nissan X-Trail and Holden Commodore.

New Zealand’s light CV sector is dominated by pick up trucks (utes) and panel vans, according to LeasePlan, which reports that Toyota has traditionally been the market leader with the Hilux. MIA data shows that for the January to April period, Ford has taken the top slot with 1,684 registrations and a 16% share of the market. Toyota has a 14% share with 1,503 registrations for the Hilux.

Business car drivers could be the envy of those in other parts of the world, where taxation is concerned. The only business car specific tax, according to LeasePlan is Fringe Benefit Tax, levied on the private use of company passenger vehicles. That said, it is the employer, not the employee who is liable for the tax.

Where finance is concerned, LeasePlan reckons that operating leases account for some 25% of the business car market. This finance method is dominated by independent lease companies rather than captives.

Looking ahead, LeasePlan does not expect much change in the make up of the business car market. New Zealand might be home to research into wireless EV charging, but so far, take up for hybrid, plug-in hybrid and EVs has been very low.