- shares The year 2020 was one that many would like to forget, and the automotive industry is no exception. Lockdowns and economic slowdowns brought on by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic translated exactly as you'd expect for Australia's new-car sales, with a staggering 48.5 per cent sales decline in April, contributing to an overall market down 13.7 per cent by the end of the year. Despite the sales slowdowns and production delays caused by COVID-19, 2020 was still a relatively strong year in terms of new model launches, with highlights from the year ranging from the rapid Ford Fiesta ST and Mercedes-AMG A45 S hot hatches in the first half of the year, to the new-generation Isuzu D-Max and Kia Sorento toward the year's end.