SYDNEY, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Australian sales of new vehicles edged higher in December to set the seal on a record year for the industry, courtesy of demand for sport utilities and commercial vehicles.
Tuesday's data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed sales rose 0.3 percent in December, from November when they dipped 0.7 percent.
Sales for 2016 as a whole reached an all-time high of 1.18 million, with SUVs taking a record share of 37 percent of the market.
Sales of "other vehicles", which includes the commercial sector, reached 251,152 for a rise of 8.6 percent on the 2015 total and a pointer to solid business investment.