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The only bright spot for General Motors is that GM-Holden's local Commodore, again remains the number one seller.
However, the Commodore's local success is likely to do little for the woes of the parent company in Detroit.
GM-Holden is believed to be close to making a decision on its immediate future with a full audit of its operations and staffing levels.
A decision could be announced as soon as next week.
In the past three months GM-Holden has slashed production days and further down days could be on the cards as demand for the Commodore stagnates.
The company has fast-tracked production of its new small four cylinder car as buyers move to smaller cars.
Senior management at the company, including boss, Mark Reuss, have already taken pay cuts of up to 10 per cent to protect jobs.
Last month's VFACTS sales figures due out tomorrow are expected to show that about 3500 Commodores were sold last month, beating the popular Toyota HiLux.
Despite the Commodore's success, GM-Holden and other car brand sales are tipped to be down again.
However, Toyota is expected to remain market leader but its sales have also taken a battering.
March sales are down about 17 per cent across the board compared to March 2008.
About 75,000 vehicles were sold last month, compared to the 91,285 vehicles sold 12 months ago.
But as private buyers desert showrooms, there is still some strength in the light commercial business end of the market.
One analyst said most carmakers are positioning their brands for a tougher market this year.
"Sales this year will, in effect, be down to 2003 or 2004 levels, which is hardly disastrous and still better than some overseas markets," he said.
Top 10
1. Holden Commodore 3500
2. Toyota HiLux 3200
3. Toyota Corolla 3000
4. Mazda3 2800
5. Ford Falcon 1900
6. Toyota Yaris 1700
7. Hyundai Getz 1650
8. Hyundai i30 1625
9. Toyota Camry 1600
10 Mitsubishi Lancer 1400
* approximate figures
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