Australia’s new-vehicle market was a steady start for the year with 87,753 vehicles delivered in January — an increase of only 0. 1 per cent) .
They were private sales essentially flat and business and government sales were down; rental companies saved the day, while sales to these organisations were up by 47 per cent.
Registerings for petrol-based vehicles fell 14 per cent. In a comparison to January 2025, 7 per cent were quoted as plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) up 170 percent. 5 per cent.
Electric vehicles (EVs) were up by 93 per cent, with collected data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries’ VFACTS report and the Electric Vehicle Council’s monthly sales report. 3 per cent . If not for EV market-leader Tesla, which fell 32 per cent by 32 percent, this would have been more. year on year (Yoy) 2 per cent of s.
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Hybrids were up by only 2.0 per cent, hurt by a significant decline in Toyota RAV4 deliveries.
The top-selling vehicle, therefore, wasn’t the RAV4 as it was in December 2025. Instead, the Ford Ranger ute took the top spot, with the Toyota HiLux in second place and the Mazda CX-5 in third.
But we are seeing fewer petrol cars sold and more plug-in hybrids growing, but the adoption of hybrid and battery electric vehicles is stable,” FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said in a statement.
Brands
Toyota sales were down 22 per cent, . a bit hurt, 3 per cent, slightly because the transition between HiLux generations (sales were down by 15-year-olds) 1 per cent) – but much more by the loss of current RAV4 stock.
A drop for the popular SUV could be another next month as customer deliveries of the new-generation RAV4 will begin late in March, with a dropped from customers.
Prado deliveries were down by 51.1 per cent, though at this time last year deliveries had only just commenced a few months prior for the current-generation model. It therefore appears to have come back down to earth… and placed below the rival Ford Everest once again, after its Blue Oval rival beat it by just 55 units in the 2025 calendar year.
Mazda was down by 7.6 per cent YoY in January but held onto the second spot, fending off a surging Kia. Strong sales for its top-selling CX-5, which was Australia’s best-selling mid-size SUV in January and up 22.3 per cent, weren’t enough to offset slumping sales for the CX-3 (down 24.3 per cent to 1218 units).
Kia had a strong month compared to last January, up 15.4 per cent YoY, thanks in large part to the K4 small car having fully come on stream. While the Tasman ute isn’t meeting sales expectations, it accounted for 467 of Kia’s 6600 deliveries.
The Carnival people mover was also up by 124.3 per cent to 1321 units, making it Kia’s best seller. While we don’t yet have the breakdown of how many Carnivals went to each type of buyer, we suspect a significant percentage of these went to rental fleets.
Ford slipped to fourth in January when he finished second in December and third overall for 2025 after finishing at number two on the list of s. ’s delivery dropped by 10 per cent. a 20 per cent drop for the Ranger, which has caused 5 percent of its to be behind. A 13 . The Everest, which once again surpassed the Toyota Prado for best-selling large SUV title, was not enough to offset this by 9 per cent YoY increase.
Hyundai rose once again, with deliveries up by 6.9 per cent YoY. Its two best-selling vehicles, the Kona and Tucson SUVs, were up by 41.4 per cent and 20.7 per cent, respectively.
Despite this finish for the Kona, it was beaten by the rival Chery Tiggo 4 in the small SUV sales race; it was triumphant over the Chinese SUV (and the GWM Haval Jolion) in the 2025 calendar year, so that’s one race we’ll be keeping an eye on this year.
The sales chart was still smashed by BYD, who finished sixth place – one of its strongest placings yet – but it reached fourth position in December 2025.
Last year, the Chinese automaker finished eighth overall last year — its first time in the top 10 per year. It is a top-10 fixture and looks like it’s knocking on the door of that top-five, assuming it remains firmly in place.
The GWM (up 31-year-old) round out January’s top 10. 3 per cent to 4509 units), Mitsubishi (down 23. Chery (up 105 per cent to 4347 units), 5 percent to 4 perc. MG (down 16) and 8 per cent to 3780 units), and . , 5 per cent to 3123 units)
Isuzu Ute fell just outside of the top 10 at 2929 units, up 2.0 per cent.
Elsewhere, Tesla delivered just 501 vehicles, down 32.2 per cent on January 2025. It was just 32 units ahead of Zeekr, which is powering up the sales charts following the launch of its Model Y-rivalling 7X late last year.
Some brands still don’t report their sales figures to the FCAI or the EVC. These include Mahindra, Xpeng and Cadillac.
| Brand | January 2026 deliveries | Change YoY |
| — | — | — |
| Toyota | 14,310 | -22.3% |
| Mazda | 7692 | -7.6% |
| Kia | 6600 | +15.4% |
| Ford | 6116 | -10.5% |
| Hyundai | 5856 | +6.9% |
| BYD | 5001 | +640.9% |
| GWM | 4509 | +31.3% |
| Mitsubishi | 4347 | -23.5% |
| Chery | 3780 | +105.8% |
| MG | 3123 | -16.5% |
| Isuzu Ute | 2929 | +2.0% |
| Subaru | 2336 | -20.1% |
| BMW | 2154 | +53.7% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 2149 | +22.4% |
| Volkswagen | 1886 | -18.5% |
| Nissan | 1871 | -38.4% |
| Honda | 1222 | -3.0% |
| LDV | 960 | -19.5% |
| Suzuki | 908 | -36.5% |
| Audi | 856 | -15.6% |
| Lexus | 855 | -11.8% |
| Geely | 720 | New |
| Omoda Jaecoo | 691 | New |
| Tesla | 501 | -32.2% |
| Zeekr | 469 | New |
| Volvo | 416 | -25.7% |
| Porsche | 397 | -15.2% |
| Mini | 395 | +13.2% |
| Skoda | 342 | +4.0% |
| Land Rover | 336 | -17.0% |
| Renault | 300 | -28.4% |
| Ram | 277 | +12.6% |
| Chevrolet | 259 | -19.6% |
| KGM | 208 | -33.3% |
| Cupra | 200 | +7.0% |
| Polestar | 160 | +95.1% |
| Foton | 120 | – |
| Genesis | 119 | +13.3% |
| JAC | 118 | -42.2% |
| Deepal | 99 | – |
| Fiat | 97 | -47.0% |
| Jeep | 66 | -54.5% |
| Peugeot | 65 | -39.3% |
| Leapmotor | 61 | +177.3% |
| GMC | 39 | – |
| Alfa Romeo | 34 | 0.0% |
| Maserati | 20 | -16.7% |
| Ferrari | 18 | +500.0% |
| Bentley | 12 | +140.0% |
| Lamborghini | 12 | -52.0% |
| Aston Martin | 7 | 0.0% |
| Farizon | 7 | – |
| Rolls-Royce | 6 | +20.0% |
| McLaren | 4 | +100.0% |
| Jaguar | 3 | -92.5% |
| Lotus | 1 | -80.0% |
| Citroen | 0 | -100.0% |
Models
The Toyota RAV4, as mentioned above, suffered a stock loss ahead of the launch of new-generation model. While it was Australia’s best-selling car in December 2025, but slipped into the top 10 in January 2026.
It was beaten by the rival Mazda CX-5 and Mitsubishi Outlander, with the Hyundai Tucson in striking distance.
A top spot in January was for the Ford Ranger, followed by the Toyota HiLux, with the CX-5 finishing off the podium.
Chery Tiggo 4 smashed the sales charts, fourth place in Australia – its highest position ever held – also reached last November with a record of 111 cents. The YoY rise is four per cent, 4 percent for .
The Ford Everest (sixth place, 1913 units) has entered the year with a strong lead over rival Toyota Prado (14th position, 1392 units).
The top 10 was rounded out by the Hyundai Kona, Isuzu D-Max, GWM Haval Jolion and the aforementioned RAV4.
| Rank | Model | January 2026 deliveries | YoY change |
| — | — | — | — |
| 1 | Ford Ranger | 3403 | -20.0% |
| 2 | Toyota HiLux | 2800 | -15.2% |
| 3 | Mazda CX-5 | 2289 | +22.3% |
| 4 | Chery Tiggo 4 | 2234 | +119.4% |
| 5 | Mitsubishi Outlander | 1975 | -5.5% |
| 6 | Ford Everest | 1913 | +13.9% |
| 7 | Hyundai Kona | 1839 | +41.4% |
| 8 | Isuzu D-Max | 1798 | -13.8% |
| 9 | GWM Haval Jolion | 1789 | +39.1% |
| 10 | Toyota RAV4 | 1757 | -65.4% |
| 11 | Toyota Corolla | 1735 | +9.6% |
| 12 | Hyundai Tucson | 1729 | +20.7% |
| 13 | Mitsubishi Triton | 1665 | +36.1% |
| 14 | Toyota Prado | 1392 | -51.1% |
| 15 | Kia Carnival | 1321 | +124.3% |
| 16 | MG ZS | 1267 | +4.5% |
| 17 | Kia Sportage | 1265 | -30.7% |
| 18 | Mazda CX-3 | 1218 | -24.3% |
| 19 | BYD Sealion 7 | 1171 | – |
| 20 | Isuzu MU-X | 1131 | +43.9% |
Segments
- Micro cars: Kia Picanto (506), Fiat/Abarth 500 (20)
- Light cars: MG 3 (707), Mazda 2 (467), Suzuki Swift (248)
- Small cars under $45,000: Toyota Corolla (1735), Kia K4 (1027), Mazda 3 (865)
- Small cars over $45,000: Mercedes-Benz A-Class (251), Volkswagen Golf (211), Audi A3 (181)
- Medium cars under $60,000: Toyota Camry (875), BYD Seal (295), Kia EV4 (55)
- Medium cars over $60,000: Tesla Model 3 (213), BMW 3 Series (140), Lexus ES (97)
- Large cars under $70,000: Skoda Superb (10)
- Large cars over $70,000: Mercedes-Benz E-Class (41), MG IM5 (30), BMW 5 Series (16)
- Upper large cars: Mercedes-Benz S-Class (8), BMW i7 (6), Bentley Flying Spur (3)
- People movers under $70,000: Kia Carnival (1321), Hyundai Staria (66), Ford Tourneo (63)
- People movers over $70,000: Volkswagen ID. Buzz (64), Mercedes-Benz V-Class (38), Zeekr 009 (29)
- Sports cars under $90,000: Ford Mustang (355), Subaru BRZ (70), Toyota GR86 (56)
- Sports cars over $90,000: BMW 2 Series Coupe (92), Mercedes-Benz CLE (69), BMW 4 Series two-door range (37)
- Sports cars over $200,000: Porsche 911 (140), Ferrari two-door range (14), Mercedes-AMG GT (11)
- Light SUVs: Mazda CX-3 (1218), Toyota Yaris Cross (909), Suzuki Jimny (570)
- Small SUVs under $45,000: Chery Tiggo 4 (2234), Hyundai Kona (1839), GWM Haval Jolion (1789)
- Small SUVs over $45,000: BMW X1 (407), Mercedes-Benz GLA (373), Volkswagen T-Roc (282)
- Medium SUVs under $65,000: Mazda CX-5 (2289), Mitsubishi Outlander (1975), Toyota RAV4 (1757)
- Medium SUVs over $65,000: BMW X3 (546), Mazda CX-60 (455), Lexus NX (370)
- Large SUVs under $80,000: Ford Everest (1913), Toyota Prado (1392), Isuzu MU-X (1131)
- Large SUVs over $80,000: BMW X5 (364), Mercedes-Benz GLE wagon (216), Lexus RX (163)
- Upper large SUVs under $120,000: Toyota LandCruiser (907), Nissan Patrol (410), Hyundai Ioniq 9 (13)
- Upper large SUVs over $120,000: Lexus GX (72), BMW X7 (54), Mercedes-Benz GLS (47)
- Small vans: Volkswagen Caddy (69), Peugeot Partner (23), Renault Kangoo (11)
- Medium vans: Toyota HiAce (998), Hyundai Staria Load (194), Ford Transit Custom (180)
- 4×2 utes: Toyota HiLux (525), Isuzu D-Max (405), Mitsubishi Triton (258)
- 4×4 utes: Ford Ranger (3241), Toyota HiLux (2275), Mitsubishi Triton (1407)
Sales by category
Includes Tesla and Polestar sales.
| Category | Sales | Market share |
| — | — | — |
| SUV | 53,666 | 61.2% |
| Light commercial | 17,995 | 20.5% |
| Passenger car | 13,623 | 15.5% |
| Heavy commercial | 2469 | 2.8% |
Top segments by market share
Includes Tesla and Polestar sales.
| Segment | Sales | Change YoY |
| — | — | — |
| Medium SUVs | 21,771 | +3.1% |
| Small SUVs | 15,067 | +4.1% |
| 4×4 utes | 13,650 | -2.9% |
| Large SUVs | 11,426 | -1.8% |
| Small cars | 5946 | -7.8% |
Sales by region
Excludes Tesla and Polestar sales.
| State/territory | Sales | Change YoY |
| — | — | — |
| New South Wales | 26,305 | +2.3% |
| Victoria | 24,222 | +6.3% |
| Queensland | 18,782 | -0.7% |
| Western Australia | 8952 | -12.7% |
| South Australia | 5619 | -3.0% |
| Tasmania | 1424 | -0.8% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 1160 | +2.0% |
| Northern Territory | 628 | -18.1% |
Sales by buyer type
Excludes Tesla, Polestar and heavy commercial vehicle sales.
| Buyer type | Sales | Change YoY |
| — | — | — |
| Private | 44,150 | +0.5% |
| Business | 32,851 | -2.9% |
| Rental | 5258 | +47.0% |
| Government | 2364 | -11.7% |
Sales by fuel or propulsion type
Excludes heavy commercial vehicle sales.
| Fuel type | Sales | YoY change |
| — | — | — |
| Petrol | 33,144 | -14.7% |
| Diesel | 24,439 | -3.7% |
| Hybrid | 15,131 | +2.0% |
| Electric | 7409 | +93.3% |
| PHEV | 5161 | +170.5% |
Sales by country of origin
Includes Tesla and Polestar sales.
| Country | Sales | Change YoY |
| — | — | — |
| Japan | 22,943 | -24.6% |
| China | 20,921 | +62.9% |
| Thailand | 17,072 | -7.7% |
| Korea | 11,277 | +3.6% |
| Germany | 4346 | +20.5% |
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VFACTS 2025: Another record year for new vehicle sales in Australia, but growth modest overall
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