What’s Australia’s most popular car brand?
Australians have no shortage of choice when it comes to cars to drive. In fact, the land down under houses one of the world’s most open and competitive car markets, according to Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) CEO Tony Weber.
“New brands can enter, establish dealer networks and compete on price, technology and design,” Mr Weber said. “Consumers are the beneficiaries of that competition.”
But, despite growing competition from newer brands like BYD and GWM, Australia’s new car market has long been dominated by one manufacturer.
Having topped the new car sales charts for 29 years in a row, Australia’s most popular car brand is Toyota, according to FCAI data.
Toyota sold 239,863 new vehicles in 2025—making up nearly one in five new cars driven out of dealership lots. Ford followed, with 94,399 new cars sold, while Mazda came in third with 91,923 cars purchased.
And Toyota’s lead continues in 2026, recording 59,675 new vehicle sales in the first four months of the year—more than double that of its nearest competitor. If this trend continues, it’s very likely Toyota will once again come in as the nation’s top selling brand in 2026, despite soaring petrol prices ‘driving’ thousands to electric and hybrids.
Most popular car brands in Australia
Here are Australia’s 10 most popular car brands, based on VFACTS data:
Toyota
Ford
Mazda
Kia
Hyundai
Mitsubishi
GWM
BYD
Isuzu
MG
1. Toyota

Toyota has been Australia’s top-selling car manufacturer for decades, with the Toyota HiLux the brand’s best-selling model so far this year (with 13,427 sold). In 2025, the Toyota RAV4 recorded 51,947 sales, making it the second most popular model in Australia. The Toyota Prado was also one of Australia’s best-selling large SUVs.
Toyota is also behind some of the most popular hybrid cars in Australia; with its RAV4, Corolla, and Corolla Cross Hybrids the three highest selling hybrid models in 2025.
2. Ford

Ford secured second place in 2025, with 94,399 vehicles sold. The brand’s strong performance was largely driven by the Ford Ranger. The ute is Australia’s best-selling vehicle, with 56,555 units driven away in 2025. The model continues to perform well in 2026, with 15,841 units sold as of April.
3. Mazda

Mazda comes in at third place with over 91,000 vehicles sold. The Mazda CX-5 (medium SUV) is its most popular model, with over 22,000 vehicles sold in 2025.
4. Kia

Coming in fourth place is Kia, with 82,105 vehicles sold in 2025. The Kia Sportage was its most popular model, finishing 15th overall in 2025 (19,137 units sold). The Sorento and Picanto also landed in the top five highest-selling models in the large SUV and small car categories respectively.
5. Hyundai

Hyundai moves up one spot this year, with over 77,000 vehicles sold in 2025. The Hyundai Kona, one of Hyundai’s small SUVs, ranked seventh overall among the best-selling models.
6. Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi dropped to sixth place this year with 61,198 vehicles sold. Its top selling model was the Mitsubishi Outlander, the plug-in hybrid variant of which is one of Australia’s most popular plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) at time of writing.
7. GWM

Great Wall Motors (GWM) powered its way to seventh this year, up from tenth last year, with 52,809 vehicles sold. Its popular models include the Haval Jolion (a small SUV) and Haval H6 (a medium SUV).
8. BYD

A newcomer to the list this year, Build Your Dreams (BYD) sold 52,415 vehicles in 2025. Its plug-in hybrid models, the Shark 6 (ute) and Sealion 6 (medium SUV), took out the top two spots for highest selling PHEVs.
9. Isuzu

Isuzu fell to Australia’s ninth most popular car brand in 2025, with 42,297 vehicles sold. Known for its utility vehicles, popular models include the Isuzu D-MAX and MU-X. The D-MAX was the fourth best-selling vehicle overall in 2025, while the MU-X also performed strongly (20th overall).
10. MG

MG rounds out the top 10 this year with 41,298 vehicles sold in 2025. Its best seller is currently the MG ZS, and the model’s EV option is also one of Australia’s cheapest electric cars.
What are the best car brands?
But popularity doesn’t always equal quality. While sales charts show what’s moving off the showroom floor, a great brand can also come down to reliability, car servicing options, driving experience, and value for money.
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