Utes are the most popular vehicles in New Zealand. In the table below, we list the top-selling utes in New Zealand based on sales data from the Motor Industry Association.
Last year, sales of the top five selling utes were up (14%) on 2023's figures, when the same vehicles featured. This compares favourably with the sales figures of the top five selling passenger cars, which dropped by 4%.
Overall, passenger car sales last year were down 21% on 2023's numbers, dropping from 110,488 to 87,435. While commercial vehicle new registrations, including utes, were up close to 7.5%, rising from 38,518 to 41,393.
So far this year, the most interesting thing about the ute sales chart is the arrival of the new BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid, which has earned some great reviews, plus the appearance of the new Kia Tasman.
Top-selling Utes in NZ
Rank | Top Selling Utes | Top Selling Utes | Top Selling Utes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Ford Ranger (11,747) | Ford Ranger (978) | Ford Ranger (6203) |
2 | Toyota Hilux (7295) | Toyota Hilux (745) | Toyota Hilux (5708) |
3 | Mitsubishi Triton (4230) | Mitsubishi Triton (262) | Mitsubishi Triton (2205) |
4 | Nissan Navara (1890) | Nissan Navara (146) | Nissan Navara (1974) |
5 | Isuzu D-Max (1296) | Kia Tasman (108) | BYD Shark 6 (1424) |
Source: Motor Industry Association
Top-selling Passenger Cars in NZ
To give the above figures some context, here are the five top-selling passenger cars for the same periods, which highlight the ongoing strength of ute sales:
Rank | Top Selling Cars 2024 | Top Selling Cars August 2025 | Top Selling Cars 2025 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Toyota RAV4 (10,530) | Toyota RAV4 (1039) | Toyota RAV4 (6221) |
2 | Mitsubishi ASX (3761) | Ford Everest (413) | Mitsubishi ASX (2844) |
3 | Mitsubishi Outlander (3247) | Mitsubishi ASX (397) | Kia Seltos (2470) |
4 | Kia Seltos (3138) | Mitsubishi Outlander (353) | Mitsubishi Outlander (2254) |
5 | Suzuki Swift (2703) | Kia Seltos (315) | Ford Everest (1714) |
Source: Motor Industry Association
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