Source: alexfan32/Shutterstock.com
Source: alexfan32/Shutterstock.com

Top selling cars in New Zealand

According to the most recent government statistics, from 2013 to 2024, the number of cars, utes and motorbikes on our roads grew by a third, from around 3.4m to 4.5m.

However, over the past five years, our appetite for new passenger vehicles has wavered. Due to the tighter economic climate, in 2024 cars sales were down considerably, by around 21%, year on year.

However, last year they rebounded by 12%, and 2026 sales numbers are off to a good start:

  • 2021: 112,008 cars
  • 2022: 116,334 cars
  • 2023: 110,488 cars
  • 2024: 87,410 cars
  • 2025: 97,972 cars
  • 2026 (Jan-June): 51,407 cars

Top selling car models New Zealand

The top five best-selling cars in 2022 and 2023 were the same: the RAV4, Outlander, Model Y, Swift and Eclipse Cross.

However, over 2024-25, there was a shake-up at the top. The Eclipse Cross, which sold 1030 last year, was usurped by its little brother, the ASX, and the once popular Model Y dropped out of the top 15 altogether.

In 2025, there were 1284 new Tesla Model Ys registered in the country, placing it 17th on the best-seller list. But so far this year, Tesla has sold 1098 Model Ys, rocketing it back into second position on the best-seller charts:

Rank

Top Selling Cars 2025

Top Selling Cars 2026

1

Toyota RAV4 (11,295)

Toyota RAV4 (3219)

2

Mitsubishi ASX (4970)

Tesla Model Y (1908)

3

Mitsubishi Outlander (4309)

Mitsubishi ASX (1807)

4

Ford Everest (3323)

Mitsubishi Outlander (1554)

5

Kia Seltos (3189)

Ford Everest | Toyota Corolla Cross (1494)

6

Toyota Yaris Cross (2018)

Kia Sportage (1328)

7

MG ZS (1971)

GWM Haval H6 (1275)

8

Toyota Corolla (1953)

Hyundai Tucson (1266)

9

Hyundai Tucson (1841)

MG ZS (1216)

10

Suzuki Swift (1825)

Kia Seltos (1055)

11

GWM Haval H6 (1815)

Toyota Yaris Cross (874)

12

Toyota Landcruiser Prado (1668)

Suzuki Swift (858)

13

Mazda CX-5 (1609)

Kia Stonic (839)

14

Toyota Corolla Cross (1476)

Toyota Corolla (779)

15

Kia Sportage (1360)

Mazda CX-5 (662)

Source: NZTA – 2026 sales to 30/06/26


Petrol vs hybrid & EV sales

Between 2022 and 2023, pure EV models increased their market share from 10% to 14.5%. However, it's clear the end of the EV subsidies had a big effect. While hybrid sales remained strong last year, new EV numbers plummeted. Just 7% of vehicles sold in 2025 were fully electric.

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which are now subject to road user charges, were also out of favour. Just 4658 PHEVs were registered in NZ last year, while non plug-in hybrid sales were strong, matching those of petrol vehicles.

However, over the first six months of 2026, EV and PHEV sales rebounded considerably. EVs comprised a record 17% of the new car market and, marking another tipping point, sales of vehicles with non plug-in hybrid engines (of which just over 1% were diesel) surpassed those of cars with traditional combustion engines:

Sales by Engine Type 2025

Sales by Engine Type 2026

40% Petrol

35% Non plug-in hybrid

40% Non plug-in hybrid

31% Petrol

8% Diesel

17% EV

7% EV

10% Plug-in hybrid

5% Plug-in hybrid

7% Diesel

Source: NZTA – 2026 sales to 30/06/26

So far this year, sales by engine type:

Non plug-in hybrids: 35% (17,382)

Top models include:

  • Toyota RAV4 (2442)
  • Toyota Corolla Cross (1494)
  • Kia Sportage (1024)

Petrol: 31% (16,081 sales)

Top models include:

  • Mitsubishi ASX (1807)
  • Mitsubishi Outlander (1273)
  • Kia Seltos (1055)

EVs: 17% (8792 sales)

Top models include:

  • Tesla Model Y (1908)
  • BYD Atto 1 (498)
  • BYD Atto 3 (490)

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle: 10% (5158 sales)

Top models include:

  • Toyota RAV4 (777)
  • GWM Haval H6 (426)
  • BYD Sealion 5 (381)

Diesel: 7% (3409 sales)

Top models include:

  • Ford Everest (1494)
  • Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (216)
  • Land Rover Defender (210)

Top selling EV models

As we mention above, so far this year EV sales have bounced back:

  • 2023: 21,032 EVs
  • 2024: 6341 EVs
  • 2025: 6871 EVs
  • 2026 (Jan-June): 8792 cars

And despite many new models hitting the market, such as the Dongfeng Box, the Tesla Model Y remains the country's most popular EV:

Rank

Top Selling EVs 2025

Top Selling EVs 2026

1

Tesla Model Y (1284)

Tesla Model Y (1908)

2

BYD Atto 3 (555)

BYD Atto 1 (498)

3

Polestar 2 (354)

BYD Atto 3 (490)

4

BYD Sealion 7 (337)

BYD Atto 2 (450)

5

Tesla Model 3 (308)

Dongfeng Box (449)

6

Kia EV5 (276)

Kia EV3 (447)

7

Kia EV3 (255)

Jaecoo J5 (351)

8

BYD Dolphin (221)

MG 4 (350)

9

Toyota BZ4X (192)

BYD Sealion 7 (256)

10

BMW i  (176)

Zeekr 7X (246)

11

Honda e:N1 (171)

Kia EV5 (244)

12

Mini Countryman (151)

MG ZS (240)

13

Omoda E5 (128)

MG S5 (224)

14

Geely EX5 | Mini Aceman (111)

Dongfeng Vigo (213)

15

Volvo EX30 (109)

Telsa Model 3 (198)

Source: NZTA – 2026 sales to 30/06/26


New Zealand’s favourite passenger car brands

Japanese brands have long been the top selling cars in NZ, especially if you count commercial vehicles. But even without ute sales, Toyota and Mitsubishi comprise a quarter of the passenger car market.

However, while Japanese brands hold a large share of the overall market, Korea's Kia and Hyundai are also big players in the passenger sector. But it's the upstart brands of BYD, GWM and MG that have made the biggest inroads into the top car charts over the past two years.

New passenger car/SUV registrations by brand, no. sales and market share %:

Rank

Top Selling Brands 2025

Top Selling Brands 2026

1

Toyota 22,402 (23%)

Toyota 8740

(17%)

2

Mitsubishi 10,815 (11%)

Kia 4538 (9%)

3

Kia 8597 (9%)

Mitsubishi 4224 (8%)

4

Suzuki 4925 (5%)

MG 2679 (5%)

5

Mazda 4920 (5%)

BYD 2602 (5%)

6

Ford 4677 (5%)

Suzuki 2264 (4%)

7

MG 4131 (4%)

GWM 2194 (4%)

8

Honda 3176 (4%)

Tesla 2106 (4%)

9

Honda 3626 (4%)

Ford 2083 (4%)

10

GWM 3237 (3%)

Mazda 2010 (4%)

11

Nissan | Subaru 2306 (2%)

Hyundai 1884 (4%)

12

BYD 1904 (2%)

Honda 1650 (3%)

13

BMW 1787 (2%)

Chery 1218 (2%)

14

Volkswagen 1721 (2%)

Subaru 968 (2%)

15

Tesla 1592 (2%)

BMW 919 (2%)

Source: NZTA – 2026 sales to 30/06/26

Bruce Pitchers is Canstar's NZ Editor. An experienced finance reporter, he has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in Australia, the UK and NZ, including ACP, Are Media, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. As a freelancer, he has worked for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority and major banks and investment companies on both sides of the Tasman.
In his role at Canstar, he has been a regular commentator in the NZ media, including on the DrivenStuff and One Roof websites, the NZ Herald, Radio NZ, and Newstalk ZB.
Away from Canstar, Bruce creates puzzles for magazines including Woman’s Day and New Idea. He is also the co-author of the murder-mystery puzzle book 5 Minute Murder.


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