Top Selling SUVs in New Zealand

SUVs are the vehicles of choice for Kiwi drivers, comprising 81% of all new passenger car sales in NZ last year. The only non-SUV to perennially top the car best-seller list is the Suzuki Swift, and even the old faithful Corolla is being outsold by the Corolla Cross.

Last year, sales of Mitsubishi’s Outlander and ASX were strong and, with the passing of the EV subsidies, SUVs such as the Tesla Model Y and BYD ATTO 3 disappeared from the Top 10 altogether.

But overall, the Toyota RAV4 remained the country’s No.1 choice of SUV, outselling its nearest competitor, the Mitsubishi ASX, by nearly three to one.

And, so far this year, the RAV4’s popularity shows no sign of abating, and on the back of its new and improved Model Y, Tesla is back in the charts:

→Related article: Best Hybrid Cars in New Zealand

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What type of SUVs are there?

The Motor Industry Association divides SUVs into four main categories:

• Compact
• Medium
• Large
• Luxury

Compact SUV

If you want an SUV, but don’t need an SUV, a compact is a great choice. Compact SUVs are perfect for small families and zipping around the city.

They offer a raised driving position and are spacious, despite their compact form. This makes parking and navigating narrow suburban streets a breeze, compared to larger models.

Medium SUV

A medium SUV is your standard SUV. They offer plenty of room for a family trip away, plus plenty of comfort, even on long trips or rough terrain. Some even have extra seating in the boot.

They are still small enough to drive around the city without obnoxiously blocking suburban streets, but their added size and grunt give you a bit more freedom than a compact model. No compromising on luggage or legroom, for example.

All-wheel drive models allow you to keep on driving long after the road signs have stopped.

Large SUV

Large SUVs usually have seven seats, although sometimes the sixth and seventh come in the form of smaller fold-up seats in the boot. That makes these perfect for large families, or those who regularly do carpool runs. Because of their size, they can be a little more cumbersome to drive, especially in busy mall parking lots. But most modern SUVs have cameras and sensors and driving assist features that should help keep you from knocking off side mirrors and reversing into parked cars.

Luxury SUV

Such is the popularity of SUVs that luxury and sports car manufacturers across the globe have gotten involved. Whether you want to drive a Maserati, Porsche or a Lamborghini, there are now SUV options available to you.

While these aren’t typically as expensive as their sportier cousins, they do still carry a high price tag and contain many of the luxuries of their coupe counterparts.

Electric SUVs and hybrids

A large chunk of new EVs and hybrids hitting our shores are SUVs, such as the Tesla Model Y and the BYD ATTO 3. And many existing SUV brands now feature hybrid options.

For example, all new RAV4s, Toyota Corolla Crosses and Highlanders are petrol hybrid models, while Mitsubishi’s Eclipse Cross and Outlander come in PHEV models.

→Related article: Top Selling Electric Cars in New Zealand

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About the author of this page

Bruce Pitchers is Canstar NZ’s Content Manager. 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 Driven, Stuff and One Roof websites, the NZ Herald, Radio NZ, and Newstalk ZB.
Away from Canstar, Bruce creates puzzles for magazines and newspapers, including Woman’s Day and New Idea. He is also the co-author of the murder-mystery book 5 Minute Murder.