Australia’s best-selling cars: why our tastes in vehicles are forever changing – with some very surprising brands on the list
- The Toyota Hilux was Australia’s best-selling car in March
- Conventional passenger cars did not make the top 10
- Utes, SUVs and electric cars were Australia’s favourites
Australia’s best cars have been revealed, with cars remaining the nation’s favourite, closely followed by SUVs and electric cars.
New data from the Federal Chambers of Automotive Industries showed new car sales fell just 3.9 percent in March compared to the same time last year, despite many Aussies grappling with the cost of living crisis.
“March was a solid month for new car sales given the supply constraints facing automakers, both domestically and internationally,” said FCAI chief executive Tony Weber.
“Year-to-date, sales are up 2.5 percent, which is a better indicator of the market’s underlying strength.”
The Toyota Hilux narrowly maintained its seven-year reign as Australia’s vehicle of choice with 4,583 sales, a 28 per cent drop from last year.
Sales of Toyota Hilux (above) fell 28 per cent in March compared to the same time last year, but it still remains Australia’s vehicle of choice
The Ford Ranger came in a close second, with sales up 52 percent to 4,508 in March, while Isuzu’s D-Max took third place with 2,789 sales.
Another four of the top 10 vehicles sold in March were SUVs, and the remaining three were electric, meaning that for the first time no conventional passenger cars, such as the once-popular Mazda 3 sedan or Toyota Corolla, made the cut.
Sales of battery electric vehicles skyrocketed 19.5 percent compared to March last year, while plug-in hybrids skyrocketed 33.3 percent.
“This growth shows that where Australians can afford a battery electric car that suits their lifestyle, they will buy it,” said Weber.
“Consumer preference for cars and SUVs is an important factor to consider as we move towards a zero-emission light vehicle fleet, as these vehicles are more difficult and more expensive to electrify.”
The Mitsubishi Outlander was the favorite of SUVs sold in Australia, placing fourth with 2,169 units sold in March.
Tesla’s Model Y placed fifth, while the company’s Model 3 sedan placed twelfth.
The Mazda CX-5 was the second most popular SUV with 2,169 units sold, but was closely followed by the Subaru Forester with 1,938 units sold.
The Subaru Forester also claimed the biggest sales growth compared to March 2022, with the SUV selling 162 percent more than the same time last year.
The MG ZS was eighth with 1,844 cars sold.
The Toyota RAV4 ranked ninth after selling just 1,778 cars in March – a 61 percent drop from sales in March last year.
Despite coming in 10th place, the Isuzu MU-X saw the second highest sales growth of any top 10 car at 103 percent with 1,745 units sold.
For the first time, no conventional passenger cars, such as the Mazda 3 sedan (above) or Toyota Corolla, made the top 10 list
China has overtaken Korea as Australia’s third largest car importer with Chinese brands offering more affordable options.
Vehicle sales from China are up 70.7 percent, with 15,124 sold last month.
However, Japan remains Australia’s largest car importer with 25,538 cars sold, but the country could soon face competition with a 20 percent drop this year.
Thailand was Australia’s second best importer with 21,729 sales, while Korea was fourth with 12,771.