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Diesel powertrains mounted a major comeback in April, dominating the country's best-seller lists as plug-in hybrid powertrains suffer as FBT exemptions expire.
The best-seller list was stacked with utes and diesel-powered SUVs, with the Toyota HiLux (4121 sales) and Ford Ranger (4031 sales) finishing in first and second place, with the Ford Everest (2234 sales), Toyota LandCruiser Prado (2233), Isuzu D-Max (2107) and the LandCruiser (combined LC300 and LC70, both diesel-powered, 1877 sales) filling spots four, five, six and seven.
In fact, the Toyota RAV4 (3808 sales) was the only non-diesel in the top five, while, the Kia Sportage (1701 sales), Toyota Corolla (1660 sales) and Nissan X-Trail (1615 sales) finished in eighth, ninth and tenth.
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It marks a return to the top two spots for the traditional sparring partners of the HiLux and Ranger, and striking comeback for diesel-powered vehicles more generally, with electrified options locked out of the top spots.
But beneath the numbers cracks are continuing to grow. Sales of the HiLux, for example, dropped 12.2 per cent month on month, while the Ford Ranger delivered 27.6 per cent fewer vehicles compared to April 2024. The RAV4 dropped 35 per cent, the Everest fell 6.9 per cent, and the D-Max 11.5 per cent, all compared to the same month last year.
It contributed to a 6.8 per cent drop in total market sales in April, with 90,614 vehicle sold, compared to 97,202 in the same month last year. The year-to-date numbers have fallen, too – 381,017 sales so far this year, down from 401,654 in 2024.
Not helping matter, says the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, is the "sharp decline in sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles following the removal of the fringe benefits tax exemption for these models at the end of March".
In April, 2601 plug-in hybrids were sold, compared to 6932 in the final month of FBT exemption.
“The earlier inclusion of PHEVs in the FBT exemption played a critical role in making these vehicles accessible to more Australians. Removing that support has led to an immediate and disappointing drop in demand in a price-sensitive vehicle market,” says FCAI chief executive Tony Weber;
Elsewhere, Toyota led the sales race in April, with 19,380 deliveries, down 6.7 per cent on the same month last year. Ford (7334 - down 15.2 per cent), Mazda (6573 - down 10 per cent), Kia (6303 - down 5.3 per cent ) and Hyundai (5547 - up 7.0 per cent) rounded out to the top 5 in April.
Top selling makes April 2025
| Rank | Make | Sales | Variance (%) |
| 1 | Toyota | 19,380 | -6.7 |
| 2 | Ford | 7334 | -15.2 |
| 3 | Mazda | 6573 | -10 |
| 4 | Kia | 6303 | -5.3 |
| 5 | Hyundai | 5547 | +7 |
| 6 | Mitsubishi | 4212 | -20.7 |
| 7 | GWM | 3874 | +16.3 |
| 8 | Nissan | 3690 | + 27 |
| 9 | Isuzu Ute | 3330 | -21.8 |
| 10 | BYD | 3207 | +127.4 |
Top selling models April 2025
| Rank | Make/model | Sales | Variance (%) |
| 1 | Toyota HiLux | 4121 | -12.2 |
| 2 | Ford Ranger | 4031 | -27.6 |
| 3 | Toyota RAV4 | 3808 | -35 |
| 4 | Ford Everest | 2234 | -6.9 |
| 5 | Toyota Prado | 2233 | +1198. 3 |
| 6 | Isuzu Ute D-Max | 2107 | -11. 5 |
| 7 | Kia Sportage | 1701 | +0. 1 |
| 8 | Toyota Corolla | 1660 | -20. 8 |
| 9 | Nissan X-Trail | 1615 | +32. 5 |
| 10 | Hyundai Kona | 1605 | +28.4 |
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