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Internal combustion power is still by far the most popular type of car in Australia, the latest sales data has revealed.
EV numbers have shown progress again in February, including the continued success of the Tesla Model Y, but petrol and diesel power have dominated the sales charts once more last month.
With brands offering a massive increase in the amount of hybrid and electric choices, buyers are predominantly still opting for internal combustion power.Â
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This is despite increasing pressure from the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, pushing manufacturers towards electrified powertrains.
The ute duo of the Ford Ranger and the Toyota HiLux again led the way for sales, both mostly being offered with turbo-diesel engines. There is a plug-in hybrid variant of the Ranger, which has had a tepid response from the market so far. Toyota's soon-launching all-electric HiLux has had a mixed reception so far, with concerns over its 240km driving range.
After those two, the Chery Tiggo 4 compact SUV has been enjoying a strong sales run, up 116.8 per cent compared to this time last year. While the Tiggo 4 comes in petrol and hybrid variants, based on previous comments from Chery Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris, sales are predominantly for the more affordable petrol versions rather than the higher-grade hybrids. Â
Next on the list is a petrol-exclusive model in the Mazda CX-5. The CX-5 is only available with either 2.0-litre or 2.5-litre petrol engines, and many of the brand’s other models have launched it into second place on the February sales standings.Â
The turbo-diesel-only Isuzu Ute D-Max took fifth place on the list, followed by the Mitsubishi Outlander, which comes in petrol and plug-in hybrid variants.
The Hyundai Kona has continued its positive sales trajectory, as another popular compact SUV choice. It comes in petrol, hybrid and all-electric choices. Based on data obtained by CarsGuide, the vast majority of sales are for the petrol and hybrid variants.
Another diesel-only ute in the Mitsubishi Triton next appears among the top sellers, demonstrating the diesel ute domination of sales in Australia.Â
The Haval Jolion compact SUV has also experienced a nice sales bump to start the year, but much like the Kona, the vast majority of sales are for its petrol variants rather than the hybrid.Â
Rounding out the ICE top 10 is the Ford Everest, which is solely available with a diesel powertrain in either 2.0-litre or 3.0-litre variants.Â
2026 February best-selling cars Australia
| Vehicle | Sales | Percentage change |
| Ford Ranger | 4325 | +7.1% |
| Toyota HiLux | 3625 | +0.2% |
| Tesla Model Y | 3274 | +61.9% |
| Chery Tiggo 4 Pro | 2315 | +116.8% |
| Mazda CX-5 | 2099 | +8.6% |
| Isuzu Ute D-Max | 2092 | +3.5% |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | 2070 | -13.2% |
| Hyundai Kona | 2023 | +7.1% |
| Mitsubishi Triton | 2017 | +42.0% |
| Haval Jolion | 1804 | +38.1% |
| Ford Everest | 1778 | +47.43% |
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