Australians are still buying cars in greater quantity than ever before, despite tough economic conditions.
The new vehicle market recorded its strongest ever July result off the back of the same feat in June.
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Electric car sales are also showing no signs of slowing down in Australia, accounting for more than one-in-five cars sold.
Chinese brands are becoming a staple high up the sales charts in Australia, with many budget-focused models continuing to drive sales.
Toyota is officially back on track in Australia
Toyota achieved 20,409 registrations for July, more than double what BYD managed.
The Japanese juggernaut has taken out the top-two spots for July with its RAV4 family SUV and HiLux ute.
The RAV4 has shot up the sale charts to take out pole position, with 5564 units, wrestling back against early supply issues plaguing the new version of the hugely popular family model.
Plug-in hybrid variants of the RAV4 have received some serious attention from buyers, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the SUV's total sales.
Toyota's HiLux ute was not far behind, boasting 4721 units and overtaking the Ford Ranger (4042) in July.
The brand also experienced its best month in 2026 for its Land Cruiser Prado and 300 Series 4WDs.
The EV takeover is not slowing down
Fully-electric cars represented more than one-fifth of all sales in July, with rising fuel prices continuing to influence buyer choices.
The Tesla Model Y registered another month as the best-selling EV in Australia, with 4644 units in July between its five- (2215) and six-seater (2429) variants according to EV Council data.
BYD’s Sealion 7 mid-size SUV was another strong performer, with 2548 examples sold last month, keeping its tag as the brand’s best-selling model for another month.
The Geely EX5 (2034) made another appearance in the top 10 best sellers, followed by the Zeekr 7X (1892).
Chinese brands are now staples among the best-sellers
The Chery Tiggo 4 (2156) small SUV has continued its run as one of the best-selling small SUVs, holding off competition from the Hyundai Kona (2096) and Mazda CX-5 (1836).
BYD held onto second position in the overall sales standings for July (7857), despite a noticeable drop-off from June.
In addition to the Sealion 7, its Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute registered another confident registration figure, with 1216 units, along with the Atto 2 small SUV (1214).
Chery, Geely, GWM and MG all made the top 10 best-selling brands for the month.
Top 10 selling vehicles, July 2026
| Vehicle | Sales | Percentage change |
| Toyota RAV4 | 5564 | +26.0% |
| Toyota HiLux | 4721 | +1.0% |
| Tesla Model Y | 4644 | -42.5% |
| Ford Ranger | 4042 | +2.8% |
| BYD Sealion 7 | 2548 | +78.6% |
| Chery Tiggo 4 | 2156 | +4.4% |
| Hyundai Kona | 2096 | +10.1% |
| Toyota Prado | 2082 | -11.0% |
| Geely EX5 | 2034 | +315.1% |
| Zeekr 7X | 1892 | -- |
Top 10 selling car brands, July 2026
| Brand | Sales |
| Toyota | 20,409 |
| BYD | 7857 |
| Kia | 6553 |
| Mazda | 6458 |
| Ford | 6400 |
| Hyundai | 5991 |
| Chery | 4615 |
| GWM | 4518 |
| MG | 4284 |
| Geely | 3685 |
