The cars driving China's dominance: The top 5 best selling Chinese-built cars in Australia and how many we've bought

China is now the third-largest source of new cars in Australia, beaten only by Japan and Thailand for cars exported here.

Japan being the home of Toyota and many other major manufacturers who usually build in their home nation puts it at the top: 193,424 cars sold in Australia in 2024 so far are Japan-built.

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But the increase in awareness of Chinese brands as well as the rise in acceptance of electric cars have contributed to the 96,981 Chinese-built cars sold in Australia so far this year.

But what are the cars we’re most likely to buy from China? Here are the top five models from the first half of 2024.

1. Tesla Model Y - 12,516 sold here in H1 2024

Yes, Australia’s most popular Chinese-built car isn’t even from a Chinese brand.

The world’s most popular electric car is built in a few places around the world, but Australia’s Teslas are built at the brand’s Shanghai Gigafactory, which in 2021 reportedly was the source of half of China’s electrified car export total.

The Tesla Model Y ticks several boxes here in Australia, bringing with it a badge name that’s become desirable since Tesla arguably made electric cars cool, a price lower than previous Tesla models and the fact that it slots into one of the country’s most popular vehicle categories as a mid-sized SUV.

About a quarter of the Chinese-built cars sold in Australia this year so far have been Teslas built at the Giga Shanghai plant, further illustrating that EVs have helped boost China’s presence on the global automotive stage.

2. MG ZS - 11,809

When it’s not electric cars helping China make waves in worldwide markets, it’s affordability.

Here in Australia, the MG brand has built up some recognition by both leaning into its history as an originally British brand, and by tussling to offer the most affordable cars in some of Australia’s most popular segments.

Not only is the MG ZS a common sight in hire car brochures, but it’s a popular option for young drivers looking for an affordable SUV in both urban and rural areas.

More than one in 10 Chinese cars sold here in the first half of 2024 were MG ZSs. This includes the electric MG ZS EV.

3. Tesla Model 3 - 10,600

Tesla takes both first and third place in the first half of 2024, with the Model Y’s sedan sibling still registering impressive sales despite a statistical lack of demand for other sedans.

Also built in the brand’s Giga Shanghai plant, the Model 3 was outsold by only one sedan model in the first half of 2024, the Toyota Camry (10,788 sales) which has enjoyed a resurgence compared to last year.

Those two models make up around two thirds of medium sedan sales for the first half of 2024, with a total 33,739 being sold across all price categories.

4. GWM Haval Jolion - 7131

Like the MG ZS, but without the brand cachet, the GWM Haval Jolion fits into the small SUV category and wears a low sticker price that makes it one of the most popular options in the segment.

The Kona, aside from the sales-topping ZS, is the only other small SUV that outsells it, the Hyundai at 8948 sales to the Jolion's 7131 through the first half of 2024.

Between the MG ZS, the Jolion and another from China - the Chery Omoda 5 - more than a quarter of small SUVs sold in Australia in H1 2024 were built in China.

5. MG3 - 6143

Having been available in Australia for years but now enjoying segment dominance through more established rivals dropping away through higher pricing and lack of popularity, the MG3 light hatch has just entered a new generation with hybrid power and thus a slightly higher price.

Whether it will remain as popular as representing half the light hatchback (under $30K) sales as it did in the first half of the year is yet to be seen, but being able to outsell the similarly affordable first car fave, the Suzuki Swift, should be an indication that Chinese brands don’t give most buyers ‘the ick’ as much as plenty of online commentary would suggest.

Notable mentions: BYD and Chery

Despite shifting smaller numbers of cars this year so far, both Chery and BYD are newcomers to the market (in their current iterations at least) and have shown impressive gains without the brand awareness or established presence as their rivals in the list above.

Chery has come with a few SUVs of varying sizes and prices to try and get in on the budget end of the popular SUV market, while BYD’s electric car range has expanded from the popular Atto 3 to include a variety of EVs and even now a plug-in hybrid.

It’ll be a surprise if models from these two brands don’t end up on lists like these in the near future.