Australia’s new car market rose very slightly in volume in 2024 compared to 2023 - but it wasn’t good news across the board.
Data reported by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) regarding new car sales during 2024 shows well over a dozen brands had markedly poor sales in Australia during the year compared to 2023, including some rather big players and recent risers.
While the following isn’t an exhaustive list of every brand that’s seen sales decline, a table at the end of this page lists brands that saw sales decrease by more than 10 per cent as well as a sales volume decrease of more than 100 units.
CarsGuide contacted each the following brands to allow them to comment on the reasons or challenges that resulted in lower sales compared to the year before, and while not every brand responded, it’s important to note that some of these brands are roughly in line with the year-on-year decline of segments they operate in, some are coming off particularly good results for 2023, and some have relatively niche product offerings that might see declines when there’s economic uncertainty.
Jeep
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In terms of pure percentage, Jeep’s fall from its comparatively comfortable 2023 figures would surely have been setting off alarm bells at Stellantis Australia’s HQ all year — the American off-road brand’s sales essentially halved in 2024.
From 4634 sales in 2023 to just 2456 sales in 2024, Jeep’s 47.0 per cent drop was a result of all of its models on offer being down, aside from the new Jeep Avenger (and its modest 79 sales).
It’s not just a local issue, Jeep’s home nation sales have taken a serious slide in the last few years from almost a million to less than 600,000 in 2024.
Prices continuing to creep upwards for some of its models, plus the lack of a mid-size SUV to replace the discontinued Cherokee are likely factors.
Ram

While Ram’s overall 43.6 per cent decrease year-on-year (down to 3852) seems dramatic, chances are a drop in volume wasn’t a surprise within the walls at their Australian HQ.
Factors like incoming rivals and a slowing increase in overall demand for full-sized American trucks will have contributed, Ram’s transition from V8-powered 1500s to the new six-cylinder versions will have had an influence on the year finishing at 2981 units below 2024.
“Ram Trucks Australia is currently undertaking an extensive engineering program ahead of the release of an updated RAM 1500 with turbocharged six-cylinder petrol power, due in showrooms by the middle of the year,” the brand said in a statement.
Despite the dip, the Ram 1500 remains top of the ladder when it comes to big utes, and Ram overall as a brand was just ten units behind 2024’s big ute leader, the still-growing Chevrolet (3862 units) which leads in the even larger ‘Heavy Duty’ space thanks to the Silverado HD.
Tesla
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There are plenty of factors that could have contributed to Tesla’s year ending 7773 units down — or a drop of 16.9 per cent between 2023 and 2024 — there’s one stat that’s a big give-away.
The Model 3 held relatively steady, down just 1.48 per cent year-on-year, the more popular Model Y was down 26.13 per cent, probably due to much of 2024 being a swirling rumour mill of an inbound update to the electric SUV.
Of course, a slow in the rising demand for electric cars, an increasing number of competitors to Tesla, and even political happenings regarding the brand’s CEO are also factors.
Now that the updated ‘Juniper’ Model Y has been revealed, 2025 could see the EV brand’s fortunes return.
MG

MG has seen meteoric rises year-on-year recently (the brand sold just 8326 cars in 2019), its 50,592 units in 2024 represents a 13.3 per cent drop compared to 58,346 in 2023.
It’s not all bad news, as MG points out its two biggest sellers entered new generations in 2024, and should see strong sales in 2025. In addition, its MG4 electric car sold a healthy 6934 units in 2024, well over double the year before.
"2024 was a year of evolution for MG, introducing all-new models for the MG3, HS, ZS Hybrid+ and of course launching the Cyberster,” MG Chief Commercial Officer Giles Belcher told CarsGuide.
“The new generation vehicles are a major step for our brand and are a marker for the significant list of new vehicles we have planned for 2025.
“The trends of the market in 2024 with strong growth in hybrid power and continued growth and acceptance of EVs has MG very well placed for 2025 and beyond.”
Volkswagen

Volkswagen’s sales have fluctuated in Australia for the last few years, with 2023 seeing a spike and 2024’s results representing a ‘settle’ back to what could probably be described as a standard year for VW at the moment.
A total 43,821 sales in 2023 dropped to 36,840 in 2024, a fall of 16.8 per cent.
The Amarok ute and, believe it or not, Polo hatch both chalked up improvements of 1774 and 1226 sales over the prior year respectively. The Tiguan, T-Cross and T-Roc all saw significant decreases that contributed to the brand’s sales dip of 7341 units year-on-year.
Given the changing nature of the market, Volkswagen’s next moves in terms of its model offerings (including yet-to-arrive EVs) will be important in keeping sales above the 30,000 mark.
Skoda

Another marque under the Volkswagen umbrella, Skoda’s perception of being a ‘cheaper’ alternative to VW has perhaps slipped a little — all of its models saw decreases in sales between 20 and 60 per cent, resulting in a drop from 7999 to 5015 sales year-on-year all up.
The 37.3 per cent drop in sales is concerning even for a small-volume brand, but updates to some key models and the new Enyaq electric car could aid in turning the tides.
Cupra
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For a brand that grew as quickly as Cupra, a steep decline in sales only a few years into its Australian presence could be seen as concerning.
Its relatively niche, style-focused offerings don’t exactly fit into the types of segments that held steady in 2024, so it shouldn’t be extremely surprising that fewer people opted for a (relatively) little-known European brand when considering a new car during economic instability.
Its 1426 decrease in sales at the end of 2024 (from 3765 to 2339 year-on-year) means the brand is 37.9 per cent down, but the brand still has the Tavascan electric SUV coupe to launch this year - whether it makes a significant difference to the brand’s bottom line is yet to be seen.
Renault

Renault’s slip of 2468 less than 2023 for last year (5556 cars following a year of 8024 sales) isn’t great news for the French brand, but there’s a silver lining.
SUV sales plummeted (Arkana down 72.6 per cent, Koleos down 66.9 per cent), but van sales are up for the brand with Trafic holding steady (up 0.7 per cent) and Master up by 807 units (59.7 per cent).
In addition, Renault is bringing back the Captur small SUV (which Mitsubishi will also sell rebadged as the ASX), which could add a significant number of sales to the brand’s bottom line.
LDV
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The problem with having one good year is that if the next year is back to normal, it looks like a slip downwards. That’s LDV’s problem for 2024 after 2023 was a record year of sales for the brand.
LDV saw a 28.4 per cent drop in sales, from 21,298 in 2023 down to 16,022 in 2024 — led mostly by a decrease in sales for the T60 Max ute.
“While LDV sales dipped in 2024, the annual sales result of 16,022 followed a record year in 2023 – and the 2024 figure is 2.5 per cent higher than the five-year average for the brand, in an overall market that grew by 0.3 per cent last year.”
Mercedes-Benz
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A steady decline for Mercedes-Benz Cars here in Australia over the last few years has seen the brand slide from almost 32,000 sales in 2019 to 19,989 in 2024, the latter figure itself down 17.8 per cent from 2023.
Just about everything in Mercedes’ range was either down on sales or held steady, save for the GLA small SUV, which was up 1222 sales year-on-year, or 65.0 per cent.
The brand’s biggest hurdle could be the segments it operates in, with premium SUVs down significantly overall in both Medium (by 27.9 per cent) and Large (by 14.1 per cent) categories.
Volvo

Another brand that fell victim to its segments, Volvo had the extra challenge of changes to its plans and shifting trends.
Despite this, a spokesperson from Volvo Australia told CarsGuide the 2024 result looked to be about “in line with the segment” it operates in.
Down by 20.0 per cent (11,128 units in 2023, down to 8898 in 2024), Volvo’s EX30 small electric SUV arrived later than it had originally planned, while the brand’s most popular model the XC40 took a huge hit of 2695 units less than the year before.
The EX30’s results for its limited time on sale in 2024 should be cause for optimism, racking up 2129 sales in about half a year and on track to outsell XC40 if it continues that way in 2025.
Audi
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Again, the dip in demand for Medium and Large premium SUVs is on show here, with a significant portion of Audi’s 19.5 per cent drop in sales able to be chalked up to the Q5 (down 1473 units) and Q7 (down 1021) - overall Audi was down 3706 units to a 2024 total of 15,333 sales.
The good news is Audi has plenty of new or updated models on the way (including the Q7), plus its sales in 2024 approximately reflect its results for the last few years running.
Subaru
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Subaru is one brand in the fortunate position that a sales drop between 2023 and ‘24 isn’t actually a sign of overall decline. Subaru’s sales over the last few years have taken a hit as most have, but its 2024 result of 40,604 is about on par with its 2019 sales.
Its 46,114 in 2023 was a particularly good year, while a spokesperson for Subaru Australia told CarsGuide the brand is particularly proud of being “awarded Canstar’s Most Satisfied SUV Owners for the second consecutive year”.
“This recognition is a true testament to the trust and loyalty our customers place in Subaru and our dealer network. Looking ahead, we are excited to launch the new generation of our top-selling Subaru Forester this year.
“This new model will not only feature a completely refreshed design but will introduce an all-new hybrid powertrain to our product offering, providing even more options for our customers.
“As we move forward, we remain committed to meeting the evolving needs of our customers, and by continuing to prioritise their satisfaction, we are confident that we will continue to maintain strong presence in the market.”
Lexus

A drop of 10.2 per cent year-on-year for Toyota’s premium brand doesn’t sound ideal, but Lexus had one of the best results in years for 2023, and 2024 represents a levelling-out of sorts.
2024 is the second-best year Lexus has seen in the last few years, with even pre-pandemic 2019 not resulting in a total sales figure above 10,000.
“Lexus deliveries of 13,642 in 2024 reflects our natural running rate, showing a remarkable rise in organic growth resulting from the unprecedented introduction of seven completely refreshed or all-new Lexus models over the last three years
“Record deliveries of 15,192 in 2023 was due predominantly to Lexus filling back orders, and therefore should be considered an anomaly.”
And the rest
Below is a table of all the brands that met the criteria outlined at the top of this page, though it includes brands like Alfa Romeo and Maserati, more niche marques that are prone to fluctuating sales and are particularly susceptible to dips in volume during tumultuous economic times.
Brand | Volume YOY | Percent YOY |
Alfa Romeo | -155 | -21.6% |
Audi | -3,706 | -19.5% |
Cupra | -1,426 | -37.9% |
Fiat | -228 | -30.2% |
Genesis | -516 | -26.9% |
Jeep | -2,456 | -47.0% |
LDV | -5,276 | -24.8% |
Lexus | -1,550 | -10.2% |
Maserati | -261 | -40.9% |
Mercedes-Benz | -4,326 | -17.8% |
MG | -7,754 | -13.3% |
Peugeot | -620 | -24.6% |
Polestar | -744 | -30.3% |
RAM | -2,981 | -43.6% |
Renault | -2,468 | -30.8% |
Skoda | -2,984 | -37.3% |
Subaru | -5,510 | -11.9% |
Tesla | -7773 | -16.9% |
Volkswagen | -7,341 | -16.8% |
Volvo | -2,230 | -20.0% |