Australia's best selling cars

With most of the production delays from the semi-conductor shortage and COVID-related shutdowns now largely in the rearview mirror, 2024 is set to be a bumper year for new-vehicle activity.

Australians love wagons. But the advent of SUVs and their sheer popularity against waning sedan sales means that wagon numbers, too, have dropped. From nearly 40 different models to choose from a decade ago, today, that number is down to a dozen... and dropping.

Australian roads used to be full of them.Long-gone favourites like the Holden Gemini, Ford Telstar, Mitsubishi Magna and Daihatsu Charade are now just that – memories of a bygone era. May they rust in peace.But not every car was discontinued abroad when they reached the end of the road in Australia. Many kept on selling overseas, and some even still live on today, having evolved as required to keep up with ever-changing consumer demands (and the Grim Reaper at bay).Sure, their styling has changed completely and they’ve been rebranded with cooler names to help keep buyers interested, but they all have one thing in common: a direct link to predecessors that were once part of Australia’s automotive landscape.Like some celebrity or outlaw who faked their demise or disappeared into a witness protection program, we expose their lives today. Same lineage. Different design and name. You’re bound to be surprised. Toyota has recently unveiled four completely different looking vehicles under the Crown name for global consumption which, unfortunately, does not include Australia.While there’s a striking fastback sedan, wagon and SUV, it’s the oddball crossover-style all-wheel-drive sedan version created expressly for the North American market that we’re focusing on, since it directly replaces the Avalon over there.Now, over 15 generations since 1955, the Crown has been a flagship Toyota sedan, its innate conservatism underlined by traditional three-box styling and rear-wheel-drive engineering. Australians had a taste from 1963 to 1987.However, the Crown crossover sedan is different, as it adopts a variation of the Toyota New Global Architecture ‘K’ (TNGA-K), as found in the transverse-engined/front-drive-based Camry, Kluger and scores of other models worldwide.That also includes the 2018-2022 Avalon, the final of five generations of Camry-derived Avalons built in and for America. The 1994 original was later made and sold in Australia from 2000 to 2006 after the US plant moved on to the second-gen Avalon in 1999. Unsurprisingly, a sloppy-seconds sedan from the States failed to entice us away from the hot VT/VX Commodore or AU/BA Falcon, though.So… the new, 2023 Crown crossover sedan for America directly continues the Avalon line and positioning as a jumped-up Camry, albeit in a swish, high-riding body and wearing a noble old badge – one not seen in the US in half a century.As a footnote, American left-hand-drive (LHD)-only production precluded the Avalon from being sold in Australia beyond the first series, but as the Crown crossover sedan will be made in Japan, there’s one fewer hurdle to stop an Avalon revival Down Under… but sorry taxi operators, this is highly unlikely to happen. Hyundai debuted in Australia with the pretty, Giugiaro-penned X1 Excel in 1986, but it was the on-point X3 Excel of 1994 that caught Australian light-car buyers’ imagination, often cracking a top-three sales position. They were literally everywhere.Though highly publicised quality glitches and endless discounting prompted the Australian importer to switch to the X3’s global ‘Accent’ name for the redesign in 2000 (LC series), two more generations followed, in 2006 (MC) and 2011 (RB). The latter proved successful later in life, trading on low prices and larger-car packaging.However, the 2017 HC Accent was created primarily for the Americas, China and Eastern Europe, prompting Hyundai to make it LHD-only, precluding Australia. Instead, the South Korean plant that supplied our market switched to the Venue light SUV, and by 2019 stocks of the old RB Accent dried up.Fun fact: Accent is reportedly an acronym, for ‘Advanced Compact Car of Epoch-making New Technology’. The Captiva now represents something of a pariah for Holden loyalists and with good reason, due to poor reliability and iffy quality that tarnished the brand’s reputation, perhaps even irreparably.However, affordable pricing and family-friendly packaging did help propel the South Korean medium-to-large SUV to consistent sales success during much of its considerable lifespan, so there’s no arguing that it also helped keep Holden afloat during hugely turbulent times.As it turns out, the Captiva – which was offered as both a short-body five-seater and long-body 5/7-seater wagon – was set to be replaced by a trio of Chevrolet and GMC-based SUVs.Holden released the Equinox and Acadia in 2017 and 2018 respectively, but the Blazer that was slated to sit in between as the main event never eventuated, since GM pulled the plug on Holden in early 2020.The Blazer now represents Holden’s lost opportunity, being everything its Captiva predecessor was not: Camaro muscle-car-inspired styling, a dynamic chassis and just-right sizing. Of all the what-might-have-been Holdens, this is surely one of the most heartbreaking for not having been given a chance to fly.In 2024, the Blazer will morph into an all-new EV. Would it have been Holden’s first full electric car? The Territory is now steeped in Australian motoring folklore, championed by a visionary leader (the late Geoff Polites), funded extensively through the sale of large swathes of land around Ford Australia’s Melbourne headquarters, lauded as one of the world’s best SUVs at the time, prolonging local production and ending up as Australia’s only-ever truly indigenous SUV.With such accolades, it’s no surprise that the Australian team was reportedly later developing an all-new large-car architecture for the 2010s that was going to replace the Falcon, Mustang and a host of other Ford and Lincolns globally.But the project was pulled and the design and engineering of the T6 truck platform was taken on instead, leading on to the wildly successful Ranger.However, eventually, that large-vehicle architecture surfaced underneath what might have been the Territory’s direct replacement, the sixth-generation (U625) Explorer of 2020. Along with broadly similar proportions and packaging, the big SUV features rear-wheel as well as all-wheel drive configurations, mirroring its legendary Aussie cousin of two decades prior.Ironically, the thing that helped prove fatal to Territory all those years ago keeps the Explorer from being sold in Australia: Ford did not develop it for the steering wheel to be offered on either side of the vehicle. Or, in other words, it's LHD-only.Needless to say, from Byron to Broome, SUV-mad buyers would be queueing up for the American Territory by any other name. Pity. Released locally at the dawn of the SUV craze in 1997, the original, J100 Daihatsu Terios was civilised enough for urban buyers with its monocoque construction and car-like interior, yet provided some off-road capability, with high ground clearance, live rear axle, 4WD and a lockable centre diff.It also foresaw the rise of the light SUV, but the series’ potential was cut short in Australia when controlling shareholder Toyota pulled the pin on Daihatsu in 2005.Sadly, we thus missed out on the chunky J200 Terios of 2006, which improved the design and proportions, looking more like a scaled-down RAV4 of the time. That ran until 2018, and was replaced by 2020 in many overseas markets by the A200 Rocky.We’ve said this before here, but the latest Rocky and its Toyota Raize twin are exactly what Australian new-car buyers need right now, with their compact, city-friendly dimensions and affordable pricing.The Rocky name, by the name, was used by the original Terios’ predecessor of the 1980s, but that was a properly tough ladder-frame-chassis 4x4 rival to the Suzuki Sierra.

Truly Australian car brands – as in brands that mass manufactured cars locally, regardless of the origin of their overseas parent companies, became a thing of the past in 2017.

Australia’s love affair with Mazda is so passionate, and so unique, that even the car company itself can’t really explain it. Nowhere in the known universe is Mazda quite as popular, or as successful, per capita, as it is in this country, and in the most recent sales charts, it maintained its place as our second most popular brand, after mega-global giant Toyota. In the US, Mazda didn’t have a single car in the top-10 selling vehicles in 2018, globally it is ranked 16th in production numbers, behind every other Japanese brand, including Suzuki, and in Japan itself it came in sixth in sales last year.But in Australia, we can’t get enough of them, so obviously there’s a lot of excitement about what new Mazda cars are on the way, what new Mazda sports car might be in the offing and which of Mazda’s latest models are about to updated. Here, then, for those many new Mazda fans out there, is a complete list of what’s out there in 2019 and what’s coming up for the future.New Mazda uteWhile its twin-under-the-skin, the Ford Ranger, is kicking sales goals, Mazda’s slightly lumpen-looking BT-50 has been one of the brand’s slightly less-stellar offerings.Mazda gave the BT-50 an Australian-designed facelift in 2018, which brought a squarer bumper and made it slightly less disturbing to look at.For now, though, ute buyers will have to either put up with the current look, go and buy a Ranger or wait for the new BT-50, which is around two years away.Mazda Australia says the design for the new car is already locked in and that it’s “very happy” with the way it’s looking, so you can bet it will be quite different to the current one.While today’s BT-50 is a joint venture with Ford, its replacement will be something new as it’s a co-development with Isuzu and will share its architecture with the rugged and reliable D-MAX ute. We can expect to see the new vehicle in around 2021, and Mazda Australia managing director, Vinesh Bhindi, knows just how vital its success will be. For Toyota and Ford, utes are their biggest sellers in Australia, while for Mazda it’s still very much the 3, so a successful BT-50 replacement could push Mazda even further up the sales charts.“For Mazda Australia the BT-50 is critical,” Bhindi says. “Our focus will be private buyers even for the ute.”New Mazda SUVYou might not be able to see much space between a Mazda CX-3 and a CX-5, but perhaps you’re just not looking hard enough, because Mazda has found a gap in there, which it’s going to plug with a Goldilocks model known as the CX-30, which will arrive in Australia later this year.The CX-30 is longer and wider than a CX-3 (4395mm and and 1795mm versus 4275mm and 1765mm), yet smaller than the CX-5, which measures 4545mm in length and 1840mm in width.The big news, particularly for young parents who love the CX-3’s styling but wish it could fit a standard pram in the boot is that the CX-30 can do just that, with 430 litres of luggage space, up from just 264 in the CX-3.Engine offerings should include the Skyactiv G 2.0-litre petrol and the exciting new Skactiv X petrol engine.New Mazda sports carSome brands need halo model, and some brands, like Mazda, already have one, like the MX-5, which is arguably the most successful, and widely loved, sports car the world has ever seen. Speculation that there would be a new Mazda RX-7 or RX-8, or some other new Mazda rotary, to cash in on those glorious cars of yore with their screaming rev limits has been quashed of late, with Mazda repeatedly saying no such vehicle is in planning, nor required.The company is not giving up on the Wankel rotary technology it did so much to make famous, however, and says that it will form part of a special range-extender platform, basically a rotary hybrid.The “flexible rotary hybrid platform”, which combines a rotary-based range extender with a battery-powered EV driveline, is tipped to be so fuel efficient that it will help Mazda to compete even in countries with the stricter emissions requirements. At this stage, the rotary project is called XEV, and Mazda spokes people have said that it will come to Australia, at some point.New Mazda 2One of the best little city cars around, and one of the best looking, the current Mazda 2, which dates back to 2015, still looks fresh and isn’t due for replacement until 2021, so you won’t find too many run-out deals on it yet at your local dealership if you’re keen to buy one.It may not end up being a new version of itself, of course, because if the current trend for making SUVs out of every single segment on the market continues, the 2 might morph into something else entirely.Indeed, Mazda has hinted that it is watching trends to see just what shape the next 2 might be, and that it could become a very small SUV indeed, slotting in under the CX-3, rather than its current, traditional hatchback shape.Watch out, then, for the CX-2 to show its face on a motor show concept stand in the next couple of years.New Mazda 3New cars don’t get much more important for a brand than the 3 is for Mazda. While many buyers are moving away from traditional hatches and small sedans - and the new 3 offers both - the Mazda 3 somehow maintains its popularity.The new, and truly wonderful looking version, will do nothing to hurt those sales numbers and should instead give them a boost, with its improved interior, lower levels of NVH and the arrival of the epoch-shifting Skactiv X petrol engine.The new 3 also sets the benchmark for safety in this category, as you can read here.New Mazda 6Those rare families who aren’t tempted by the lure of a new SUV would find the Mazda 6 sedan and wagon hard to go past. Indeed, its appeal is such that Mazda was still tipping the 6 to sell 3700 units over its first 12 months when the latest facelift arrived, in May last year.The big change for that update was the addition of turbocharged variants, to add some spice to the range.There were also structural changes made to the 6 to help reduce noise and improve comfort, including thicker floor panels. Cosmetic changes included a new grille and headlights, and 17 or 19-inch wheels.There was also a bit of love shown to the interior, with comfier seats, a new dash and an Active Driving Display (a head-up display, in other words).Once again, in a shrinking market place, the future of the 6 is hard to deduce, but for now it’s a family car with a low centre of gravity that’s well worth considering.New Mazda CX-3A new, or at least updated, Mazda CX-3 was launched to an already adoring public late last year, with the 2019 modeller upgrade including minor cosmetic tweaks, a nicer interior and some engine fettling. The original CX-3 was only launched in 2015, and yet it feels like it’s been a feature on our roads for longer, so enthusiastically have Australians taken to it.The interior is noticeable better and has more oddment storage, thanks to Mazda’s decision to replace the old-school hand brake with an electronic one. You can read all about it here.New Mazda CX-5It’s hard to overstate just what an enormous success the CX-5 has been in Australia. It’s been our number-one selling SUV for the past seven years, which is pretty impressive when you consider that it’s a mid-sizer and not particularly off-road capable. What it is, however, is pretty much the perfect sized family car for city dwellers, and attractive and good to drive to boot.It is, for now, still behind the 3 on Mazda’s own sales charts, but even with the arrival of the sexy new version of that car, Mazda is tipping that the CX-5 will become the brand’s top seller over the next year or two.The CX-5 was most recently updated in May, 2018, with Mazda adding cylinder-deactivation technology and slashing prices across the range. You can read all about it here.New Mazda CX-6Yes, there does seem to be one more gap in the Mazda line-up that could be filled by yet another sleek SUV, and that would be the CX-6, tipped to arrive around 2021.Destined to sit between the big-selling CX-5 and the twin-sister CX-8 and CX-9, the CX-6 would be a coupe-styled SUV, following in the footsteps of some very popular efforts from the European SUV makers (think BMW X4 for example).Sure enough, speculation has it that this will be a more premium model with smooth and futuristic lines. As the so-called CX-6 will be aimed at the premium end of the market, it will likely be powered by a the 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine from the CX-9 large SUV and Mazda6 mid-size sedan.New Mazda CX-8Yes, the CX-8 does sit very close to the CX-9 in the Mazda range, but that doesn’t mean it’s not unique, and clever. Initially a Japan-only model, Mazda Australia begged to bring it here, and managed to do so in June last year. It has the long wheelbase and the seven-seat layout of the CX-9, but also the narrower width dimensions of a CX-5, making it just that bit easier to park. It also looks different, not a lot, but enough, with the headlights from the CX-9 and the taillights from the CX-5.The idea seems to be to give Mazda a foot in both the mid-size and large SUV camps at the same time, for those people who aren’t quite sure which they want to go, and end up coming down right in the middle.You can read all about it here.New Mazda CX-9The big daddy of the Mazda range, the CX-9 has won many plaudits, and plenty of fans, for is stylish design, driveability, clever use of space and the fact that it’s a seven-seat SUV you might actually desire to own.Most recently updated in September last year - with new tech, better safety, improved handling and a touch of interior classiness - the CX-9 also bumped up its price slightly.You can read about the updated versions here.New Mazda MX-5The car that puts the Zoom Zoom in Mazda, the MX-5 is a sporty, two-door roadster that puts a smile on the face of anyone who drives it. Enormously successful and seemingly getting both better looking, and better to drive, with each new generation, Mazda recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of the MX-5 with a special edition in bright Racing Orange.Just 3000 examples of the 30th Anniversary edition will be sold worldwide, with a choice of either soft-top or hard-top, and such is the love for this car that you can bet they’ll all become collector’s items.

The Australian new-vehicle market declined yet again in January, with sales decreasing by 7.4 per cent over the same month last year, according to VFACTS sales data released today.

Australia's new-car market went into reverse gear in July, dragging down sales by almost 8.0 per cent on the same month last year and with it, putting the first seven months of this year behind the same period in 2017.The result is a disappointment considering sales to June this year had strengthened and pointed to a strong calendar year result. For the month, only three carmakers – Kia, Nissan and Volkswagen – posted gains.The official VFACTS figures released today showed the volume of vehicles sales for the first seven months of the year were down 0.2 per cent, or 1233 vehicles, at 691,073 units.In July, the month was down 7.8 per cent on July in 2017.The sliding passenger-car segment remained on target, falling 20.2 per cent in July with the only spark being a 31.8 per cent boost in micro-car sales, led by Kia's Picanto (up 58.3 per cent in July) and the Mitsubishi Mirage (up 39.8 per cent).Light-commercial vehicles showed some resilience by lifting 0.1 per cent.Ute sales were up 1.3 per cent overall with 4WD utes making the biggest LCV gains with a 6.4 per cent rise on July 2017.The segment was dominated by the Toyota HiLux that was again Australia's top-selling vehicle.Unexpectedly, SUV total sales cooled by 1.0 per cent although within that segment, small SUVs and upper large SUVs lifted 3.4 per cent and 4.1 per cent respectively.SUVs are comfortably leading passenger car sales by about 25,000 units year to date and medium-size SUVs are the biggest sellers in year-to-date figures. However, the SUVs couldn't beat strong sales of small passenger cars – led by Corolla's 17.7 per cent segment share – for the month of July.In brand sales, Toyota was again on top, although it copped a 5.7 per cent fall last month as the effect of moving to an imported version of the Camry was felt.Camry was in new territory, down 44.8 per cent in March and 37.4 per cent year-to-date but it still had the lion's share of the segment.Other Toyota models that recorded big falls included the Yaris (-10.1 per cent); Fortuner SUV (-43.5 per cent); Corolla (-19.1 per cent); and the 86 sports coupe which fell 35.5 per cent, more than clone Subaru BRZ's 9.7 per cent decline.The RAV4 posted a modest 6.7 per cent increase in July, while Kluger, Prado and HiLux delivered strong results. Mazda recorded second spot on the brand ladder but had a 6.4 per cent drop over July last year as all models except the Mazda6 sedan slipped.Despite that, selected Mazda models retained strong positions. The Mazda3 was the nation's fourth best-selling vehicle and was followed by the CX-5 SUV in fifth. The new CX-8 diesel SUV came in with 220 sales in July.Hyundai's i30 small car was in sixth overall and had a 2.6 per cent lift in sales in July. The Tucson mid-size SUV, due for a model upgrade next month, was in 10th position.Overall, Hyundai lost 5.9 per cent of sales caused by retractions in Accent (-31.7 per cent), iLoad van (-28.9 per cent), Elantra (-19.9 per cent) and Veloster (-50.3 per cent). Mitsubishi had strong results from its Pajero Sport (up 37.6 per cent) and Eclipse Cross (723 sales in July), while Ford slid 12.6 per cent for the month on declining sales for Mustang, Everest, Fiesta and Mondeo.Kia increased sales but its powerhouse expansion was slowed to 3.2 per cent in July compared with the same month last year.Nissan moved gently upwards with sales in March lifting by 4.1 per cent. Its best-selling X-Trail was up almost 10 per cent and Patrol did well, but Juke and Qashqai fell.Volkswagen recorded the biggest sales jump of the top-10 players, with a 4.7 per cent increase that was boosted by a 62 per cent leap in Golf sales and a 36.1 per cent increase for Amarok 4WD.Holden couldn't take a hit in July with a 39.3 per cent sales plunge to 3927 units and pushing it into ninth position with a 4.6 per cent market share for July and 5.3 per cent share year to date.Huge sales falls for key models included the Astra (-47.7 per cent), Commodore (-65.9 per cent), Captiva (-63.6 per cent) and Trax (-30.2 per cent).The new Equinox mid-size SUV didn't help much with 271 sales for July, but there was some comfort in the 12.0 per cent lift for the Colorado 4WD that is part of a strong marketing push.Subaru rounded out the top 10 on 3366 sales, but it was 21.1 per cent behind July last year.The three prestige Germans were caught by double-digit falls, with Audi down by 36.0 per cent, BMW sliding 21.8 per cent and Mercedes-Benz Cars – which remains the premium segment leader year to date – down by 15.4 per cent.Some of the lower volume premium brands shrugged off the gloom, with Alfa Romeo up by 39.4 per cent on its Stelvio and Giulia newcomers; Infiniti stronger by 19.6 per cent; and Volvo ahead by 34.7 per cent.Some of the biggest movers last month were Chinese brands LDV (up 146.9 per cent) and MG Motor (up 538.6 per cent). A revitalised Peugeot posted a 137.7 per cent gain on its 3008 and 5008 SUVs. Top 10 selling brands July 2018 Top 10 selling models July 2018

Australian vehicle sales fell last month, despite the annual June end-of-financial-year splurge that saw Toyota claim a record sales month for its HiLux ute.

Half of Australia’s top 10 best-selling brands recorded a dip in monthly new car sales in May, ahead of what is expected to be a record-setting June stimulated by aggressive end-of-financial-year deals.A total of 100,754 sales were recorded for May 2018, a drop of 2.1 per cent over the same month in 2017. SUVs did most of the heavy lifting with 42,973 registrations (up 8.4 per cent), ahead of passenger cars with 32,789 (-15.6 per cent) and light commercial vehicles with 21,082 (-0.5 per cent).With the exception of micro cars, every passenger car sub-segment recorded a dip in sales, with the Kia Picanto, Fiat 500 and runout versions of the Holden Spark (which will soon be pulled from sale in Australia) helping deliver a 46.2 per cent rise for Australia’s smallest vehicle segment.All SUV segments recorded growth except for large SUVs, which fell by 7.1 per cent. Small SUVs registered the largest spike with a 36.1 per cent climb.Australia’s most popular brand, Toyota, dipped by 1.5 per cent to 19,571 sales, with the Camry mid-sizer (-35.0 per cent) and Yaris (-20.7 per cent) falling the hardest. It was not all doom and gloom however, with the Fortuner (+41.2 per cent), Land Cruiser 70 Series (+24.8 per cent) and C-HR crossover (+65.6 per cent) all stepping up.With 4385 combined sales and a 5.5 per cent increase, the HiLux was again Australia’s favourite vehicle last month, with Ford’s Ranger bringing up second (3674) ahead of Toyota’s Corolla small car (3120).Hyundai’s i30 beat the Mazda3 for fourth spot overall with 2779 sales (+3.6 per cent), and the brand recorded a 6.0 per cent increase with 8807 sales, however some of its usual strong performers recorded sales declines, including the Tucson (-13.9 per cent) and soon-to-be-replaced Santa Fe (-34.6 per cent).Mazda sales dropped 5.0 per cent, but the brand but still finished second behind Toyota on 9403 sales, with the CX-5 the most popular SUV in the country (2382 units sold), just pipping the Toyota RAV4 (2063).With 6916 sales, Mitsubishi climbed by 6.1 per cent, even though the Lancer, Pajero, Pajero Sport and 4x2 Triton all registered double-digit drops.Ford sales dipped 24.7 per cent on the back of slower returns from big-selling nameplates like the Ranger (-9.7 per cent) and Mustang (-80.2 per cent), the latter of which is set to see a facelifted model go on sale in June.Kia took sixth spot with a 9.9 per cent jump, thanks largely to the Cerato and Sportage, while Volkswagen snared seventh spot with a 6.9 per cent lift thanks to the Amarok, Tiguan, Golf and Caddy van.Holden sales dropped 25.8 per cent with all models bar the Barina light car and Spark dropping, with the Astra dropping 48.9 per cent to fall behind the Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra.Nissan and Honda rounded out the top 10 with 4334 and 4142 sales respectively, with the latter climbing 8.4 per cent thanks to the barnstorming CR-V (+162.1 per cent).Mercedes-Benz continues to lead the way for premium manufacturers with 2898 sales, with BMW (2101) and Audi (1851) following.The addition of the XC40 small SUV (129 sales) has seen Volvo sales climb by 41 per cent in May, while the XC60 SUV recorded a 42.8 per cent lift (237 sales).

In what has been a tough start to 2018 sales-wise, Holden has something to smile about with its Trailblazer, Trax and new Equinox SUVs all registering a lift in sales volume in April.