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Published 9 Sept 2026
How many new passenger cars and sport utility vehicles are registered in New Zealand?
- New Zealand recorded 97,972 new passenger car and sport utility vehicle (SUV) registrations in 2025, up 12.1% from 87,410 registrations in 2024.
- The market remained below its recent high of 116,334 registrations in 2022, but 2026 started strongly, with 41,455 registrations from January to May.
How many electric vehicles are sold in New Zealand?
- New electric vehicle (EV) registrations rose to 6,871 in 2025, up 8.4% from 6,341 in 2024, but still far below the 21,032 EVs registered in 2023.
- EV registrations rebounded sharply in early 2026, with 6,186 EVs registered from January to May; the Tesla Model Y remained the top-selling EV model over that period.
| Top-selling Electric Vehicle Models in New Zealand (2025 and 2026 YTD) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Top Selling EVs 2025 | Units Sold | Top Selling EVs 2026 Jan–May | Units Sold |
| 1 | Tesla Model Y | 1,284 | Tesla Model Y | 1,000 |
| 2 | BYD Atto 3 | 555 | Dongfeng Box | 398 |
| 3 | Polestar 2 | 354 | BYD Atto 1 | 391 |
| 4 | BYD Sealion 7 | 337 | BYD Atto 3 | 295 |
| 5 | Tesla Model 3 | 308 | BYD Atto 2 | 288 |
| 6 | Kia EV5 | 276 | Kia EV3 | 267 |
| 7 | Kia EV3 | 255 | BYD Sealion 7 | 249 |
| 8 | BYD Dolphin | 221 | Zeekr 7X | 242 |
| 9 | Toyota BZ4X | 192 | MG ZS | 240 |
| 10 | BMW i | 176 | MG 4 | 218 |
Source · Note: EV means fully electric vehicle in this section. The 2026 model ranking covers January to May.
What are the top-selling car manufacturers in New Zealand?
- Toyota remained New Zealand’s leading passenger car/SUV brand in 2025, with 22,402 registrations and a 22.9% market share.
- Mitsubishi ranked second with 10,815 registrations, followed by Kia with 8,597 registrations.
- From January to May 2026, Toyota also led the passenger car/SUV market with 6,972 registrations.
| Top-selling Passenger Car/SUV Brands in NZ (2025 and 2026 YTD) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Top Selling Brands 2025 | Registrations | Market Share | Top Selling Brands 2026 Jan–May | Registrations | Market Share |
| 1 | Toyota | 22,402 | 22.9% | Toyota | 6,972 | 17% |
| 2 | Mitsubishi | 10,815 | 11.0% | Mitsubishi | 3,629 | 9% |
| 3 | Kia | 8,597 | 8.8% | Kia | 3,581 | 9% |
| 4 | Suzuki | 4,925 | 5.0% | MG | 2,183 | 5% |
| 5 | Mazda | 4,920 | 5.0% | BYD | 2,069 | 5% |
| 6 | Ford | 4,692 | 4.8% | Suzuki | 1,935 | 5% |
| 7 | MG | 4,131 | 4.2% | Ford | 1,708 | 4% |
| 8 | Hyundai | 4,028 | 4.1% | Mazda | 1,704 | 4% |
| 9 | Honda | 3,626 | 3.7% | GWM | 1,691 | 4% |
| 10 | GWM | 3,237 | 3.3% | Hyundai | 1,669 | 4% |
Source · Note: Rankings cover new passenger car/SUV registrations. The 2026 figures are year-to-date through May.
What are the most popular car models in New Zealand?
- The Toyota RAV4 was New Zealand’s top-selling passenger car/SUV model in 2025, with 11,295 registrations.
- It was followed by the Mitsubishi ASX with 4,970 registrations and the Mitsubishi Outlander with 4,309 registrations.
- From January to May 2026, the Toyota RAV4 also led the market with 2,165 registrations.
| Top 10 Most Popular Car Models in New Zealand (2025 and 2026 YTD) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Top Selling Cars 2025 | Registrations | Top Selling Cars 2026 Jan–May | Registrations |
| 1 | Toyota RAV4 | 11,295 | Toyota RAV4 | 2,165 |
| 2 | Mitsubishi ASX | 4,970 | Mitsubishi ASX | 1,534 |
| 3 | Mitsubishi Outlander | 4,309 | Ford Everest | 1,200 |
| 4 | Ford Everest | 3,323 | Toyota Corolla Cross | 1,185 |
| 5 | Kia Seltos | 3,189 | Mitsubishi Outlander | 1,058 |
| 6 | Toyota Yaris Cross | 2,018 | Kia Sportage | 1,024 |
| 7 | MG ZS | 1,971 | Tesla Model Y | 1,000 |
| 8 | Toyota Corolla | 1,953 | Kia Seltos | 870 |
| 9 | Hyundai Tucson | 1,841 | Hyundai Tucson | 788 |
| 10 | Suzuki Swift | 1,825 | Toyota Yaris Cross | 767 |
Source · Note: Model rankings cover new passenger car/SUV registrations. The 2026 figures cover January to May.
What was the most common engine type among car sales?
- Petrol and non-plug-in hybrids each accounted for 40% of new passenger car/SUV registrations in 2025, while fully electric vehicles made up 7%.
- From January to May 2026, non-plug-in hybrids led with 35% of registrations, followed by petrol at 33%, EVs at 15%, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) at 10%, and diesel at 7%.
More Statistics
- Car Accident Statistics in the UK
- Ford Car Sales Statistics
- Hyundai Sales Statistics
- KIA Car Sales Statistics
- Nissan Car Sales Statistics
- Global Car Sales Statistics
- Top-Selling Car Manufacturers
- Car Sales in Canada
- Cars Statistics
- Toyota Car Sales Statistics
- Toyota RAV4 Sales Statistics
- Volkswagen Car Sales Statistics
How does the New Zealand passenger car market compare to global trends?
- New Zealand’s EV market stabilized in 2025 after a steep 70% fall in 2024, following the end of the Clean Car Discount.
- Globally, electric car sales exceeded 20 million in 2025, rising 20% from 2024 and reaching 25% of new cars sold worldwide.
Note: The International Energy Agency’s global “electric car” figures include battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The New Zealand EV figures in this article refer to fully electric vehicles unless plug-in hybrids are named separately.
References
- Car Sales, Electric Vehicle, and Engine-Type Data (2021–2026 YTD) · canstar.co.nz
- Passenger Brand Rankings and Market Summary (2025) · autotalk.co.nz
- Ministry of Transport — Road User Charges and Charging Targets · transport.govt.nz
- IEA — Global EV Outlook and EV Data Explorer (2010–2026) · iea.org
