Another resurgent month for new vehicle sales has seen Tesla and BYD electric-car sales grow – but the Shark 6 ute settle – as the Ford Ranger returns to the top of the charts.
Australian dealers reported more than 100,000 new vehicles as sold in August for the third year in a row, led by a recovery in Ford Ranger deliveries to reclaim the top spot.
Much of the 2.9 per cent year-on-year increase in August 2025 sales is thanks to growth in Tesla Model Y deliveries, up 74.7 per cent year-on-year to 2324 examples – alongside 3064 BYD electric vehicles sold, up from 963 a year earlier.
It is the fourth month of new-car sales growth of 2025 – and third in a row – though the year-to-date tally of 832,068 is still in negative territory, down 0.5 per cent from the 836,065 listed this time last year.
Last month's sales result is down on the all-time August record of 109,966 reported in 2023, when increased vehicle supply allowed car companies to more rapidly clear back-orders accumulated in the wake of the pandemic.
Toyota remained at the top of the charts on 20,791 sales for August, down 3.3 per cent year-on-year amid 7.3 per cent growth for the HiLux ute, but a 38.7 per cent slump for the RAV4.
It was followed by Ford with 8002 deliveries (down 10 per cent), as Mazda fell to fourth (6814, down 17.5 per cent) behind Kia (7402, up 7.2 per cent) powered by the arrival of the Korean brand's new Tasman ute.
Hyundai finished fifth on 6322 deliveries, up 1.8 per cent year-on-year, thanks to growing sales of its Kona and Santa Fe SUVs.
Four Chinese brands finished in the Top 10 in an Australian first, with sixth-placed BYD leading GWM, MG and Chery in the final three spots, beating Isuzu Ute in 11th, down 17.9 per cent.
The Ford Ranger led the Toyota HiLux in the top two positions – 4942 sales ahead of 4823 – a reversal of the previous month, when a 20 per cent slump in Ranger sales bumped it to second place.
Still, deliveries of both utes are down year-to-date – 15.3 per cent for the Ranger, and 5.3 per cent for the HiLux – as part of a general decline in the diesel ute market, influenced by new arrivals such as BYD's Shark 6 (1261 sales in August).
The Toyota RAV4 finished third, ahead of a resurgent MG ZS, up 70.1 per cent to 2680 deliveries in August, allowing it to reclaim its long-held spot as the country's top-selling small SUV.
It led the Hyundai Kona in eighth place overall, and the budget-priced Chery Tiggo 4 in 11th.
Only one traditional 'passenger car' finished in the Top 10, the Toyota Corolla hatch and sedan range, amid a field of three utes and six SUVs.
Electric vehicle sales surged in August 2025 – up 69.8 per cent – thanks to a 22.3 per cent increase for Tesla, the Model Y SUV up 74.7 per cent against August 2024.
BYD's electric Sealion 7 mid-size SUV outsold its plug-in hybrid Sealion 6 range-mate by nearly three to one (1413 vs 552).
Data below supplied by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and Electric Vehicle Council (EVC).
TOP 10 CARS IN August 2025
| Rank | Model | Volume August 2025 | Change year-on-year |
| 1 | Ford Ranger | 4942 | down 9 per cent |
| 2 | Toyota HiLux | 4823 | up 7.3 per cent |
| 3 | Toyota RAV4 | 4115 | down 38.7 per cent |
| 4 | MG ZS | 2680 | up 70.1 per cent |
| 5 | Tesla Model Y | 2324 | up 74.7 per cent |
| 6 | Isuzu D-Max | 2314 | down 9.2 per cent |
| 7 | Ford Everest | 2203 | down 3.1 per cent |
| 8 | Toyota Prado | 2033 | up 67,767 per cent |
| 9 | Hyundai Kona | 1983 | up 18.5 per cent |
| 10 | Toyota Corolla | 1823 | down 1.7 per cent |
TOP 10 CAR BRANDS IN August 2025
| Rank | Brand | Volume August 2025 | Change year-on-year |
| 1 | Toyota | 20,791 | down 3.3 per cent |
| 2 | Ford | 8002 | down 10 per cent |
| 3 | Kia | 7402 | up 7.2 per cent |
| 4 | Mazda | 6814 | down 17.5 per cent |
| 5 | Hyundai | 6322 | up 1.8 per cent |
| 6 | BYD | 4877 | up 141.3 per cent |
| 7 | Mitsubishi | 4551 | down 17.5 per cent |
| 8 | GWM | 4488 | up 42.6 per cent |
| 9 | MG | 3927 | up 10.3 per cent |
| 10 | Chery | 3305 | up 203.8 per cent |
Passenger cars: Top Three in each segment in August 2025
| Micro | Kia Picanto (705) | Fiat/Abarth 500 (41) | |
| Light < $30k | MG 3 (418) | Mazda 2 (305) | Suzuki Swift (238) |
| Light > $30k | Mini Cooper (163) | Hyundai i20 (103) | Volkswagen Polo (90) |
| Small < $45k | Toyota Corolla (1823) | Hyundai i30 (975) | Mazda 3 (748) |
| Small > $45k | Volkswagen Golf (273) | Audi A3 (259) | Mercedes-Benz A-Class (160) |
| Medium < $60k | Toyota Camry (1170) | BYD Seal (623) | Skoda Octavia (47) |
| Medium > $60k | Tesla Model 3 (603) | BMW 3 Series (171) | Lexus ES (94) |
| Large < $70k | Skoda Superb (44) | Citroen C5 X (1) | |
| Large > $70k | Mercedes-Benz E-Class (39) | BMW 5 Series (32) | BMW i5 (20) |
| Upper Large > $100k | BMW i7, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Panamera (4) | BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe (3) | BMW 7 Series, Rolls-Royce sedans (2) |
| People Movers | Kia Carnival (899) | Hyundai Staria (111) | Ford Tourneo (91) |
| Sports < $90k | Ford Mustang (283) | Toyota GR86 (72) | Mazda MX-5 (61) |
| Sports > $90k | BMW 2 Series coupe/convertible (104) | Mercedes-Benz CLE coupe/convertible (63) | BMW 4 Series coupe/convertible (50) |
| Sports > $200k | Porsche 911 (80) | Ferrari sports cars (11) | Mercedes-AMG GT (9) |
SUVs: Top Three in each segment in August 2025
| Light SUV | Mazda CX-3 (1269) | Toyota Yaris Cross (771) | Hyundai Venue (665) |
| Small SUV < $45k | MG ZS (2680) | Hyundai Kona (1983) | Chery Tiggo 4 (1780) |
| Small SUV > $45k | Audi Q3 (446) | Volkswagen T-Roc (324) | Mercedes-Benz GLA (317) |
| Medium SUV < $60k | Toyota RAV4 (4115) | Mitsubishi Outlander (1775) | Kia Sportage (1653) |
| Medium SUV > $60k | Tesla Model Y (2324) | Lexus NX (442) | Mazda CX-60 (386) |
| Large SUV < $80k | Ford Everest (2203) | Toyota Prado (2033) | Isuzu MU-X (909) |
| Large SUV > $80k | Land Rover Defender (295) | BMW X5 (239) | Mercedes-Benz GLE (206) |
| Upper Large SUV < $120k | Toyota LandCruiser wagon (1208) | Nissan Patrol wagon (397) | Land Rover Discovery (32) |
| Upper Large SUV > $120k | Lexus GX (105) | BMW X7 (75) | Mercedes-Benz GLS (61) |
Utes and vans: Top Three in each segment in August 2025
| Vans < 2.5t | Volkswagen Caddy (73) | Peugeot Partner (45) | Renault Kangoo (14) |
| Vans 2.5t-3.5t | Toyota HiAce van (418) | Ford Transit Custom (289) | Hyundai Staria Load (243) |
| 4x2 Utes | Toyota HiLux (865) | Isuzu D-Max (355) | Mitsubishi Triton (264) |
| 4x4 Utes < $100k | Ford Ranger (4730) | Toyota HiLux (3958) | Isuzu D-Max (1959) |
| Utes > $100k | Ram 1500 (221) | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (159) | Chevrolet Silverado HD (151) |
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
