Mazda, once comfortably holding a second-place spot on Australia's new-car sales chart, slipped to fourth last month, behind Toyota, Ford and Kia.
Kia has overtaken Mazda on Australia's new-car sales chart for the first time in three years following the launch of its first-ever ute – the Tasman – and a range of new electric and hybrid cars.
VFACTS new-car sales data shows 7402 Kia vehicles were reported as sold in August 2025, a 7 per cent increase from the same month last year, while 6814 Mazdas were delivered, a 17.5 per cent decline.
The result places Kia third on the sales podium, behind market leader Toyota (20,791, down 3 per cent) and Ford (8002, down 10 per cent), whose sales are led by the Ranger ute and Everest off-road SUV.
September 2022 was the last time Kia outsold Mazda in Australia – along with Hyundai and Ford – finishing in second-place behind Toyota, a feat it also achieved in May and June 2022 amid global supply challenges across the automotive industry.
In last month's Top 10, Kia and its Hyundai parent were the only non-Chinese brands to record a sales increase, with seventh-place Mitsubishi recording a 17.5 per cent decline to 4551 sales.
Mazda's sales also fell 17.5 per cent compared to the same month last year, down from 8263, with all of its models recording a sales decline month-on-month, although year-to-date it is down 3 per cent.
Year-to-date, 63,208 Mazda vehicles have been reported as sold, down from 65,286 in 2024, with fewer sales for all models except the CX-60 and MX-5, and the addition of its CX-70 and CX-80 large SUVs.
The new Tasman ute added 803 sales for Kia last month, helping to offset decreases for its volume-selling Sportage, Carnival and Sorento.
Its new range of more-affordable electric cars – the EV3 and EV5 SUVs – also assisted the Korean brand in its 7 per cent sales increase.
Kia's sales continued to be led by the recently-updated Sportage midsize SUV with 1653 examples reported as sold last month – ahead of Mazda's CX-5 (1492) – while the Carnival (899), Seltos (865), Tasman and Picanto (705) rounded out its top-five models.
At the other end, the Kia EV6 electric SUV contributed 22 sales – down 81 per cent – in run-out ahead of a facelifted model due in local showrooms in October, while the Niro was down 91 per cent as buyers shift to the Sportage hybrid and EV3 or EV5 electric SUVs.
Year-to-date, 55,554 Kia vehicles have been delivered in Australia – up 1 per cent from 54,823 – behind Toyota (163,491), Mazda (63,581) and Ford (62,581), but ahead of Hyundai (51,957) and Mitsubishi (42,913).
Kia sales in Australia in August 2025
| Model | August 2025 | August 2024 | Variance | YTD 2025 | YTD 2024 | Variance |
| Kia Sportage (petrol/diesel/hybrid) | 1653 | 2051 | Down 19 per cent | 13,675 | 14,040 | Down 3 per cent |
| Kia Carnival (petrol/diesel/hybrid) | 899 | 990 | Down 9 per cent | 7312 | 6595 | Up 11 per cent |
| Kia Seltos (petrol) | 865 | 548 | Up 58 per cent | 6128 | 5664 | Up 8 per cent |
| Kia Tasman (diesel) | 803 | 0 | New model | 1693 | 0 | New model |
| Kia Picanto (petrol) | 705 | 522 | Up 35 per cent | 4991 | 3795 | Up 31.5 per cent |
| Kia Stonic (petrol) | 654 | 426 | Up 53.5 per cent | 4275 | 3629 | Up 18 per cent |
| Kia Sorento (petrol/diesel/hybrid/PHEV) | 569 | 714 | Down 20 per cent | 6396 | 7053 | Down 9 per cent |
| Kia K4 (petrol) | 533 | 0 | New model | 3855 | 0 | New model |
| Kia EV5 (electric) | 367 | 0 | New model | 3594 | 40 | Up >999 per cent |
| Kia EV3 (electric) | 295 | 0 | New model | 1699 | 0 | New model |
| Kia EV9 (electric) | 23 | 26 | Down 11.5 per cent | 213 | 394 | Down 46 per cent |
| Kia EV6 (electric) | 22 | 114 | Down 81 per cent | 300 | 1332 | Down 77.5 per cent |
| Kia Niro (hybrid/electric) | 106 | 106 | Down 91 per cent | 329 | 1064 | Down 69 per cent |
| Kia Cerato (petrol) | 4 | 1406 | Down 100 per cent (discontinued) | 1094 | 11,217 | Down 90 per cent (discontinued) |
| Kia Total | 7402 | 6903 | Up 7 per cent | 55,554 | 54,823 | Up 1 per cent |
Mazda sales in Australia in August 2025
| Model | August 2025 | August 2024 | Variance | YTD 2025 | YTD 2024 | Variance |
| Mazda CX-5 (petrol) | 1492 | 1927 | Down 23 per cent | 15,304 | 15,878 | Down 4 per cent |
| Mazda CX-3 (petrol) | 1269 | 1675 | Down 24 per cent | 10,783 | 11,820 | Down 9 per cent |
| Mazda BT-50 (diesel) | 1139 | 1260 | Down 10 per cent | 10,115 | 10,349 | Down 2 per cent |
| Mazda CX-30 (petrol) | 968 | 1148 | Down 16 per cent | 8434 | 8585 | Down 2 per cent |
| Mazda 3 (petrol) | 748 | 973 | Down 23 per cent | 7191 | 7472 | Down 4 per cent |
| Mazda CX-60 (petrol/diesel/PHEV) | 386 | 442 | Down 13 per cent | 3616 | 2796 | Up 29 per cent |
| Mazda CX-80 (petrol/diesel/PHEV) | 328 | 0 | New model | 2660 | 0 | New model |
| Mazda 2 (petrol) | 305 | 492 | Down 38 per cent | 2964 | 3406 | Down 13 per cent |
| Mazda CX-90 (petrol/diesel) | 61 | 99 | Down 38 per cent | 493 | 666 | Down 26 per cent |
| Mazda MX-5 (petrol) | 61 | 81 | Down 25 per cent | 565 | 424 | Up 33 per cent |
| Mazda CX-70 (petrol/diesel) | 31 | 0 | New model | 248 | 0 | New model |
| Mazda 6 (petrol) | 26 | 89 | Down 71 per cent (discontinued) | 820 | 894 | Down 8 per cent (discontinued) |
| Mazda CX-8 (petrol/diesel) | 0 | 71 | Down 100 per cent (discontinued) | 9 | 2517 | Down 100 per cent (discontinued) |
| Mazda CX-9 (petrol) | 0 | 4 | Down 100 per cent (discontinued) | 1 | 380 | Down 100 per cent (discontinued) |
| Mazda MX-30 (petrol/electric) | 0 | 2 | Down 100 per cent (discontinued) | 5 | 99 | Down 95 per cent (discontinued) |
| Mazda Total | 6814 | 8263 | Down 17.5 per cent | 63,208 | 65,286 | Down 3 per cent |
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
