Australians are buying new cars in record numbers, with 1,237,287 new vehicles delivered in 2024.
While a handful of models were universally popular nationwide, state and territory sales figures reveal remarkably varying buyer preferences across the country.
The venerable Toyota HiLux continues to dominate the sales race in Australia’s top end, while electric vehicle (EV) demand is most apparent down south.
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VFACTS data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) provides an insight into all this and much more.
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Australian Capital Territory Australia’s capital has seen the best electric vehicle (EV) uptake of any state or territory, with the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 both making the podium for 2024 sales.
Supplied Credit: CarExpert The BYD Seal, BYD Atto 3, and MG4 also featured among the top 20 sellers, reinforcing the ACT’s enthusiasm for EVs.
Hybrid models were also in demand, including the Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Hyundai Kona, Toyota Corolla, BYD Sealion 6 PHEV, Nissan X-Trail, Subaru Forester, and MG ZS.
Utes were a less popular purchase compared to other parts of Australia – neither the Mitsubishi Triton nor the Mazda BT-50 made the top 20, while Australia’s best-selling Ford Ranger ranked fourth.
New South Wales More vehicles were sold in New South Wales than any other state or territory in 2024.
Topping the NSW charts was the RAV4 with 19,204 sales, while the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux also finished well clear of other rivals.
The Toyota HiAce (4801 deliveries) van was overrepresented in NSW compared to other states/territories, while the Toyota Corolla (8003) finished among the top five sellers.
Northern Territory The HiLux came out on top in Australia’s smallest car market, more than doubling the sales of the second-placed RAV4.
Supplied Credit: CarExpert Half the top 10 sellers wore a Toyota badge, including both LandCruiser models and the Corolla, while the HiAce, Camry, and Kluger also made the top 20.
Despite not making the list of top sellers in any other state or territory, the Suzuki Jimny notched up 12th place with 200 deliveries.
The GWM Haval Jolion also placed unusually high, rounding out the top 10 (202 deliveries).
Queensland A trio of familiar nameplates claimed the top three spots, but the rest of the top 10 threw up some surprises.
Both Isuzu models were among the top six sellers, placing fourth and sixth, respectively. Indeed, the MU-X outsold the Ford Everest despite trailing its rival by a significant margin nationally.
The Mazda BT-50 (5081) finished ninth, its best result in any state or territory.
South Australia There were no surprises at the top of the South Australia sales charts, but a pair of Mazda SUVs – the CX-5 (2051) and CX-3 (1752) were disproportionately popular compared to the rest of the nation.
Supplied Credit: CarExpert Likewise, the Toyota Camry (1593) scored a top 10 finish, its best result in any state or territory.
The Model 3 (981) was Tesla’s best performer in 19th, while the MG ZS SUV (1576) was close to cracking the top 10.
Tasmania Tasmania loves the Subaru Forester, reflected by a sixth-place finish for the Japanese SUV.
Supplied Credit: CarExpert The Subaru Crosstrek (382) and Outback (308) also sold well in the Apple Isle, although the latter was down to 15th from seventh in 2023.
Utes featured prominently in the top 20, underlined by the presence of the Volkswagen Amarok, which wasn’t a top seller in any other state or territory.
Victoria The Ford Ranger’s sales supremacy was propped up by a massive win in Victoria.
The ute finished well clear of the second-placed RAV4, and more than doubled Toyota HiLux sales. Other utes were less popular – the Mazda BT-50 missed out on a top 20 finish, while the Mitsubishi Triton only just made the cut.
Instead, both Tesla models combined for over 10,000 sales, and the Kia Sportage fell just outside the top five.
Western Australia Toyota maintains a stranglehold over several states with its best-selling HiLux ute, and that’s true of Western Australia.
Supplied Credit: CarExpert Outside of the usual suspects, the Isuzu MU-X placed higher than elsewhere in eighth, while the MG3 produced its best result (16th, 1988 deliveries).
Sales of both the luxurious and trade-focused LandCruiser variants remained high, outselling sought-after models including the Tesla Model Y and Mazda CX-5 thanks to the state’s booming mining sector.
MORE: VFACTS 2024: New vehicle sales hit record high, but slump expected soon