Kia overtakes Mazda, China overtakes Japan – VFACTS August 2025

News

Australians purchased 100,539 new vehicles in August 2025, making it the second strongest August result on record.

Chinese brands enter the top ten

For the first time, four Chinese carmakers — BYD, GWM, MG and Chery — all featured in the national top ten. Combined, these brands sold 20,070 vehicles in August, a 67% increase compared with August 2024.

This shift highlights how rapidly the local market is changing. According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), there are now more than 400 models on sale in Australia, including around 100 electric vehicles (EVs).

Market trends: SUVs and EVs on the rise

  • SUVs remained dominant, accounting for 60,495 sales (60% of the market).
  • Passenger cars fell further, down to 13.1% of the August market. Year-to-date, passenger car sales are down 25% compared with the same period in 2024.
  • EVs represented 6.8% of August sales, while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) made up 3.9%.

Year-to-date picture

So far in 2025, Australians have purchased 812,447 new vehicles — 2.1% fewer than the same period last year (830,226).

Call for a national road user charge

FCAI chief executive Tony Weber urged federal and state governments to introduce a consistent, nationally led road user charge.

He argued that as fuel excise revenue declines with the growth of EVs, a replacement system is needed to fund both road upkeep and charging infrastructure.

Best-selling brands in August 2025

  1. Toyota – 20,791
  2. Ford – 8,002
  3. Kia – 7,402
  4. Mazda – 6,814
  5. Hyundai – 6,322

Toyota outsold Ford by 12,789 vehicles, maintaining a market share lead of 12.7 percentage points.

Sales by state and territory

  • ACT: 1,615 (+20.7%)
  • NSW: 30,536 (+2.4%)
  • NT: 840 (–7.8%)
  • Queensland: 21,907 (+2.8%)
  • South Australia: 6,404 (–6.0%)
  • Tasmania: 1,554 (–3.1%)
  • Victoria: 27,036 (+3.8%)
  • WA: 10,647 (+1.6%)

Segment breakdown (August 2025 vs August 2024)

  • Passenger vehicles: 13,226 (–12.9%)
  • SUVs: 60,495 (+7.0%)
  • Light commercial vehicles: 23,614 (+3.1%)
  • Heavy commercial vehicles: 3,204 (–11.8%)

Key takeaways

  • Total August sales were up 2.2% on last year.
  • Growth was strongest in SUVs and light commercials.
  • Passenger and heavy commercial vehicles continued to decline.
  • Chinese brands have cemented themselves in the mainstream market.
  • National sales remain slightly below 2024 levels overall.

Would you like me to also include a top 10 best-selling models list for August 2025 (if available from VFACTS), or keep the article brand-focused?

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