VFACTS October 2026: Diesels overtake EVs, Toyota HiLux reigns supreme

Diesel vehicle sales may be down year-on-year, but they were the most popular new-vehicle type in October 2026 when a majority-diesel model took the top sales spot.

Total new-vehicle sales, based on data supplied by the Electric Vehicle Council as well as VFACTS data seen by CarExpert, totalled 107,493 units – up 6.8 per cent on the same month last year.

Year-to-date, new-vehicle sales in Australia are now sitting at 1,065,191 units, up 2.5 per cent on the first 10 months of 2025. That year was a record year for new-vehicle sales in Australia, which could see 2026 set a new one.

After outselling every other powertrain type for two months in a row, electric vehicles (EVs) were knocked back to second place in October as diesels took the top spot. That's despite diesel sales actually falling 14.7 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Less than a percentage point separated diesels and EVs in terms of market share, at 23.9 per cent and 23.1 per cent respectively, though in year-to-date sales it's petrol-powered vehicles that are in the top spot, claiming 27.5 per cent of the total market. Diesels sit in second at 24.3 per cent, with EVs in third at 19.3 per cent.

The Toyota HiLux, which until recently was the only ute available with both diesel and electric powertrains, topped the charts – the first month it has done so this year.

It overtook the Ford Ranger, the victor in September and three other months this year, which fell to second place.

Brands

Toyota remained on top as usual, with sales up by 4.7 per cent year-on-year, while BYD is now comfortably ensconced as Australia's second most popular auto brand.

BYD recorded its second-ever month of 10,000-plus sales in Australia as it continues to grow its lineup.

The Chinese brand has taken the silver medal every month this year since April, leaving Ford, Kia and Mazda jockeying for third place. In October, it was Ford that took the bronze, with Ranger sales rising YoY – albeit still not by enough to overtake the HiLux for the month (the Ford is only slightly ahead year-to-date, by just 129 units, with 42,699 deliveries).

Kia sat in fourth place, and was comfortably ahead of sister brand Hyundai both for the month and year-to-date (66,601 vs 60,580).

Mazda was in fifth place, with deliveries only recently commencing for its new CX-6e electric SUV, which will take on Australia's best-selling EV, the Tesla Model Y.

MG had a solid month, finishing ahead of every other Chinese brand bar BYD with sales up 31.5 per cent year-on-year. Sales of its small hatchbacks and the HS mid-size SUV helped fuel this rise, with the ZS small SUV going backwards (down 16.1 per cent YoY) and, disappointingly, MG's recently launched U9 ute also sliding (down 61 per cent YoY).

The top 10 was rounded out by Hyundai, GWM, Geely and Chery. Of the Chinese brands in the top 10, only GWM went backwards, though its deliveries were down by a modest 0.3 per cent YoY.

As is becoming increasingly familiar, Chinese brands continue to post increases while non-Chinese brands are posting declines.

Cadillac, Mahindra and Smart don't report their sales in VFACTS or to the Electric Vehicle Council, while newcomer brand Lepas isn't expected to report deliveries until November's VFACTS report.

Models

The Toyota HiLux took the top spot and is closing the gap with its Ford Ranger arch-rival in year-to-date sales.

That's despite the HiLux only being Australia's best-selling new vehicle for one month this year, compared to four top monthly finishes for the Ranger.

The top five was rounded out by the Toyota RAV4 medium SUV, which was Australia's best-selling model in April and July; the Tesla Model Y, which took the top spot in May, June and August; and the BYD Sealion 7 mid-size electric SUV, which has yet to earn the title but which is becoming a growing thorn in the Model Y's side.

The Toyota Prado outsold its Ford Everest arch-rival and is now ahead year-to-date (18,062 vs 17,944) in the large SUV sales race. The Everest also narrowly missed out on a top-10 spot, with the top 10 instead rounded out by Chinese models: the Chery Tiggo 4 and BYD Atto 2 small SUVs, the BYD Shark 6 ute, and the Geely EX5 mid-size electric SUV.

Segments

• Micro cars: Kia Picanto (318), Honda Super-One (39), Fiat/Abarth 500 (3)
• Light cars: Geely EX2 (1350), MG 3 (946), BYD Atto 1 (443)
• Small cars under $45,000: Toyota Corolla (1601), MG 4 EV Urban (894), Kia K4 (493)
• Small cars over $45,000: MG 4 (213), Volkswagen Golf (167), Audi A3 (112)
• Medium cars under $60,000: Tesla Model 3 (945), Toyota Camry (930), BYD Seal (359)
• Medium cars over $60,000: Mercedes-Benz CLA (175), Lexus ES (122), Audi A5 (117)
• Large cars under $70,000: Skoda Superb (9)
• Large cars over $70,000: MG IM5 (48), Mercedes-Benz E-Class (32), Volvo ES90 (17)
• Upper large cars: Mercedes-Benz S-Class (12), Porsche Panamera (4), Rolls-Royce sedan range (2)
• People movers under $70,000: Kia Carnival (809), BYD M9 (88), Hyundai Staria (53)
• People movers over $70,000: Volkswagen ID. Buzz (66), Xpeng X9 (43), GAC M8 (42)
• Sports cars under $90,000: Ford Mustang (147), Mazda MX-5 (103), Honda Prelude (39), Mini Cabriolet (39)
• Sports cars over $90,000: Mercedes-Benz CLE (64), BMW 2 Series Coupe (56), BMW 4 Series two-door range (37)
• Sports cars over $200,000: Porsche 911 (97), Aston Martin two-door range (10), Ferrari two-door range (8)

• Light SUVs: Mazda CX-3 (941), Toyota Yaris Cross (842), Kia Stonic (501)
• Small SUVs under $45,000: Chery Tiggo 4 (2178), BYD Atto 2 (1943), Jaecoo J5 (1714)
• Small SUVs over $45,000: Kia EV3 (504), Zeekr X (429), BMW X1/iX1 (375)
• Medium SUVs under $65,000: Toyota RAV4 (4718), Tesla Model Y (3105), BYD Sealion 7 (2524)
• Medium SUVs over $65,000: Zeekr 7X (1441), BMW X3/iX3 (656), Kia EV5 (453)
• Large SUVs under $80,000: Toyota Prado (2397), Ford Everest (1741), Isuzu MU-X (823)
• Large SUVs over $80,000: BMW X5 (319), Land Rover Defender (299), Mercedes-Benz GLE wagon (143)
• Upper large SUVs under $120,000: Toyota LandCruiser (1230), Nissan Patrol (445), Denza B8 (128)
• Upper large SUVs over $120,000: Lexus GX (199), BMW X7 (62), Lexus LX (62)

• Small vans: Volkswagen Caddy (75), Peugeot Partner (9), Renault Kangoo (2)
• Medium vans: Toyota HiAce (903), Hyundai Staria Load (230), Ford Transit Custom (228)
• 4x2 utes: Toyota HiLux (726), Isuzu D-Max (420), Ford Ranger (285)
• 4x4 utes: Toyota HiLux (5228), Ford Ranger (4556), BYD Shark 6 (1843)
• Large pickups: Ford F-150 (158), Ram 1500 (138), Chevrolet Silverado HD (134)

Sales by category

Includes Tesla and Polestar sales.

Top segments by market share

Includes Tesla and Polestar sales.

Sales by region

Excludes Tesla and Polestar sales.

Sales by buyer type

Excludes Tesla, Polestar and heavy commercial sales.

Sales by fuel or propulsion type

Excludes heavy commercial sales.

Sales by country of origin

Includes Tesla and Polestar sales.

You can access our coverage of previous months below:

• September 2026
• August 2026
• July 2026
• June 2026
• May 2026
• April 2026
• March 2026
• February 2026
• January 2026