Words: Richard Edwards
Published 1 August 2026
The Ford Ranger was New Zealand’s best-selling new vehicle in July, recording 738 registrations to reclaim the top ute spot from the Toyota Hilux and lead the market overall.
The Toyota RAV4 was the country’s favourite SUV and the top passenger vehicle on 699, back in its usual position after the Tesla Model Y knocked it off in June. The Model Y still managed a strong 403 registrations. Tesla sells in waves as ships arrive, and July’s result follows a massive 908-unit June.
Top five new vehicles in July:
- Ford Ranger – 738
- Toyota RAV4 – 699
- Toyota Hilux – 608
- Tesla Model Y – 403
- Mitsubishi Triton – 335
Behind the top five came the Toyota Corolla Cross (302), Kia Sportage (271), GWM Haval H6 (252), BYD’s Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute (207), and the Toyota Corolla (200), the only conventional hatchback anywhere near the front. Further back, the Toyota Hiace (199) remains the default choice for van buyers, while the Zeekr 7X (151) cracked the passenger top 10 in the Chinese luxury EV brand’s first year here.
Overall, New Zealanders bought 8736 new passenger vehicles in July, up 14.5% on the same month last year and the best July for that part of the market since 2021. Commercial registrations were well down on last July, though that comparison is skewed by a rush of runout deals a year ago, including more than 400 of the outgoing Nissan Navara. July is also usually a strong delivery month for utes as Fieldays orders arrive, so some of those deliveries may simply land in August instead.
Across all vehicle types, 11,663 new vehicles were registered in July, almost exactly level with the same month last year. For the year to date the new vehicle market is running 10.6% ahead of 2025.
If you have been noticing more unfamiliar badges on the road, July’s numbers explain why. Chinese brands accounted for 2286 new passenger registrations in the month, 26.2% of the market and more than double what the same brands managed a year ago. BYD sold 622 passenger vehicles to take third place among the brands, GWM was fourth on 479, and Chery cracked the top 10 with 309. Geely, Zeekr, Jaecoo, and Dongfeng all added to the tally. For buyers, that means more choice and sharper pricing in the parts of the market where most of us shop.
Top five new passenger brands in July:
- Toyota – 1681
- Kia – 707
- BYD – 622
- GWM – 479
- Mitsubishi – 466
Tesla was close behind in sixth on 412, up from just 124 a year ago.
What Kiwis are choosing to fuel them with
The fuel mix is shifting as quickly as the badges. Data compiled by EVDB from NZTA registrations shows July’s new light vehicle market split five ways: hybrids led on 29.4%, ahead of diesel (20.2%), petrol (19.4%), fully electric (17.8%), and plug-in hybrid (13.2%). Fewer than one in five new vehicles sold in July ran on petrol alone, and nearly one in three could be plugged in.
EV share sat at 5.4% in July last year, and the 1994 fully electric vehicles registered last month is roughly triple the year-ago count. Plug-in hybrid share has nearly doubled over the same period, helped along by models like the Shark 6 ute, while petrol and diesel volumes both fell by about a quarter. Fuel price rises earlier in the year have added an extra push towards anything with a plug or a battery.
Registration data is sourced from Waka Kotahi NZTA.
