Top Sellers for August: What Cars are Kiwis Buying?
Words: Andrew Sluys
New car registration numbers for August have been boosted considerably by the influx of rentals, which reportedly accounted for around 30 per cent of passenger registrations.
Throughout August 2026, a total of 12,216 new vehicles were registered in New Zealand, up 4.1% on the 11,736 recorded in the same month last year.
While legacy brands are still facing plenty of competition from new entrants to the market, shipping delays out of Shanghai reportedly played a big part in the results.
Here are the the results:
Top Brands (Passenger Segment)
- Toyota
- Mitsubishi
- Kia
- Mazda
- GWM
For August, Toyota led the new passenger market with 2387 registrations, up 20.7% year-on-year and giving the brand a 26.1% market share.
Mitsubishi followed with 917 units, up 5.5%, ahead of Kia on 860, up 10.5%. Mazda took fourth on 460 registrations, down 10.3%, with GWM fifth on 351.
Top Selling Passenger Vehicles
- Toyota RAV4
- Toyota Corolla Cross
- Mitsubishi ASX
- Mitsubishi Outlander
- Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
The Toyota RAV4 was again the best-selling new passenger model with 886 registrations, down from 1039 in August last year. The Toyota Corolla Cross followed on 597 units, up from 141 a year earlier as supply of the hybrid small SUV improved.
The Mitsubishi ASX came third with 475 registrations, up 19.6%, ahead of the Mitsubishi Outlander on 386, up 9.3%. The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado came in fifth, recording 243 units.
Top Selling Commercial Vehicles
- Toyota Hilux
- Ford Ranger
- Mitsubishi Triton
- Toyota Hiace
- Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
The Toyota Hilux took the top ute position with 890 registrations, up 19.5%, well clear of the Ford Ranger on 571, down 41.6% from 978 a year earlier and reversing last August’s order.
The Mitsubishi Triton followed on 337, the Toyota Hiace posted 194, and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter recorded 99 in total.
