You can now buy an EV for $25,000 and there’s a wide range of electric cars and SUVs for less than $45K from BYD, MG, GWM, Chery and other brands. Here are the cheapest EVs to buy in Australia right now.
Motoring
Australia’s best-selling cars, utes and SUVs for 2026
Buyers have flocked to EVs and hybrid cars, including PHEVs, in the first half of 2026, seeking out SUV bargains from affordable Chinese brands like BYD and Chery as Toyota, Ford and others have struggled. Here’s a full wrap on Australian new vehicle sales.
A massive surge in new EV and hybrid vehicle sales during the first half of 2026, led by BYD and Tesla, has put the Australian car industry on track for another record-breaking year.
Amid escalating fuel prices, Australian car buyers have been quick to switch to hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and full battery electric vehicles (BEV), sparking a rush on orders and sales for electrified cars as demand for traditional petrol and diesel models has weakened.
The Ford Ranger ute is holding on as Australia’s best-selling car but has been overshadowed in recent months by the Tesla Model Y electric SUV, which has smashed all records as the nation’s top-selling vehicle over an eight-week period with almost 14,000 deliveries – including more than 8000 new registrations in June alone.
China’s BYD, which sells only BEV and PHEV models, has moved to second position overall among the top 10 brands, threatening Toyota as the market-leading Japanese car giant prepares to counterattack from a poor first half – where model changeovers for the Toyota RAV4 and HiLux have dented its sales.
Come December 31, 2026, Toyota is confident it will have posted at least 230,000 sales for one of its strongest annual results on record, which should still be more than double that of its rivals. But at the same time, the growth rate of BYD and other Chinese brands is also expected to continue.
Here are the key results for the major brands, models, EVs, hybrids, countries of origin and the most important segments based on official figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (VFACTS) and the Electric Vehicle Council.
More: Research and compare new cars, SUVs and utes on sale today in Australia
Jump to:
Top-selling car brands in Australia in 2026 (H1)
Toyota remains easily the biggest-selling car brand in Australia, but the Japanese juggernaut is under pressure as it rolls towards its 24th consecutive year of market leadership in 2026.
As predicted, BYD has surged up the charts to sit in second place after the first half of trading, buoyed by a phenomenal result in June where it racked up 18,881 sales to finish just 243 units behind Toyota (19,124) with a market share of 14.4 per cent – a mere 0.2% shy of Toyota, which is more accustomed to a share of at least 20%.
2026 Top 10 brands in Australia (H1):
- Toyota – 95,141 (-21.4%)
- BYD – 52,335 (+124.1%)
- Ford – 42,296 (-10.6%)
- Kia – 41,846 (+2.7%)
- Mazda – 40,502 (-17.2%)
- Hyundai – 39,590 (+1.6%)
- GWM – 30,359 (+20.5%)
- Chery – 24,964 (+76.8%)
- Mitsubishi – 24,802 (-25.7%)
- Tesla – 23,588 (+66.7%)
MG (11th at 23,146, +6.8%) and Isuzu Ute (12th at 20,472, -6.4%) both fell out of the top 10 but will be aiming to return in the months ahead, while some big names accustomed to ‘permanent’ positions among the leading brands have a mountain to climb: Subaru (13th, 14,817, -25.6%), Nissan (14th, 13,854, -32.8%) and Volkswagen (16th,12,333, -16.5%), for example.
Notably, Chinese newcomer Geely has sold 10,970 cars in the first half of 2026 (+494.6%), placing it on a fast track towards the top 10.
Best-selling new cars in Australia for 2026 (H1)
Not even skyrocketing diesel prices could knock the Ford Ranger from its perch as the most popular new car in Australia in the first half of 2026, but the Australian-developed ute’s year-on-year sales did fall over the period – and it was comprehensively beaten by the Tesla Model Y electric SUV in May and June.
Indeed, the Tesla Model Y’s 8072 sales in June was an all-time monthly record for an EV and easily the highest monthly tally of any model since local car manufacturing ended almost a decade ago. It’s now Australia’s top-selling SUV bar none, pushing ahead of the Toyota RAV4 which has stumbled with restricted supplies of the new-generation model now on sale.
Expect Toyota to turn things around in the second half as higher production volumes of RAV4 (and the new Toyota HiLux) reduce waiting times and boost sales.
2026 Top 10 cars in Australia (H1):
- Ford Ranger – 26,314 (-7.0%)
- Toyota HiLux – 22,607 (-13.9%)
- Tesla Model Y – 20,396 (+95.5%)
- Toyota RAV4 – 15,551 (-35.3%)
- Chery Tiggo 4 – 13,638 (+70.6%)
- Hyundai Kona – 13,132 (+16.8%)
- Isuzu D-Max – 12,908 (-8.2%)
- BYD Sealion 7 – 12,516 (+233.2%)
- GWM Haval Jolion – 11,480 (+27.1%)
- Hyundai Tucson – 11,236 (+9.4%)
The Ford Everest (11,133, -9.4%) has fallen out of the top 10, along with other key SUVs including the Mitsubishi Outlander (10,907, -4.3%), Mazda CX-5 (10,542, -12.1%) and Toyota LandCruiser Prado (9102, -41.6%). In their place are fast-growing EVs and popular cheap SUVs from Chinese brands: BYD Sealion 7, Chery Tiggo 4 and GWM Haval Jolion.
Research and compare family cars on sale: prices, specs, features, running costs and safety
Electric vehicle sales in Australia for 2026 (H1)
Battery electric vehicles are no longer a niche proposition in Australia as buyers shift away from traditional petrol and diesel models toward electrified alternatives. The global fuel crisis might have sparked significant new EV orders in the first half of 2026, but the long-term trend is clear.
In a second successive record-breaking month, BEVs accounted for 23.3 per cent of all new vehicle sales in June, including commercial vehicles, compared to 7.6% in the same month last year. Over the six months to June 30, 2026, total sales of these EVs passed 103,700 units (for a 16.4% market share) – a 120% increase year-on-year.
BYD has overtaken Tesla to become the market-leading EV brand in Australia, racking up 29,192 combined BEV sales (+241%) in the first half of the year across six model lines – BYD Atto 1, Atto 2, Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal and Sealion 7 – compared to 8556 sales in the first half of 2025.
In a stunning resurgence, Tesla piled on 15,103 combined sales in May/June and finished the first half with 23,588 total sales, Model Y accounting for 86.5% of those. Other brands are also climbing fast, including Geely, Zeekr and Chery/Jaecoo.
2026 Top 5 EVs in Australia (H1):
- Tesla Model Y – 20,396 (+95.5%)
- BYD Sealion 7 – 12,516 (+233.2%)
- Geely EX5 – 6756 (+266.2%)
- Jaecoo J5 EV – 5930 (new model)
- Zeekr 7X – 5532 (new model)
The new BYD Atto 2 (5401) was close behind in sixth position, marking yet another Chinese-built small or medium SUV dominating the EV segment. Among their closest rivals are the Kia EV5 (2951, +6.7%) and Kia EV3 (2658, +130.5%) but competition is intensifying across new and established brands alike.
More: The cheapest electric cars in Australia for 2026
More: The safest affordable electric cars in Australia for 2026
Research and compare EVs on sale today: prices, specs, features, running costs and safety
Hybrid and PHEV car sales in Australia for 2026 (H1)
Toyota and Hyundai are now the leading brands for hybrid car sales in Australia, while BYD is the clear favourite for plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). Some of the top-selling models in both camps had mixed fortunes during the first half of 2026, due in large part to delays brought with model changeovers, but the overall message is writ large: all types of hybrid are making significant inroads into the market at the expense of traditional petrol and diesel engines.
To that end, sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles (excluding heavy commercials) dropped 23.9% and 14.2% respectively to the end of June 2026, while hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles grew 11.9% and 111.8% respectively.
Combined hybrid car and PHEV sales for the first half totalled 159,120 units across all brands – a mere 40 units behind total diesel sales and 30,835 behind petrol. For context, just a year ago petrol/diesel sales were each more than 66,000/130,000 units ahead of hybrid/PHEV respectively.
2026 Top 5 hybrid cars in Australia (H1):
- Toyota RAV4 Hybrid – 14,894 (-37.8%)
- Hyundai Tucson Hybrid – 8400 (+65.2%)
- Hyundai Kona Hybrid – 8086 (+68.5%)
- Toyota Corolla Hybrid – 7111 (-21.9%)
- Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid – 6867 (+9.6%)
2026 Top 5 PHEVs in Australia (H1):
- BYD Shark 6 – 9493 (-8.9%)
- BYD Sealion 8 – 5380 (new model)
- BYD Sealion 6 – 5312 (+21.4%)
- Geely Starray EM-i – 4214 (new model)
- Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid – 3329 (new model)
More: The cheapest hybrid and PHEV cars in Australia for 2026
Research and compare hybrid and PHEV cars on sale: prices, specs, features, running costs and safety
Chinese car sales in Australia for 2026 (H1)
For the first time ever, China has overtaken Japan to become the most popular country of origin for new vehicles sold in Australia. More than 195,000 new Chinese-built cars were sold in Australia in the first half of 2026, representing more than 1 in every 4 new cars on the road (31%). Japanese-built car sales fell to 144,430 units (-22.8%), leaving Thailand in third (113,538, -11.4%), which is the source of most of the utes sold Down Under.
It’s no surprise, then, that the fastest-growing brands in Australia in the first half of 2026 were all Chinese, with big-volume players such as BYD, GWM and Chery now entrenched among the top 10. MG slipped to 11th in the first half with only single-digit year-on-year growth, while other emerging contenders are moving up the rankings at a rapid pace: Geely, Zeekr, Jaecoo, to name just three.
BYD’s Denza brand is also aiming at BMW and Mercedes-Benz for luxury car market leadership.
2026 Top 5 Chinese brands in Australia (H1):
- BYD – 52,335 (+124.1%)
- GWM – 30,359 (+20.5%)
- Chery – 24,964 (+76.8%)
- MG – 23,146 (+6.8%)
- Geely – 10,970 (+494.6%)
More: BYD’s rise to the top in Australia: how it plans to overtake Toyota
More: BYD’s Denza brand in Australia: what makes it different?
Top-selling small SUVs in Australia for 2026 (H1)
SUVs now account for almost two-thirds of all new vehicle sales in Australia (64%) and small SUVs are firmly established as the second most popular class size behind medium SUVs. More than 130,600 new small SUVs were sold in Australia in the first half of 2026 (including those classified as ‘light’ SUVs by the FCAI), with buyers favouring some of the most affordable and highly regarded models in class.
2026 Top 5 small SUVs in Australia (H1):
- Chery Tiggo 4 – 13,638 (+70.6%)
- Hyundai Kona – 13,132 (+16.8%)
- GWM Haval Jolion – 11,480 (+27.1%)
- MG ZS – 8984 (-11.7%)
- Toyota Corolla Cross – 6867 (+9.2%)
More: The safest small SUVs in Australia: ANCAP Top 5 for 2025
Best-selling medium SUVs in Australia for 2026 (H1)
Medium SUVs hold firm as the most sought-after new vehicles in Australia with more than 185,000 of them sold in the first half of 2026. Toyota RAV4’s changeover to the new sixth generation restricted its volume, at a time when demand is rampant for popular EVs in this class, most notably the Tesla Model Y and BYD Sealion 7.
2026 Top 5 medium SUVs in Australia (H1):
- Tesla Model Y – 20,396 (+95.5%)
- Toyota RAV4 – 15,551 (-35.3%)
- BYD Sealion 7 – 12,516 (+233.2%)
- Hyundai Tucson – 11,236 (+9.4%)
- Mitsubishi Outlander – 10,907 (-4.3%)
More: The safest medium SUVs in Australia for 2025
Top-selling large SUVs in Australia for 2026 (H1)
Sales of large SUVs in Australia fell 12 per cent in the first half of 2026, notably impacting diesel models as fuel prices spiked and buyers reconsidered their plans. The Ford Everest and Toyota Prado remain the two most popular models in class, albeit with softer demand, while a new on-road-oriented entrant, the BYD Sealion 8 PHEV, has muscled in.
2026 Top 5 large SUVs in Australia (H1):
- Ford Everest – 11,133 (-9.4%)
- Toyota LandCruiser Prado – 9102 (-41.6%)
- Isuzu MU-X – 7564 (-3.2%)
- BYD Sealion 8 – 5380 (new model)
- Hyundai Santa Fe – 3089 (-3.8%)
More: Australia’s best large SUVs and 7-seaters in 2026
Research and compare 7-seater family SUVs on sale: prices, specs, features, running costs and safety
Best-selling small cars in Australia for 2026 (H1)
Traditional passenger car sales continued to decline in the first half of 2026 as buyers shift their allegiance to SUVs. Nonetheless, small cars (including micro and light hatchbacks) still attracted 50,000 buyers, helped along by all-new EVs such as the BYD Atto 1 (3254 sales) and MG4 EV Urban (1424).
2026 Top 5 small cars in Australia (H1):
- Toyota Corolla – 7314 (-21.9%)
- Kia K4 – 4467 (+67.7%)
- Mazda3 – 4080 (-27.1%)
- MG3 – 3917 (-25.9%)
- Hyundai i30 – 3670 (-34.2%)
More: 2025 Kia K4 review and video
Top-selling utes in Australia for 2026 (H1)
Australia remains a ute-loving nation, but sales took a dive during the first half of 2026. In particular, the volume-selling 4x4 ute category dropped to 96,153 units (-11.1%). This impacted not only diesel models but the BYD Shark 6 PHEV, too, although the new BYD Shark 6 Performance and Cab Chassis variants now available should boost the Chinese brand’s sales during the second half.
2026 Top 5 utes in Australia (H1):
- Ford Ranger – 26,314 (-7.0%)
- Toyota HiLux – 22,607 (-13.9%)
- Isuzu D-Max – 12,908 (-8.2%)
- Mitsubishi Triton – 10,351 (+12.2%)
- BYD Shark 6 – 9493 (-8.9%)
Research and compare dual-cab utes on sale: prices, specs, features, running costs and safety
The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. Product(s) issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.
