Economic conditions cruel car sales

Australian market decline continues, although Chery and BYD remain buoyant.

New car sales took a tumble in April, down 6.15 per cent compared to the same month last year, and sliding 3.69 per cent overall year-to-date, according to combined figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Electric Vehicle Council.

Big hitters Toyota, Ford, and Mazda all felt the pinch last month, recording drops of 6.7 per cent, 15.2 per cent, and 10 per cent respectively. Despite the dip, Toyota remains comfortably on top, shifting 19,380 vehicles, more than double Ford's 7334. While Toyota and Mazda have maintained relatively stable sales figures throughout the year, Ford’s 8.3 per cent year-to-date drop signals some turbulence.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have bucked the downward trend, nearly doubling their market share to 2.85 per cent from just 1.37 per cent in April 2024. So far this year, PHEV sales sit at a promising 4.21 per cent. The end of the PHEV rebate this month, however, raises questions about continued sales growth – though the BYD Shark already has considerable momentum.

All-electric vehicle sales continue to plunge as Tesla takes a beating. Tesla sales are down 75.93 per cent, with just 500 sold in April (down from 2077 in April 2024), echoing global trends. The upcoming 'Juniper' update to the Model Y, due to hit Australian shores shortly, could breathe new life into Tesla's local fortunes, though that's yet to be seen.

As Tesla stumbles, other electric marques are quickly filling the gap, demonstrating the Australian appetite for EVs remains steady.

BYD – which sells both pure electric vehicles (including the newly arrived Sealion 7 SUV, the Seal sedan, Dolphin hatchback and Atto 3 compact SUV) and the PHEV Shark and Sealion 6 – has seen some of the largest gains in sales so far in 2025, with almost 12,000 year-to-date, up 127.4 per cent. In April alone, BYD sold 1293 Sharks and 732 Sealion 7s, outpacing its other models by a factor of two or more.

New entrants such as Geely's EX5 (324 sales), Leapmotor C10 (56 sales), and Zeekr's X (45 sales) and 009 (58 sales) have also begun to carve out a presence in the market.

BYD has only been bested by Rolls-Royce (up 175 per cent with a whopping 30 vehicle sales so far this year – impressive during a cost-of-living crisis considering the price tags), while the cherry on top is, ahem, Chery. Its sales have quadrupled, as the arrival of the Tiggo 4 Pro proved popular with 4503 sales year-to-date – 1165 of those in April alone, adding to the Tiggo 7 Pro, Tiggo 8 Pro and Omoda 5, the latter of which is also available in EV format. All in all, the brand has sold 8344 vehicles so far in 2025.

Setting aside the argy-bargy of drivetrains and shifting loyalty from legacy brands to newcomers, Australians' love affair with utes and SUVs remains firmly intact.

At the top of the ladder is the Toyota HiLux, with 4121 sales in April – but this was a 12.2 per cent drop from 4693 this time last year, suggesting its dominance may be waning slightly due to growing interest in vehicles like BYD’s Shark.

Nipping closely at the HiLux’s heels, the Ford Ranger sold 4031 units but experienced a significant 27.6 per cent drop from 2024’s 5569 sales. Toyota’s RAV4 also suffered, down 35 per cent to 3808 units from 5857 last year. Even the usually strong-performing Ford Everest dipped slightly by 6.9 per cent, from 2400 sales to 2234 this April.

Meanwhile, Toyota’s new Prado surged dramatically, jumping from just 172 sales in April 2024 to 2233 last month. The X-Trail also rallied for the beleaguered Nissan, returning to the top 10 with 1615 sales (up from 1219 in 2024).

See also: Longest range PHEVs with V2L available in 2025

With the soaring cost of living placing pressure on household budgets, it’s no wonder drivers keen on sticking with larger vehicles are gravitating towards fuel-efficient alternatives. As the numbers show, they're also willing to dip the toe in with newer brands, even while manufacturers like Ford and Toyota also offer lower-emission options.

For buyers weighing up costs, comparing prices and running expenses between these greener alternatives and traditional ICE vehicles will be crucial in making savvy decisions in the current economic climate.

Top selling vehicles in April 2025

Position	Vehicle	Number sold
1	Toyota HiLux	4121
2	Ford Ranger	4031
3	Toyota RAV4	3808
4	Ford Everest	2234
5	Toyota Prado	2233
6	Isuzu Ute D-Max	2107
7	Toyota Landcruiser	1877
8	Kia Sportage	1701
9	Toyota Corolla	1660
10	Nissan X-Trail	1615