Car Sales October 2026: Utes on top but EV sales continue to surge

At a glance:

• Australia sold 107,493 new vehicles in October, up 6.8 per cent year on year. 
• Petrol sales fell again while electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid sales climbed. 
• Toyota HiLux led the model rankings, with the Tesla Model Y fourth and three BYD models in the top 10. 

Australia’s new-car market continued its shift into a new phase of electrification in October. 

While the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger nabbed the top sales spots last month, SUVs dominated the mix overall, with electric models in particular climbing the rankings. As petrol sales lose ground and plug-in choices multiply, familiar favourites are sharing the road with a growing field of electric contenders. 

Australia’s new-vehicle market grew in October, with sales rising to 107,493 up 6.8 per cent above October 2025's total of 100,658. SUVs remained the most popular vehicle type with Australians, with 67,355 sales in total, up 8.1 per cent year on year. Passenger vehicles rose 24.9 per cent to 15,454, while light-commercial sales fell 2.6 per cent to 21,469 according to the latest figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC), which records sales from Tesla and Polestar.  

Battery-electric sales were up 237.5 per cent from last October, reaching almost 25,000 sales, or 23.1 per cent of the total market.  Petrol sales fell by more than a third to 23,605 sales and diesel sales fell nearly 15 per cent to 25,649 sales compared to the year before.

Meanwhile hybrid sales grew more than 10 per cent year-on-year to 18,434 and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales continued to gain ground, up more than 125 per cent year-on-year to reach 11,745 sales. 

Top-selling cars in Australia – October 2026:  

The Toyota HiLux topped the overall rankings with 5,954 sales, ahead of the Ford Ranger (4841) and Toyota RAV4 (4718). The Tesla Model Y placed fourth with 3,105 sales, putting an electric SUV ahead of the BYD Sealion 7 and Toyota Prado. BYD had three models in the top 10: the Sealion 7, Atto 2 and Shark 6. 

TABLE: Top 10 best-selling vehicles in October 2026 

Utes, SUVs and EVs – segment breakdown

SUVs recorded 67,355 sales, up 8.1 per cent year-on-year, and accounted for about 62.7 per cent of the adjusted market. In the VFACTS size breakdown, small SUVs rose 12.1 per cent and medium SUVs 15.0 per cent in October. The Tesla Model Y, which added 3105 sales outside the VFACTS figures, didn't quite pip the Toyota's RAV4 hybrid, which was the third-best selling vehicle this month with 4718 sales.  

The HiLux and Ranger continued to lead the ute market. VFACTS recorded 16,804 4x4 pick-ups, which was virtually unchanged from October 2025, although 4x4 pick-up sales were down 12.3 per cent year to date. Total ute sales, including both 4x4 and 4x2 utes, put HiLux first overall followed by Ranger. 

The Tesla Model Y led the sales for electric models and was fourth best-seller overall, while BYD’s Sealion 7 was the fifth best-selling vehicle overall.  

Which brands performed best in October 2026?  

Toyota remained Australia’s top-selling brand with 20,649 vehicles, up 4.7 per cent year-on-year. BYD took second place with 10,025, a 153.2 per cent increase, followed by Ford on 7,310, down 3.4 per cent. 

Kia ranked fourth with 5801 sales, down 12.2 per cent, while Mazda rounded out the top five on 5730, down 19.7%. Those five positions are unchanged when Tesla and Polestar are added. Tesla sold 4050 vehicles and Polestar 118; Tesla ranked 11th by brand for the month. 

BYD’s second-place result reflects its broadening range, with the Sealion 7, Atto 2 and Shark 6 all making the top 10 models. That said, Toyota still led the market by a wide margin, with the HiLux, RAV4 and Prado among the highest-selling vehicles. 

Top brands:

1. Toyota – 20,649
2. BYD – 10,025
3. Ford – 7310
4. Kia – 5801
5. Mazda – 5730
6. MG – 4676
7. Hyundai – 4571
8. GWM – 4417
9. Geely – 4365
10. Chery – 4317

EV and hybrid car sales – a closer look

Electric vehicles accounted for 24,845 October, including figures from the FCAI and the EVC. That represents 23.1 per cent of the adjusted market, compared with 7.3 per cent in October 2025. Sales were up 237.5 per cent year-on-year. 

Plug-in hybrids also grew strongly, reaching 11,745 sales, up 148.6 per cent. Conventional hybrids rose 3.8 per cent to 18,434. Petrol sales moved in the opposite direction, falling 35.9 per cent to 23,605, while diesel sales dropped 14.7 per cent to 25,649. 

Year to date, the combined electric total reached 205,436, up 145.1 per cent on the total 2025 figure. Plug-in hybrids rose 126.7 per cent to 97,023, while petrol and diesel sales fell 27.6 per cent and 16.3 per cent respectively. The October figures show how quickly the sales mix is changing, with battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles taking a larger share as petrol loses ground.