Australian and ACT Car Sales Overview: 2025 Performance and Early 2026 Market Shifts

Toyota RAV4 Dominates ACT in 2025 Amidst National EV Surge and Anticipated Model Overhaul

In 2025, the Toyota RAV4 was the top-selling vehicle in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the second-highest nationally, while the Ford Ranger led national sales. The ACT recorded Australia's highest electric vehicle (EV) market share at 26.3 percent, despite a decline in Tesla sales.

As of early 2026, RAV4 sales experienced a notable decrease ahead of the launch of an all-new model, anticipated in April 2026. This new iteration will introduce Toyota's first plug-in hybrid option in Australia.

2025 Sales Performance

The Toyota RAV4 was the top-selling vehicle in the ACT in 2025, with 949 units sold. It was followed by the Tesla Model Y (771 units) and the Ford Ranger (613 units).

Toyota led brand sales in the ACT with 2,983 units, ahead of:

• BYD (1,500 units)
• Hyundai (1,218 units)
• Kia (1,168 units)
• Mazda (1,137 units)

For the entire year 2025, total car sales in the ACT reached 17,963 units. In December 2025, ACT car sales decreased by 1.4 percent compared to December 2024.

Nationally, the Ford Ranger was Australia's top-selling vehicle in 2025 with 56,555 units. The Toyota RAV4 ranked second with 51,947 units, and the Toyota HiLux was third with 51,297 units.

Toyota maintained its position as the national market leader, selling 239,863 vehicles and capturing approximately 19.8 percent of the total market. Ford (94,399 units), Mazda (91,293 units), Kia (82,105 units), and Hyundai (77,208 units) followed in brand sales.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) reported a national increase of three percent in new car sales for December 2025 compared to December 2024, totaling 98,744 vehicles.

Sales Trends and Historical Context

The Toyota RAV4 has a history of strong performance in the ACT, leading sales in 2021, 2022, and 2024 (with 1,105 sales in 2024). Toyota's Corolla topped sales in 2020, while Tesla's Model Y and Model 3 led in 2023.

In 2025, Tesla sales decreased in both the ACT and nationally, with national Tesla sales declining 24 percent from 2024, which itself was down 17 percent from 2023.

In the ACT, approximately 70 percent of RAV4 buyers in 2025 were private customers, with the remaining 30 percent attributed to fleets. Hybrid models remained the most popular variant.

Electric Vehicle Market Share

The ACT maintained Australia's highest electric vehicle (EV) market share in 2025 at 26.3 percent. Nationally, the EV market share was 12 percent.

Regarding powertrain preferences in the ACT for 2025:

• Petrol engines accounted for 31.2 percent of new car sales, a decrease of 19 percentage points from 2024.
• Hybrid sales increased by 24 percent.
• Plug-in hybrid sales increased by 62 percent.
• Diesel sales declined by approximately 10 percent to a 17.5 percent market share.

Early 2026 Market Developments

In February 2026, sales of the outgoing fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 decreased notably, with 723 units sold. This marked a reduction from 1,757 sales in January 2026 and 4,405 sales in February 2025. Year-to-date RAV4 sales were down 73.8 percent.

Toyota Australia stated that these sales figures align with their 2026 plans, citing a transition to the all-new RAV4 model. The company noted that most current-generation RAV4 vehicles have been sold and customer demand remains across the Toyota range.

The Mazda CX-5 recorded 2,099 sales in February 2026, securing the fifth position overall and becoming the top-selling mid-size SUV for the month and year-to-date. CX-5 sales increased by 15.4 percent year-on-year.

Toyota remained Australia's top auto brand in February 2026 with 13,606 sales. Mazda followed with 7,042 sales, and Ford was third with 6,907 sales.

Toyota experienced a 27.8 percent year-on-year sales decline, which was the largest among the top 10 brands, exceeding the overall market's 2.7 percent decrease for the month.

Future Outlook

An all-new Toyota RAV4 is scheduled for release in 2026, with prices starting from $45,990 for the base hybrid GX 2WD model. This new model will introduce Toyota's first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) offering in Australia, alongside standard hybrid petrol models. The PHEV variants will include a 2.5-liter petrol engine combined with electric motors, offering an approximate 100 km electric driving range. The new RAV4 is anticipated to arrive in Canberra showrooms in April 2026.

A new, third-generation Mazda CX-5 is also anticipated in local showrooms during the second half of 2026.