10 Biggest Car Manufacturers & Brands | Savings.com.au (2023)

From four wheel drives to old-school collectables, Australians have long had an affinity with their cars. One brand in particular that stands out from the pack is Toyota, spreading its roots across Australia since first bringing the LandCruiser to our shores in 1958. Analysing the latest VFACTS data for April from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), below you will find a list of the top 10 car brands in Australia based on sales alone.

1. Toyota
2. Mazda
3. Mitsubishi
4. Kia
5. Hyundai
6. Ford
7. MG
8. Isuzu
9. Nissan
10. Subaru

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Toyota

Across the year to date, Toyota has sold 76,003 vehicles - more than double its nearest competitor in Mazda. To further show the brand’s dominance across the Australian market, 2021 marked the 25th consecutive year of Toyota being named Australia’s top selling car brand. It has also been the leader in commercial vehicles since 1979 – an unbroken run of 43 years. The Hilux also took out the top gong for Australia’s best-selling car for the sixth straight year.

Mazda

Mazda remains behind Toyota as the only manufacturer to pip the 100,000 sales figure in 2021. Mazda sales increased 18.1% in 2021, thanks largely to the success of the mid-size SUV segment. Mazda has sold 37,213 cars so far in 2022, down only 454 from the same period in 2021. With the current trend, it appears that minor decline won’t last for long with the CX-5 currently the fifth highest selling model of the year with 10,951 sales.

Mitsubishi

There remains some significant daylight between the top two brands and the rest of the field, with Mitsubishi shooting up the ranks in sales for 2022 having come in sixth place to close out 2021. VFACTS April data details Mitsubishi has sold 29,816 cars so far in 2022, an increase of 4,492 compared to the same period last year. Leading the charge for Mitsubishi is the Triton, missing out on VFACTS' top three models sold across the year-to-date by only 400 sales. VFACTS April data shows Mitsubishi has made 12,852 Triton sales, an increase of about 49% on 2021.

Kia

Separated by fewer than a thousand sales for the year, Kia and Hyundai continue to battle it out for the higher spot of fourth place. Kia took out the honours in VFACTS' latest April data with 6,180 sales. Over the year to date, Kia has sold 23,682 cars, led by the the Kia Sportage in the medium-sized SUV segment at with 5,263 sales. Kia continues to expect strong results in all three of the small, medium and large SUV segments for the remainder of the year.

Hyundai

Falling short of Kia’s 6,180 in April with 5,552 sales, across the year to date Hyundai has made 22,845 sales placing it fifth at this point in the year. Falling from third spot to close out 2021, Hyundai’s recent sales trends have been dictated by the hatchback i30 with VFACTS reporting 7,924 sales so far in 2022.

Ford

A mainstay of the Ford lineup, the Ford Ranger leads the charge for the iconic manufacturer with 13,241 sales across the Ranger 4x4 and 4x2 range so far in 2022. With the Ranger accounting for more than 72% of Ford sales, VFACTS' April data reports Ford has sold 18,357 vehicles in the year so far sitting in sixth position.

MG

The desire for an affordable motoring brand compared to some mainstays in the Australian market has propelled MG into the top 10 car brand discussion over the past two years. VFACTS' April data sees MG maintain its position at seventh with 16,040 sales across the year to date. All models offered by the brand have seen a boost in sales across the year to date, with the ZS leading the way with 7,220 sales - a 33% growth in sales from the same period last year.

Isuzu

Clawing up the rankings one by one, Isuzu is considered one of the most reliable brands in the Australian market. Offering only two passenger vehicle models - the D-MAX and MU-X - VFACTS April data reports Isuzu has sold 11,830 vehicles to date. The D-Max remains one of the most popular vehicles in Australia in 2022, sitting behind the CX-5 for fifth position with 2,374 vehicles sold. This figure lies just ahead of the previously-mentioned Mitsubishi Triton, meaning the race to the end of the year will continue to remain tight.

Nissan

Despite recording a 34% decline in sales for the year to date, Nissan retains its spot inside VFACTS top 10 car brands. With 10,372 sales, Nissan’s mainstay was the Navara recording 5,056 sales. Nissan did not manage to have any models within the top 10 for sales based on VFACTS' April data, with the best-selling model being the medium-sized SUV, the X-Trail, with 763 sales.

Subaru

In similar fashion to Nissan, despite recording a 28% decline in sales across the year to date, Subaru has jagged the remaining spot inside VFACTS' top 10 car brands for the year to date. Subaru has sold 3,451 vehicles in Australia so far throughout 2022, a stark difference to the 76,003 sold by Toyota. Subaru’s best-seller to date in 2022 is yet another medium-sized SUV being the Forester, with 4,019 sales based on VFACTS' April data.

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