Australia’s new car market delivered 100,539 sales in August 2025, the second-strongest August on record, according to VFACTS figures released by the FCAI. Year-to-date, sales reached 812,447 vehicles, a modest 2.1% decline on the same period in 2024.
Fleet buyers remain central to the market. Purchases by business, rental, government, and heavy commercial operators accounted for 49.4% of all sales in 2025. This underscores how critical fleet demand is in sustaining new car volumes, particularly as passenger car sales continue to decline.
Market highlights
- SUVs dominated with 60,495 units in August, representing 60% of sales. Passenger cars held just 13.1% share and are down 25% YTD versus 2024.
- Light commercials contributed 23,211 sales in August, up 3.1% year-on-year.
- Heavy commercial vehicle sales dipped to 3,630 for the month, an 11.8% decline compared with August 2024.
- Toyota led the market with 20,791 units, followed by Ford (8,002), Kia (7,402), Mazda (6,814), and Hyundai (6,322).
For the first time, four Chinese brands – BYD, GWM, MG, and Chery – all featured in the national top ten, together selling 20,070 vehicles in August, up 67% on the same month last year.
BEV sales stabilise
Battery electric vehicles represented 6.8% of VFACTS-reported sales in August, with plug-in hybrids at 3.9%. When combined with Tesla and Polestar volumes reported separately by the Electric Vehicle Council, overall BEV sales in 2025 are tracking at a similar level to 2024.
This indicates that while EV adoption has consolidated, it has not accelerated in 2025 despite an expanding range of models (around 100 EV nameplates are now on sale). For fleet buyers, the plateau suggests continued caution, likely tied to charging infrastructure planning, whole-of-life cost assessments, and the lack of federal incentives compared with previous years.
Fleet significance
With nearly one in two vehicles sold going to fleets, the data highlights that corporate, rental, government, and heavy vehicle buyers are the backbone of the industry. Their decisions directly influence residual values, service networks, and even model availability for private buyers.
