Best-selling car brands in Australia for July 2026 (VFACTS)

The FCAI reports the best-everJuly month for new vehicle sales in the July 2026 VFACTS report, with combined sales of a total 108,577 units. Buyers continue to spread their money across a very different mix of brands and powertrains compared to last July.

Toyota remained the clear champion with 20,409 sales, driven by the Toyota RAV4, which was the best-selling model overall in July 2026. But the Japanese giant continues to be threatened by the increasing adoption of Chinese brands across almost all price segments, which now stand at 93% YoY growth.

Not surprisingly, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) covered 26% of the new vehicle market, which includes Tesla and Polestar’s EV figures also and the segment is led by Model Y, again.

Top 10 car brands sold in July 2026 in Australia

*Tesla had a 4.4% market share in Australia based on the total car sales (VFACTS + Tesla + Polestar) of 103,656.

Key insights for July 2026 car brand sales

Australia’s new-car market recorded its strongest July with the total sales of 108,577, after combining 4,921 units of Tesla and Polestar with the 103,656 total new vehicle sales counted by FCAI.

1. Toyota remains the giant

Toyota comfortably stayed Australia’s favourite car brand with 20,409 sales, but was down 6% from last July. It still sold almost three cars for every one sold by second-placed BYD, with RAV4 and HiLux being the top-selling Toyota models loved by both families and tradies.

2. BYD made the biggest move near the top

BYD jumped from eighth place in July 2025 to second place in July 2026, with sales rising 70.5% to 7,857. It finished ahead of Kia, Mazda, Ford and Hyundai, which are brands Australians have known for decades.

3. The fight behind Toyota is wide open

Kia secured third place with 6,553 sales, followed closely by Mazda on 6,458, Ford on 6,400 and Hyundai on 5,991. Fewer than 600 vehicles separated third from sixth, which means a strong new model, a good offer or better vehicle supply may quickly reshuffle these positions next month. Overall, all four brands sold fewer vehicles than they did in July 2025.

4. Tesla completed a remarkable comeback

Tesla climbed from 22nd place and 917 sales in July 2025 to seventh place with 4,778 sales in July 2026, which is five times more sales. A strong demand for the Model Y and the newly introduced 6-seat Model Y L helped the brand.

5. Chinese brands filled the leaderboard

BYD, Chery, GWM and MG all finished inside the top 10, while Geely narrowly missed out in 11th place; a year earlier, only GWM and BYD appeared in the top 10. Vehicles built in China almost doubled year-on-year to 38,555 sales across all brands, and the category is led by BYD Sealion 7 this month.

6. Some familiar brands were pushed backwards

Mitsubishi, Isuzu Ute and Subaru were all top-10 brands in July 2025, but none remained there a year later as Mitsubishi’s sales fell 38.6%, Isuzu Ute dropped 28.9%, and Subaru declined 30.1%. Nissan, Volkswagen and BMW also recorded sizable falls as these giants face more competition.

Bottom line

Toyota is still king according to the July 2026 VFACTS figures, but they also suggest buyers are increasingly willing to consider unfamiliar badges when the price, design and features look right. 

The old contest between Japanese, Korean and American names has expanded into a much longer race, with Chinese brands and electric-car makers now fighting near the front rather than watching from the sidelines.

See the top-selling car models and best-selling SUVs in Australia for July 2026.

See the top-selling brands for June 2026

See the top-selling brands for May 2026

See the top-selling brands for April 2026

See the top-selling brands for March 2026

See the top-selling brands for February 2026

See the top-selling brands for January 2026