Key highlights:
- Toyota led again, while BYD more than doubled its sales in October 2025
- Five Chinese brands made October’s top 10, including fast-rising Geely
- MG grew strongly as Kia, Mazda and Hyundai recorded year-on-year declines
The combined October 2026 FCAI and EVC data shows traditional leaders leaning into heavy discounting and utility sales to protect their turf, while Chinese brands aggressively scale up via affordable electrification.
Toyota maintains a massive volume advantage, but the middle is increasingly dominated by newer EV-centric and Chinese legacy brands. With 107,493 sales in October 2026, it became the highest volume of new vehicles ever delivered in the month of October in Australian automotive history.
This month has also pushed the year-to-date total past the 1 million mark to 1,065,191 units, beating last year’s all-time high. And on the powertrain side, electrified vehicles continue to dominate by eating 52.8% of the market share, and diesel narrowly reclaimed the top model sales spot after 2 months. Go on to read more insights about October 2026’s top car brand sales:
Top 10 car brands sold in October 2026 in Australia
| # | Brand | October 2026 sales | Market share (VFACTS) | YoY change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Toyota | 20,649 | 20% | +4.7% |
| 2. | BYD | 10,025 | 9.7% | +153.2% |
| 3. | Ford | 7310 | 7.1% | -3.4% |
| 4. | Kia | 5801 | 5.6% | -12.2% |
| 5. | Mazda | 5730 | 5.5% | -19.7% |
| 6. | MG | 4676 | 4.5% | +31.5% |
| 7. | Hyundai | 4571 | 4.4% | -28.6% |
| 8. | GWM | 4417 | 4.3% | -0.3% |
| 9. | Geely | 4365 | 4.2% | +520.0% |
| 10. | Chery | 4317 | 4.2% | +21.6% |
Key insights for October 2026 car brand sales
Australia’s new-car market grew compared with October last year, but the leaderboard is changing fast. Toyota held first place, while BYD strengthened its grip on second this month, and five Chinese brands made the top 10.
For buyers, that means more brands are competing for attention, even as favourites like Toyota, Ford and Kia remain near the top.
1. Toyota remains the one to beat
Toyota delivered 20,649 vehicles, up 4.7% on October 2025, and it was well clear of the rest, helped by strong performances from the HiLux, RAV4 and Prado, all of which finished among the six best-selling models. Toyota also led in September, when it sold 17,682 vehicles.
For families, tradies and regional drivers, the figures show the brand’s broad appeal across SUVs and utes is still a major draw.
2. BYD is now firmly in second
BYD’s 10,025 sales were more than double its October 2025 result of 3,959, and it also held second place in September, with 8,191 sales. That’s a sizeable leap in a year, and the brand’s Sealion 7, Atto 2 and Shark 6 all featured among October’s 20 best-selling models. Buyers weighing up an electric SUV or ute now have a fast-growing option to compare with long-established brands.
3. Ford takes bronze, but trails its own 2025 result
Ford delivered 7,310 vehicles, down 3.4% year-on-year, but enough to finish third, and it was also third in September, when it sold 7,592. The Ranger remains a big part of Ford’s pull: it was October’s second-best-selling model, behind the HiLux. For ute shoppers, the familiar rivalry is alive and well, though Toyota had the stronger month.
4. Kia and Mazda slip, while MG moves up
Kia came fourth with 5,801 sales, down 12.2% from 6,610 a year earlier, and Mazda followed closely at 5,730, but its sales fell 19.7% year-on-year. Both brands sat ahead of MG in October 2025; this time MG climbed to sixth with 4,676, up 31.5%.
The different fortunes are a reminder that the badge on the bonnet isn’t the whole story: buyers are comparing the range of cars each brand offers, and individual models can shift a brand’s result.
5. Chinese brands now make up half the top 10
Hyundai finished seventh with 4,571 sales, down 28.6% year-on-year. GWM was eighth at 4,417, almost level with its 2025 result, and Geely came ninth with 4,365, up from 704 last October, while Chery took tenth with 4,317.
In October 2025, GWM, BYD, MG and Chery were the four Chinese brands in the top 10; this year Geely joined them, and that gives Australian shoppers more brands to consider across SUVs, hatchbacks and electric models.
6. September’s runners-up shuffled down the board
Tesla fell from sixth in September to eleventh in October, with sales moving from 5,654 to 4,050. Geely, by contrast, edged up from tenth to ninth, while Chery moved from eleventh to tenth.
Month-to-month rankings can change quickly, so one result alone doesn’t tell buyers which car will suit them best, but October’s numbers show just how crowded the contest below Toyota and BYD has become.
Bottom line
Toyota remains Australia’s dominant brand this month and YTD; BYD maintains its second position with a three-pronged model attack. Five of the top ten brands, BYD, MG, GWM, Geely, and Chery, are now Chinese, capitalising on the Aussies’ cost-of-living anxieties with their electrified, aggressively priced vehicles.
See the top-selling car models in Australia for October 2026.
See the top-selling brands for September 2026
See the top-selling brands for August 2026
See the top-selling brands 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
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