If you're buying a car before Christmas, October's sales numbers are a decent map of where the pressure is. The new HiLux is selling hard, BYD was the No. 2 brand in October with more than double its sales of a year ago, and the old mainstream names from Korea and Japan, apart from Toyota, sold fewer cars than they did a year ago. That last group is where you're more likely to find a deal.
Key Takeaways
- 103,325 new vehicles counted in October 2026, up 3.8% on October 2025
- Toyota HiLux topped the models on 5,954, ahead of Ranger (4,841) and RAV4 (4,718). HiLux starts at $33,990 before on-road costs in our directory
- BYD was the No. 2 brand on 10,025, up from 3,959 a year earlier, behind Toyota on 20,649
- Battery EVs took 23.1% of “sales from all sources” (7.3% a year ago). Petrol sales fell 35.9%, diesel 14.7%
- China supplied 36.3% of the cars counted, ahead of Japan on 23.3%
The FCAI's VFACTS count for October was 103,325 new vehicles, up 3.8% on the same month in 2025 and a touch above September's 102,924. With October in, the year-to-date VFACTS total has passed a million: 1,017,637 after ten months.
The bigger story is under the total. Battery electric cars made up 23.1% of “sales from all sources”, according to the FCAI, almost triple the 7.3% share of October 2025. Petrol sales dropped 35.9% year on year and diesel slipped 14.7%. FCAI chief executive Tony Weber put the EV surge down to competition, Middle East instability, higher fuel prices and the federal government's tax concessions.
CarSorted Manufacturer offer
Toyota Australia has an offer on the HiLux until 31 December 2026
Offer from Toyota Australia, checked 15 Nov 2026
The Top 10 Models, With Their Prices
Here's the FCAI's top 10 for October, grouped by what powers them, with the entry price from our directory where we hold a verified figure. Prices are the maker's RRP, before on-road costs.
| Rank and model | Oct 2026 | Oct 2025 | Change | From (RRP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel utes and 4WD wagons | ||||
| 1. Toyota HiLux | 5,954 | 4,444 | +34.0% | $33,990 |
| 2. Ford Ranger | 4,841 | 4,402 | +10.0% | See car page |
| 5. Toyota Prado | 2,397 | 1,458 | +64.4% | $79,990 (GXL) |
| 10. Ford Everest | 1,741 | 2,435 | -28.5% | See car page |
| Hybrid and petrol SUVs | ||||
| 3. Toyota RAV4 | 4,718 | 4,401 | +7.2% | $45,990 |
| 6. Chery Tiggo 4 Pro | 2,178 | 1,975 | +10.3% | See car page |
| Battery electric | ||||
| 4. BYD Sealion 7 | 2,524 | 1,341 | +88.2% | $54,990 |
| 7. BYD Atto 2 | 1,943 | n/a | n/a | $31,990 |
| 9. Geely EX5 | 1,789 | 343 | +421.6% | $41,990 |
| Plug-in hybrid ute | ||||
| 8. BYD Shark 6 | 1,843 | 1,070 | +72.2% | $55,900 (cab-chassis) |
Compare these picks side by side
5 of them on 200+ specs, price, safety and running cost in one view.
Each price is that car's stored figure with its basis and check date. Driva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link.
Current price on CarSorted: Toyota HiLux SR 4x4 Double Cab Pick-Up Auto V-Active $59,490 RRP, as at 14 Nov 2026; Toyota Prado GXL Diesel 7-seat $79,990 RRP, as at 14 Nov 2026.
Sales from the FCAI's VFACTS release of 5 November 2026. HiLux and Ranger include 4x2 and 4x4; the Tiggo 4 Pro figure includes the Tiggo 4 and Tiggo 4 Hybrid. The Atto 2 has no October 2025 figure. Prices are the entry on-sale RRP in our directory on 14 November 2026, before on-road costs; the RAV4 is hybrid from that price, with a plug-in hybrid XSE from $58,840.
Four of the ten are electric or plug-in. That's the Sealion 7, Atto 2 and EX5 as battery EVs, and the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute. A year ago the Atto 2 wasn't in the count at all, and the Geely EX5 sold 343. In October it sold 1,789.
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The Brands: Who Grew and Who Shrank
| Brand | Oct 2026 | Share | Oct 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota | 20,649 | 20.0% | 19,726 | +4.7% |
| BYD | 10,025 | 9.7% | 3,959 | +153.2% |
| Ford | 7,310 | 7.1% | 7,570 | -3.4% |
| Kia | 5,801 | 5.6% | 6,610 | -12.2% |
| Mazda | 5,730 | 5.5% | 7,140 | -19.7% |
| MG | 4,676 | 4.5% | 3,556 | +31.5% |
| Hyundai | 4,571 | 4.4% | 6,403 | -28.6% |
| GWM | 4,417 | 4.3% | 4,431 | -0.3% |
| Geely | 4,365 | 4.2% | 704 | +520.0% |
| Chery | 4,317 | 4.2% | 3,550 | +21.6% |
Volumes and shares from the FCAI's top 10 marques table for October. The change column is our arithmetic from those volumes.
Add up BYD, MG, GWM, Geely and Chery and you get 27,800 sales, or 26.9% of the October market on our maths. That's more than Toyota's 20,649 on its own. The FCAI also counted China as the source of 36.3% of vehicles, against 23.3% from Japan, 17.9% from Thailand and 9.2% from South Korea.
On the other side, Hyundai fell 28.6%, Mazda 19.7% and Kia 12.2% against October 2025. The year-to-date table tells the same story over a longer stretch. Toyota is still clear at 173,593, but that's down from 201,535 at this point last year, while BYD has more than doubled to 86,639. Mitsubishi sits tenth for the year on 35,601, down from 52,364.
Image credit: BYD Australia
Ways to buy
Quotes on 4 cars; the comparison covers 5.
Compare 5Finance
From ≈$125/wk(≈$541/mo)
Estimate on the BYD Atto 2 at $31,990 RRP, before on-road costs; assumes $5,000 deposit, 5 yrs at 7.5% p.a. Not a quote or an offer of credit.
Compare real car-loan ratesDriva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link.
Novated lease
Electric, with an RRP under the $91,661 fuel-efficient LCT threshold (2026-27): under the ATO's electric cars exemption a novated lease of an eligible electric car attracts no FBT if luxury car tax was never payable on it. The benefit is still reportable.
Novated lease quoteWork out a lease on the BYD Sealion 7Driva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link. Opens apply.driva.com.au in a new tab.
Body Types and States
SUVs were 64,163 of the 103,325 (62.1%), light commercials such as utes and vans 21,469 (20.8%), passenger cars 14,478 (14.0%) and heavy commercials 3,215. Passenger cars are holding their small slice; there were 13,796 of them in September.
Every state and territory but South Australia grew. The ACT was up 16.8% to 1,577 and the Northern Territory up 11.4% to 1,014, both small markets with big swings. New South Wales took 30,580 (up 1.7%), Victoria 28,336 (up 3.9%), Queensland 21,762 (up 6.2%), Western Australia 11,687 (up 4.6%) and Tasmania 1,778 (up 5.1%). South Australia slipped 0.5% to 6,591.
Cars in this story
5 cars
Price shown is each car's stored figure with its basis and check date.
See all Toyota modelsHow the Top Sellers Compare on Our Numbers
HiLux against Shark 6. The new-generation HiLux is up 34% on a year ago, and in our directory the HiLux SR 4x4 double-cab pick-up auto lists at $59,490 with a 150kW diesel and 7.2L/100km combined. The BYD Shark 6 Premium plug-in hybrid lists at $57,900 with 321kW. They're different tools: the Shark suits buyers who can plug in at home and do mostly short runs, while the HiLux is the safer bet for long-distance towing and remote work. Put them side by side on the compare page.
RAV4 against the electric mid-size SUVs. The RAV4 GX Hybrid 2WD is $45,990 and uses 4.5L/100km on Toyota's figure. The Geely EX5 Complete is $41,990 with 475km of WLTP range, and the BYD Sealion 7 Premium is $54,990 with 482km. If you can charge at home, the EX5 lists $4,000 under the RAV4 GX Hybrid and runs on electricity instead of fuel. If you can't, the RAV4 hybrid remains the low-fuss choice.
Small cars. The BYD Atto 2 Dynamic lists at $31,990 with 345km of WLTP range, and it went from nothing to seventh in a year. The Chery Tiggo 4 is its petrol and hybrid alternative from the same top 10; check its car page for the current price.
Image credit: Geely Australia
Our Take
Two things stand out. The HiLux has bounced back hard on the new model, and with Ranger and Prado also up, diesel 4x4s aren't going anywhere for people who tow and travel. But diesel sales overall were still down 14.7%, so the growth is concentrated in a few nameplates rather than across the board.
The second is that electric cars have stopped being a niche at the top of the charts. Three battery EVs in the top 10, and a 23.1% share, is a different market from a year ago. Meanwhile Hyundai, Mazda and Kia each sold fewer cars than a year ago, even as the market grew.
What This Means for Buyers
If you want a HiLux, don't expect much movement on price while it's selling at this rate. Get a written drive-away quote from two dealers and compare it against a Ranger quote from the same week.
If you're shopping a mid-size SUV, the brands that sold fewer cars this October have good reason to sharpen up before the year ends. Kia is already running a $5,000 cashback on diesel Sportage and Sorento stock this month. Ask Hyundai, Mazda and Kia dealers for a written drive-away price, then hold it against the RAV4 Hybrid and an electric option like the EX5.
And if you're weighing up your own switch to electric, start with the Atto 2 and Sealion 7 car pages, then compare them against a hybrid you'd otherwise buy.
Compare what's on sale now
Head-to-heads with the cars this story is about and their closest rivals on sale now, plus the buying guides that cover them.
- Ford Ranger vs Toyota HiLux
- BYD Shark 6 vs Ford Ranger
- Ford Everest vs Toyota Prado
- BYD Sealion 7 vs Geely EX5
- BYD Atto 2 vs Chery Tiggo 4
- Toyota RAV4 vs BYD Sealion 6
- BYD Shark 6 vs GWM Cannon Alpha
- Toyota HiLux vs GWM Cannon
Buying guides
- Best Plug-in Hybrid SUVs in Australia 2027: One Winner Per Question
- Best Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) Utes in Australia 2026: Cannon Alpha vs Shark 6 vs Ranger
- Toyota Ute: HiLux Prices, Models and Which to Buy
- BYD Ute: Shark 6 Price, Specs & How It Compares
Or pick any two cars on our compare page, or browse the full car directory.
MORE:Is the BYD Atto 1 Really the Cheapest Car to Run? What the Running-Cost Numbers Assume
MORE:BYD Ti7 Seven-Seat Plug-In Hybrid Type-Approved for Australia, No Launch Date or Price Yet
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Disclaimer: Sales figures, shares, source-country percentages and the EV, petrol and diesel changes are from the FCAI's VFACTS release of 5 November 2026 and its tables. VFACTS counts the brands that report to the FCAI; the 23.1% battery EV share is the FCAI's figure for “sales from all sources”. Percentage changes for brands, the five-brand total and the year-to-date sum are our arithmetic from those tables. Prices are the RRP in our directory on 14 November 2026, before on-road costs, and may have changed since. Confirm price, specification and availability with a dealer before you buy.
