Australian New Vehicle Registrations Rise Slightly in January 2026

On February 4, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reported that Australian new vehicle registrations reached 87,092 units in January 2026, marking a modest increase of 0.3 percent compared with the same month last year. The result points to steady demand conditions across the national automotive market.

January 2026 Vehicle Registration Performance

Passenger car deliveries totalled 13,365 units during the month, representing a 4.6 percent increase year-on-year. SUVs continued to dominate volumes, with 53,263 units registered, up 1.0 percent compared with January 2025. Light commercial vehicles recorded softer performance, with registrations declining 2.5 percent to 17,995 units. The heavy commercial vehicle segment also contracted, as MHCV sales fell 12.4 percent to 2,469 units, reflecting cautious fleet purchasing early in the year.

Powertrain Trends and Market Stability

FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said that January’s data indicates a market that remains broadly stable. It appears petrol vehicle volumes declined, while plug-in hybrid electric vehicles experienced rapid growth. At the same time, hybrid electric vehicle and battery electric vehicle uptake showed relatively steady performance.

Brand-Level Sales Movements

Among leading manufacturers, results were mixed. Toyota recorded a 22.3 percent decline to 14,310 units, while Mazda sales decreased 7.6 percent to 7,692 units. Ford also saw a drop of 10.5 percent, with registrations totalling 6,116 units. In contrast, Kia achieved a 15.4 percent increase to 6,600 units, and Hyundai posted growth of 6.9 percent with 5,856 units delivered. Chinese brands continued to expand their presence, with BYD and Chery, ranked sixth and ninth respectively, posting strong year-on-year gains of 640.9 percent and 105.8 percent. These results highlight growing momentum for Korean and Chinese manufacturers in Australia, alongside comparatively weaker performance from Japanese brands.

Top-Selling Vehicles in January

The most popular models in January 2026 remained consistent with recent trends. The Ford Ranger led overall sales, followed by the Toyota HiLux in second place and the Mazda CX-5 ranking third, reinforcing the continued strength of utes and mid-size SUVs in Australian new vehicle registrations.