VFACTS April 2025: Australian new vehicle deliveries drop
April was a disappointing month for new car sales, with drops across every state and territory and for private, business and government sales.
A total of 90,614 new vehicles were delivered in April 2025, representing a drop of 6.8 per cent on the same month last year.
Hybrids – after months of double-digit year-on-year growth – finally hit a wall. A total of 14,288 were delivered, down 6.0 per cent on April 2024's tally.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) continued to record YoY growth with 2601 deliveries in April representing an upsurge of 95.4 per cent. However, the end of the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption from April 1 likely explained why overall PHEV deliveries slumped from 6932 deliveries in March.
Electric vehicle (EV) sales fell 3.0 per cent in April to 6010 deliveries, with an influx of affordable options – primarily from China – offset by a huge drop in Tesla deliveries.
Complicating sales reporting is the lack of a unified platform for publishing vehicle deliveries. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Tesla and Polestar ceased sharing their figures for the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries' monthly VFACTS report midway through last year.
They now report their figures to the Electric Vehicle Council, whose report is usually published one working day prior to the FCAI's.
Of course, even when these brands did report to the FCAI, the overall delivery tallies weren't 100 per cent accurate. That's because Mahindra has never reported in VFACTS, and it's now been joined by – at least for now – brands such as Cadillac, Deepal, Smart and Xpeng.
Toyota kept its vice grip on the top spot despite a 6.7 per cent decline compared with last April, with 19,380 deliveries. That was more than second- and third-place finishers Ford and Mazda combined. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Toyota had a range of models that were down, including some of its hybrid-only vehicles like the Camry sedan (down 55 per cent YoY) and Corolla small car (down 20.8 per cent YoY).
The Ford brand was down 15.2 per cent thanks to drops for the Ranger ute and the related Everest SUV, while Mazda was down 10.0 per cent in part due to lower sales of its most affordable models, the Mazda 2 light car and CX-3 light SUV.
Compared to April 2024, almost every top 10 brand was down.
Exceptions included Hyundai, which was up 7.0 per cent on the back of strong Venue, Kona and Santa Fe SUV sales, as well as Nissan which was up 27.0 per cent thanks to increases for the X-Trail mid-size SUV, Navara ute and Patrol upper-large SUV.
Chinese brands generally had a good month, with seventh-placed GWM up 16.3 per cent despite drops for larger models like its Cannon ute and Tank 500 large SUV.
BYD only just squeaked into the top 10, but with 3207 deliveries it was up 127.4 per cent YoY year thanks to new models like the Sealion 6 and Sealion 7 medium SUVs and the Shark 6 ute. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Chery posted the biggest year-over-year increase at 290.9 per cent, putting it in 14th place. Polestar also recorded a significant jump with deliveries up 102 per cent.
Meanwhile, the likes of Volvo, Skoda, KGM SsangYong and Peugeot all posted declines of more than 40 per cent year-over-year.
Tesla had them beat, however, with an alarming 75.9 per cent YoY drop.
The Toyota HiLux reclaimed the title of Australia's favourite new vehicle in April, posting 4121 deliveries – just 90 units ahead of the Ford Ranger. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
However, the Toyota is still behind the Ford in terms of year-to-date figures, sitting at 15,120 units against 17,257 for the Ranger.
Ford did sell exactly one more Everest (2234) than Toyota did of its Prado (2233), though in the large SUV segment it's the Toyota substantially ahead in year-to-date deliveries (10,674 versus 7220).
Toyota still had Australia's best-selling SUV with the mid-size RAV4, posting 3808 deliveries, and the best-selling passenger car with the Corolla, notching 1660 deliveries.
There were some top-10 models from outside the Ford and Toyota brands, of course. The Kia Sportage took seventh with 1701 deliveries, with the Nissan X-Trail in ninth with 1615 and yet another medium SUV, the Mazda CX-5, in 10th with 1607. Micro cars: Kia Picanto (491), Fiat/Abarth 500 (28)
Light cars under $30,000: MG 3 (568), Mazda 2 (387), Toyota Yaris (260)
Light cars over $30,000: Mini Cooper (138), Hyundai i20 (84), Mini Aceman (65)
Small cars under $45,000: Toyota Corolla (1660), Hyundai i30 (790), Mazda 3 (696)
Small cars over $45,000: MG 4 (363), Volkswagen Golf (210), BMW 1 Series (191)
Medium cars under $60,000: Toyota Camry (843), BYD Seal (325), Mazda 6 (144)
Medium cars over $60,000: Tesla Model 3 (220), BMW 3 Series (170), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (91)
Large cars under $70,000: Skoda Superb (7)
Large cars over $70,000: Mercedes-Benz E-Class (78), BMW 5 Series (55), Porsche Taycan (17)
Upper large cars: Porsche Panamera (8), Mercedes-Benz S-Class (5), Lexus LS/Rolls-Royce sedan range/BMW 7 Series (4 each)
People movers under $70,000: Kia Carnival (811), Hyundai Staria (92), Ford Tourneo (72)
People movers over $70,000: Volkswagen Multivan (27), Mercedes-Benz V-Class (26), Lexus LM (23)
Sports cars under $90,000: Ford Mustang (566), Subaru BRZ (66), Mini Cabriolet (49)
Sports cars over $90,000: BMW 2 Series coupe (88), Mercedes-Benz CLE (78), BMW 4 Series coupe and convertible (49)
Sports cars over $200,000: Porsche 911 (42), Ferrari two-door range (13), Aston Martin two-door range (11) Supplied Credit: CarExpert Supplied Credit: CarExpert Light SUVs: Mazda CX-3 (1053), Toyota Yaris Cross (834), Suzuki Jimny (685)
Small SUVs under $45,000: Hyundai Kona (1605), MG ZS (1587), GWM Haval Jolion (1423)
Small SUVs over $45,000: BMW X1 (571), Volkswagen T-Roc (375), Kia EV3 (336)
Medium SUVs under $60,000: Toyota RAV4 (3808), Kia Sportage (1701), Nissan X-Trail (1615)
Medium SUVs over $60,000: BMW X3 (497), Lexus NX (462), Mazda CX-60 (377)
Large SUVs under $80,000: Ford Everest (2234), Toyota Prado (2233), Isuzu MU-X (1223)
Large SUVs over $80,000: BMW X5 (393), Land Rover Defender (350), Range Rover Sport (194)
Upper large SUVs under $120,000: Toyota LandCruiser (1022), Nissan Patrol (541), Land Rover Discovery (37)
Upper large SUVs over $120,000: BMW X7 (116), Lexus GX (91), Lexus LX (71) Supplied Credit: CarExpert Supplied Credit: CarExpert Small vans: Volkswagen Caddy (56), Peugeot Partner (26), Renault Kangoo (14)
Medium vans: Toyota HiAce (972), Ford Transit Custom (208), Hyundai Staria Load (178)
4×2 utes: Toyota HiLux (612), Isuzu D-Max (455), Ford Ranger (255)
4×4 utes: Ford Ranger (3776), Toyota HiLux (3509), Isuzu D-Max (1652)
Large pickups: Ram 1500 (226), Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (156), Chevrolet Silverado HD and Toyota Tundra (76 each)
Includes Tesla and Polestar sales.
Includes Tesla and Polestar sales.
Excludes Tesla and Polestar sales.
Excludes Tesla, Polestar and heavy commercial sales.
Excludes heavy commercial sales.
MORE: VFACTS March 2025: Ford Ranger back on top as market expands for the first time this yearMORE: VFACTS February 2025: Petrol, diesel and EV sales drop as PHEVs, hybrids surgeMORE: VFACTS January 2025: Slow start to slower year
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The upgrades could bring a five-star ANCAP rating within reach – yet even a potential four-star rating may not be a deterrent in such a cost-conscious segment. The Fiat 500e has a four-star rating, while the petrol-powered Kia Picanto is currently 'Unrated' by ANCAP after its four-star safety rating from 2017 expired two years ago. The four-star Seagull would not be an outlier and – in fact – may lead the segment courtesy of its 'God's Eye' tech. "I think after driving it and seeing the reactions of everyone driving it in the last couple of days, I've almost been converted to see that there is an enormous amount of opportunity," Ms Hornstein said. "The amount of people that have said first-hand they would buy this car is so exciting to me, so I think what we can take back is that excitement and try and build a case for it to come into the range." Content originally sourced from: The BYD Seagull could become Australia's most affordable electric vehicle (EV) – although it may come with a four-star ANCAP safety rating – after the Chinese brand told CarExpert the pint-size hatch could make its way here. BYD will take over distribution of the brand in Australia from independent importer EVDirect on July 1, 2025, and now the previously ruled out Seagull is back in contention to join the local lineup. Already produced in right-hand drive for the UK – where it will be badged as the 'Dolphin Surf' – the Seagull is slightly bigger than the Kia Picanto and the discontinued Volkswagen Up micro-cars, but smaller than the Mazda 2 light hatch While BYD makes many of its models in both hybrid and battery-electric form, the Seagull is electric-only and uses a 55kW motor to drive the front wheels, and offers a range of up to 507km (CLTC) from its two battery sizes. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Because it's smaller than the Dolphin electric hatch – currently the cheapest EV in local showrooms at $29,990 drive-away – the Seagull would have to be even cheaper, making it a prime candidate to become the brand's new price-leader. In January 2025, EVDirect boss Luke Todd told CarExpert the Seagull would only make sense if it had a five-star ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) rating and was priced around $25,000 or less. Now, with the Chinese car giant taking over local distribution – and a tech update coming in 2025 – the Seagull is back on the list for a local launch. "There would be room under the Dolphin and the Atto 2," BYD Australia Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Kate Hornstein told CarExpert when asked about the Seagull's chances for Australia. That's despite the once-booming micro segment it would compete in now offering only two models – the Kia Picanto and the Fiat 500/500e – accounting for only 0.6 per cent (3130 vehicles) of total new car sales year-to-date. By comparison, Chinese-market sales of the Seagull were a staggering 61,131 in May 2025 alone, making it the brand's best-selling single model there. "If we look at the numbers of the micro segment, is there opportunity? Has the customer had a lot of choice?", Ms Hornstein added while speaking with CarExpert at a BYD driving event in China. The only electric contender in the micro segment right now is the Fiat 500e priced at $52,500 before on-road costs. The second hurdle – the lack of a five-star ANCAP safety rating – would rule the electric hatch out for many fleet and government customers, and could also turn off some private buyers. Every BYD currently sold in Australia – from the entry-level Dolphin to the Sealion 6 PHEV and the top-selling Shark 6 dual-cab ute – has a five-star ANCAP rating. Yet an early 2025 facelift added BYD's entry-level 'God's Eye C' system, bringing Lidar, camera and ultrasonic sensors to the Seagull and offording it with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and even navigation-based route learning ability. The upgrades could bring a five-star ANCAP rating within reach – yet even a potential four-star rating may not be a deterrent in such a cost-conscious segment. The Fiat 500e has a four-star rating, while the petrol-powered Kia Picanto is currently 'Unrated' by ANCAP after its four-star safety rating from 2017 expired two years ago. The four-star Seagull would not be an outlier and – in fact – may lead the segment courtesy of its 'God's Eye' tech. "I think after driving it and seeing the reactions of everyone driving it in the last couple of days, I've almost been converted to see that there is an enormous amount of opportunity," Ms Hornstein said. "The amount of people that have said first-hand they would buy this car is so exciting to me, so I think what we can take back is that excitement and try and build a case for it to come into the range." Content originally sourced from: The BYD Seagull could become Australia's most affordable electric vehicle (EV) – although it may come with a four-star ANCAP safety rating – after the Chinese brand told CarExpert the pint-size hatch could make its way here. BYD will take over distribution of the brand in Australia from independent importer EVDirect on July 1, 2025, and now the previously ruled out Seagull is back in contention to join the local lineup. Already produced in right-hand drive for the UK – where it will be badged as the 'Dolphin Surf' – the Seagull is slightly bigger than the Kia Picanto and the discontinued Volkswagen Up micro-cars, but smaller than the Mazda 2 light hatch While BYD makes many of its models in both hybrid and battery-electric form, the Seagull is electric-only and uses a 55kW motor to drive the front wheels, and offers a range of up to 507km (CLTC) from its two battery sizes. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Because it's smaller than the Dolphin electric hatch – currently the cheapest EV in local showrooms at $29,990 drive-away – the Seagull would have to be even cheaper, making it a prime candidate to become the brand's new price-leader. 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News.com.au
3 hours ago
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