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News - Market Insight - Market Insight 2025Market Insight: Top 10 segments set the trendBiggest 10 vehicle segments take 91.7pc of sales as the remaining 11 fight for scraps29 Sep 2025 By MATT BROGAN AUSTRALIA is one of the most diverse and brand-heavy new-vehicle markets in the world but despite 68 brands and approximately 380 models vying for a slice of the action, a distinct trend in buyer preference means just 10 vehicle segments take a whopping 91.7 per cent of the overall market (or 745,721 units to the end of August this year).
This leaves models within the remaining 11 segment types fighting over an 8.3 per cent share (or 66,726 units year to date August 31).
Based on VFACTS sales figures supplied by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the medium SUV segment reigns as Australia’s most popular with 186,313 deliveries to the end of August.
Although down 0.7 per cent year-on-year – albeit against an overall market down 2.1 per cent in the same timeframe – medium SUVs command 22.9 per cent of the overall market, or close to one-in-four new vehicles sold.
Segment leader: Toyota RAV4 (32,564 units YTD)Unsurprisingly, four-wheel drive utes take second place on the YTD leaderboard with cumulative sales of 143,985 units. Up 2.1 per cent on the same time last year, models within this expanding segment often place first or second on the monthly sales chart, giving the category an overall market share of 17.7 per cent YTD.
Segment leader: Ford Ranger (35,097 units YTD)The subject of last week’s Market Insight, the small SUV segment, places third in the current standings with year-to-date sales of 137,553 units. Up an impressive 12.3 per cent on last year’s figures, the category holds a significant 16.9 per cent of Australian new car sales – and rising.
Segment leader: Hyundai Kona (15,127 units YTD)In fourth place to the end of August is the large SUV segment – the final segment to achieve a six-figure sales total so far this year.
Total large SUV segment sales tally 112,645 units YTD, up an incredible 14.2 per cent on the same time last year – the highest of any segment in the top 10. Overall, large SUVs account for 13.9 per cent of all vehicle types sold in Australia.
Segment leader: Toyota LandCruiser Prado (19,955 units YTD)In a considerable step down from fourth to fifth place, the small passenger car segment amassed just 49,576 sales in the reporting period – a decline of 23.4 per cent on the same time last year.
Small cars once ruled the roost behind large sedans and wagons but now hold just 6.1 per cent of the overall market.
Segment leader: Toyota Corolla (13,145 units YTD)Interestingly, the light SUV segment fares little better, with 35,897 year-to-date sales giving it a 4.4 per cent slice of the pie. Unlike small passenger car sales, however, light SUV sales are on the increase, rising a modest 0.4 per cent on August 2024.
Segment leader: Mazda CX-3 (10,783 units YTD)With Australia heavily reliant on heavy commercial vehicles to sustain our way of life, it is perhaps no surprise that trucks take a hefty share of the top 10 tally.
New heavy commercial sales totalled 29,909 units to the end of August, meaning 3.7 per cent of the new-vehicle market is a large van or truck.
Telling, however, is that sales of this segment are down 11.2 per cent – a concern considering the average age of a heavy commercial vehicle on Australian roads is 14.8 years (against 11.4 years for cars and SUVs), which raises significant safety and environmental concerns for all road users.
Light passenger cars fall next on our list with 17,751 sales, down 14 per cent, and with 2.2 per cent of the market overall. These rank just ahead of upper large SUVs with 16,371 YTD sales, down 17.9 per cent, and with two per cent of the overall field.
Finally, and in stark contrast to their four-wheel drive siblings is the two-wheel drive ute segment in 10th place. With 15,721 sales to the end of August, this segment represents just over a tenth of the vehicles sold on the four-wheel side of the coin – and is one that continues to fall.
Two-wheel drive ute sales are down 13.5 per cent on the same time last year to now hold just 1.9 per cent of the new-vehicle market overall.
Top 10 new car segments (2025 YTD)*:
Passenger segment sales (2025 YTD)*:
SUV segment sales (2025 YTD)*
LCV segment sales (2025 YTD)*:
HCV segment sales (2025 YTD)*:
*All sales data supplied courtesy of VFACTS  Read more22nd of September 2025  Market Insight: Small SUV segment sales soarAustralia’s third-largest segment by sales, small SUVs is poised to keep on growing15th of September 2025  Market Insight: Full-size 4WD sales in strifeSlowing sales of stalwart 4WDs show Aussie buyers are shopping other segments, utes8th of September 2025  Market Insight: Hyundai versus KiaKia builds a comfortable lead over Hyundai, YTD sales favour Kia by almost 4000 units |
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