Toyota RAV4 was Australia's best-selling car among private buyers in 2024
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An SUV – now hybrid, rather than electric in 2023 – has topped the Australian new-car sales charts when fleets, governments, and business customers shopping with an ABN are excluded.
The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid has overtaken the Tesla Model Y electric SUV to become the best-selling new car among private buyers in 2024.
Three of the Top Four most popular new vehicles in Australia last year were utes – the Ford Ranger,Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max – and the category is one of the biggest-selling in the country.
But when deliveries to fleets, governments, rental-car firms and customers purchasing with an ABN are excluded, there is a reshuffle at the top of the ‘private buyer’ charts.
MORE: Australian new-car sales in 2024 – annual record barely broken despite drop in demand
The Toyota RAV4 was the number-one new model among private buyers in 2024, clocking up 34,849 sales – or 59 per cent of its total – close to double 2023’s 17,861 deliveries, when it finished third place.
While the Ford Ranger was the top-selling new vehicle overall – less than 4000 sales ahead of the RAV4 – the Blue Oval’s ute was 19,330 vehicles behind when only private buyers are counted, falling to fifth position.
Similarly, the Toyota HiLux falls from third to seventh – and the Isuzu D-Max from fourth to 14th, such that it is outsold among private customers by its Isuzu MU-X SUV sibling (11,531 vs 11,485 utes).
MORE: Tesla Model Y was Australia's best-selling car among private buyers in 2023
The Tesla Model Y led sales to private buyers in 2023, but slipped to second in 2024 – to 16,705 deliveries, down 18.9 per cent – amid a 26 per cent slump across all customer types.
Just over 800 vehicles split the Tesla from third and fourth place, the MG ZS and Mazda CX-5 respectively, all with between 16,104 and 16,705 sales.
Only one traditional ‘passenger car’ finished in the Top 10, the electric Tesla Model 3 sedan in sixth – up from 18th when all buyer types are included – with the other nine SUVs or utes.
The Toyota Corolla was 16th, and the Hyundai i30 was 19th, compared to 20th and sixth respectively in 2023.
About 80 per cent of Tesla Model Ys sold went to private buyers – as well as more than 85 per cent of Suzuki Jimny 4WDs – compared to a quarter of Ford Rangers, or just 3.5 per cent when counting only 4×2 sales.
In total, about 615,000 new vehicles were reported as sold to private buyers last year – or approximately half of the 1,237,287 new vehicles sold – compared to about 40,000 to governments, 500,000 to business customers, and 69,000 to rental fleets.
The private buyer tally is down from 630,297 vehicles in 2023, but the new-car market remained in positive territory for 2024 due to surges elsewhere in the market, up from 429,634 business, 33,803 government and 71,274 rental in 2023.
Top 50 best-selling models among private buyers
| Model | 2024 private sales | 2024 private % | 2023 private sales | Change ’24 vs ’23 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 34,849 | 59.3% | 17,861 | 95.1% |
| Tesla Model Y | 16,705 | 78.6% | 20,577 | -18.8% |
| MG ZS | 16,315 | 72.1% | 20,303 | -19.6% |
| Mazda CX-5 | 16,104 | 70.5% | 15,577 | 3.4% |
| Ford Ranger | 15,519 | 24.8% | 17,176 | -9.6% |
| Tesla Model 3 | 14,203 | 83.1% | 13,109 | 8.3% |
| Toyota HiLux | 13,529 | 25.3% | 13,738 | -1.5% |
| Ford Everest | 13356 | 50.4% | 7861 | 69.9% |
| Kia Sportage | 12,789 | 57.6% | 9193 | 39.1% |
| Hyundai Kona | 12,689 | 73.0% | 8207 | 54.6% |
| Mazda CX-3 | 12292 | 66.6% | 11,605 | 5.9% |
| Hyundai Tucson | 11,730 | 61.5% | 13,932 | -15.8% |
| Isuzu MU-X | 11,531 | 64.1% | 8372 | 37.7% |
| Isuzu D-Max | 11,485 | 38.0% | 11,415 | 0.6% |
| GWM Haval Jolion | 10,649 | 74.8% | 7776 | 36.9% |
| Toyota Corolla | 10,208 | 42.5% | 8442 | 20.9% |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | 10,029 | 36.3% | 11,382 | -11.9% |
| Mazda CX-30 | 9340 | 73.7% | 10,210 | -8.5% |
| Hyundai i30 | 8600 | 67.8% | 15,059 | -42.9% |
| Suzuki Jimny | 8335 | 86.0% | 4025 | 107.1% |
| Kia Cerato | 8179 | 52.8% | 3852 | 112.3% |
| Nissan X-Trail | 8158 | 46.6% | 8161 | 0.0% |
| MG 3 | 7816 | 62.2% | 10,827 | -27.8% |
| Mitsubishi ASX | 7651 | 62.1% | 6137 | 24.7% |
| Mazda 3 | 7372 | 70.0% | 7158 | 3.0% |
| Subaru Crosstrek | 7357 | 63.7% | 6380 | 15.3% |
| Toyota LandCruiser wagon | 7231 | 47.4% | 7057 | 2.5% |
| Subaru Forester | 6967 | 51.8% | 10,284 | -32.3% |
| Toyota Corolla Cross | 6851 | 77.0% | 6016 | 13.9% |
| Kia Seltos | 6506 | 83.7% | 8798 | -26.1% |
| GWM Haval H6 | 6318 | 70.4% | 6172 | 2.4% |
| Nissan Patrol wagon | 6189 | 74.6% | 6214 | -0.4% |
| BYD Sealion 6 | 5825 | 94.0% | – | N/A |
| Subaru Outback | 5720 | 55.9% | 8389 | -31.8% |
| BYD Seal | 5552 | 86.8% | 471 | 1078.8% |
| Nissan Navara | 5450 | 54.2% | 4164 | 30.9% |
| Toyota Yaris Cross | 5281 | 64.4% | 4022 | 31.3% |
| GWM Ute | 5182 | 63.5% | 6221 | -16.7% |
| Toyota Prado | 5109 | 52.1% | 10,414 | -50.9% |
| Kia Sorento | 5094 | 52.0% | 3974 | 28.2% |
| Kia Carnival | 4725 | 46.9% | 4908 | -3.7% |
| Volkswagen T-Roc | 4691 | 60.3% | 5413 | -13.3% |
| MG 4 | 4614 | 66.5% | 2067 | 123.2% |
| Kia Picanto | 4582 | 78.7% | 6310 | -27.4% |
| Honda CR-V | 4570 | 82.4% | 6265 | -27.1% |
| BYD Atto 3 | 4539 | 78.9% | 10,794 | -57.9% |
| Mazda BT-50 | 4470 | 29.5% | 5690 | -21.4% |
| Chery Omoda 5 | 4273 | 69.3% | 3197 | 33.7% |
| Nissan Qashqai | 4256 | 64.9% | 4702 | -9.5% |
| Toyota Kluger | 4236 | 42.9% | 4606 | -8.0% |
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