The most popular new cars Down Under, category by category
Just because something sells in high numbers, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best option.
Take fast food for example. It’s not always the healthiest, nor the most gourmet option. But it’s generally cheap and easy to find, making it a popular choice for dining.
Same goes for new vehicles, the best-selling examples of which aren’t always the ‘best’ cars in their respective segments.
But such is the volume and competition in the market these days that there are few ‘bad’ cars still on sale, and the best-sellers usually offer the best combination of substance and value.
They may not be the best cars in all cases (you can read about them in our Best awards), but the most popular new models certainly provide a good starting point against which to benchmark whatever you’re interested in.
Here’s what’s hot according to the sales charts.
Light cars
MG3
Currently topping the light, compact or city car segment is the MG3. It’s one of the most affordable new cars on the market thanks to its $17,990 drive-away entry price, which helped the pint-size Chinese hatch find close to 14,000 Aussie homes in 2021 and more than 1500 in the first month of 2022.
Mazda2
Off to a healthy start in 2022, the Mazda2 is currently the second best-selling light car Down Under, outselling key rivals including the pricier Toyota Yaris and Volkswagen Polo. Although it’s still a fair way off MG’s strong sales figures, a recent MY22 update and the addition of a new variant has kept the Japanese brand’s smallest model fresh.
Kia Rio
Despite taking top honours in carsales’ Best First Car award in 2021, the Kia Rio was no match in showrooms for the cut-price MG3, which found more than double the number of buyers than the South Korean-made Rio last year.
Small cars
Hyundai i30
The first month of 2022 saw the Hyundai i30 outmuscle last year’s top-selling Toyota Corolla – once Australia’s favourite car – thanks in part to extra sales from the Korean brand’s slightly larger new i30 Sedan (previously called the Elantra).
Toyota Corolla
Toyota updated its Corolla small car last September, when the manual gearbox was stripped from the range and entry pricing increased to $25,395 plus on-road costs (+$1500). Even so, the Corolla remains a strong selling model Down Under, finishing fourth in outright sales in 2021, when a total of 28,768 found new homes.
Mazda3
Nudging its way into third spot on the small-car sales chart in January 2022 was the popular Mazda3, which overtook last year’s strong-selling Kia Cerato. As with its smaller sibling, the Mazda3 hatch and sedan range was recently given a mid-life nip-and-tuck, and was named Best Small Car for 2021.
Medium cars
Toyota Camry
A long-standing favourite and already powering ahead with 1233 sales so far this year, the now-imported Toyota Camry has been Australia’s best-selling mid-size passenger car for the past 18 years. With the choice of petrol or hybrid powertrains, the Camry sedan range starts from a bargain $30,990 before on-road costs.
Tesla Model 3
We don’t yet have January 2022 sales figures for the Tesla Model 3, which is Australia’s top-selling EV, and Tesla doesn’t report its sales figures, but thanks to freer supplies from China and a new sub-$60K starting price the mid-size electric sedan found more than 12,000 Aussie homes last year, making it almost as popular as the Camry.
Mercedes-Benz CLA
With prices ranging between about $60,000 and $110,000 for the top-shelf Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S, the CLA sedan was Australia’s third best selling mid-size car in January 2022 (170 sales), edging out the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Lexus ES, Mazda6 and the single-variant Hyundai Sonata N-Line.
Large cars
Kia Stinger
Aussies have even less of an appetite for vehicles in the next class up, less than a decade after the Holden Commodore’s 15-year reign as Australia’s favourite car. Subsequently, the Kia Stinger found just 1407 homes in 2021 – despite being favoured by Queensland police – and the V6-powered rear-drive sports sedan has notched up only 77 so far in 2022.
Skoda Superb
Available in both sedan and wagon forms, the Skoda Superb currently slots into second spot in the big-car class. Despite dwindling sales with just 49 examples sold so far this year, a successor to the current Superb has already been confirmed by the Volkswagen-owned car-maker.
Porsche Taycan
A more surprising one to make the top three in its segment is the pure-electric Porsche Taycan. It’s not cheap with a cool $156K starting price, but popularity of Porsche first EV continues to rise in Australia, where it out-sold the iconic 911 in 2021, both globally and in Australia. The Taycan found 37 buyers in January 2022 – more than the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (25) and BMW 5 Series (22).
Light SUVs
Mazda CX-3
Essentially a Mazda2 hatchback on stilts, the Mazda CX-3 was the highest selling compact SUV in 2021, with almost 13,000 examples sold, and in January 2022 (905 sales).
Toyota Yaris Cross
The Toyota Yaris Cross found fewer homes than its nearest rival in 2021, despite the fact we think the pumped-up Yaris Cross offers better value, safety and technology.
Hyundai Venue
Hyundai’s most affordable SUV is gunning after its compact SUV rivals, edging out both the Kia Stonic and Volkswagen T-Cross to nab third spot in its category. Offered with a single 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine option, the front-wheel drive Venue is priced from just $20,940 plus ORCs.
Small SUVs
MG ZS
Not only did it top the small SUV charts with its ZS last year, but MG also made headlines for its first top-10 monthly sales finish in 2021. Just this week, the Chinese manufacturer announced minor price hikes across the range, pushing the most affordable ZS Excite up to $22,490 drive-away (+$500).
Mazda CX-30
Nipping at the heels of the affordable MG ZS, the all-new Mazda CX-30 is currently Australia’s second best-selling small SUV. Slotting between the Japanese brand’s popular CX-3 and CX-5 SUVs, the newer CX-30 is priced from just under $30K and has plenty to offer beyond style.
Mitsubishi ASX
A long-time favourite for private and fleet buyers and previously Australia’s top-selling small SUV, the aging Mitsubishi ASX still sells in large numbers Down Under. Luckily there’s an all-new replacement on the way.
Medium SUVs
Mazda CX-5
The Mazda CX-5 was once Australia’s top-selling SUV but was again out-sold last year by the Toyota RAV4 despite notching up almost 25,000 sales. The tables turned in January 2022, where the CX-5 topped its segment with 3200-plus sales – more than double its nearest rivals. Recently overhauled, the Japanese mid-size SUV is now priced from $32,190 plus ORCs and offered in 12 grades.
Subaru Forester
Another former segment-leader and Subaru’s top-selling nameplate in 2021, the recently updated Subaru Forester got away strongly again this year, with 1480 sales in January 2022. Facelifted late last year, the Forester range is now safer and better equipped, with higher pricing to match.
Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 was the best-selling mid-size SUV – as well as the top SUV and top hybrid overall – with more than 35,000 sales in 2021. That was despite supply constraints that led to waiting times of up to a year, which is the reason it’s been bumped down the chart in January 2022 with just 1425 sales.
Large SUVs
Toyota Prado
One rung down from the ever-popular LandCruiser, the smaller Toyota Prado retained its top spot yet again in this segment last year, giving Toyota five models in the top 10 sellers list overall. With more than 2500 sales in January 2022, the evergreen Prado was three times more popular than its closest competitor – despite being long in the tooth.
Isuzu MU-X
Now in its second generation, the Isuzu MU-X again shares its underpinnings with its more popular D-MAX ute sibling. Powered exclusively by a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and available in both 4×2 and 4×4 drivelines, the MU-X found 820 homes last month and 10,618 in 2021, the latter months of which saw the all-new MU-X touch down in Oz.
Ford Everest
Another ute-based model, the Ford Everest, is just as capable as the Ranger ute with which it shares its underpinnings. But that doesn’t mean the seven-seat off-road SUV sells in the same huge numbers as the Ranger, with 730 sales in January 2022.
Utes
Toyota HiLux
The Toyota HiLux only just managed to retain its position on the top ute step in 2021 with a total of 52,801 sales, making it Australia’s top-selling vehicle overall yet again. An ever-popular choice for private and business buyers, the HiLux continues to top the market despite several supply issues throughout the year.
Ford Ranger
Although the HiLux took out overall sales last year, it was the Ford Ranger that topped the 4×4 ute category for sales in 2021 and January 2022, helped along by run-out deals on current models before the arrival of the all-new Ranger by mid-2022.
Mitsubishi Triton
Knocking the increasingly popular Isuzu D-MAX ute down a rung last month was the Mitsubishi Triton ute. Selling a total of 2876 units in January alone, the Triton isn’t trailing far behind the Ranger, although the imminent arrival of Ford’s all-new Ranger should keep Mitsubishi’s ute at bay for a while longer.
People movers
Kia Carnival
Continuing to out-sell rivals by a fair chunk – with almost 6000 sales in 2021 – the Kia Carnival has long been Australia’s favourite people-mover. Just 12 months ago, the fourth-generation Carnival stormed into showrooms with more space, more smarts and a brave new design.
Honda Odyssey
The Honda Odyssey has certainly been around the traps, first touching down in Oz in the late 1990s. Last year Honda managed to sell 1143 examples – almost matching its 2020 tally despite hefty price increases in early 2021. It’s currently the second best-selling people-mover in Australia – this month at least…
Hyundai Staria
Landing in showrooms in the second half of 2021 as a replacement for the iMax people-mover, the bold new Hyundai Staria is polarising to say the least. But that hasn’t stopped the South Korean car-maker selling almost as many units as the Odyssey in first month of 2022. Look out Honda!
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