August Sees a Strong Sales Month for Chinese Makes in Australia

Australians purchased 100,539 new vehicles in August 2025, an increase of 2.2 per cent compared to August last year according to VFACTS sales data, with a strong sales month for Chinese marques. 

New vehicle sales have decreased slightly since July, down by around 2.5 per cent, but the now four-month-long streak of over 100,000 new vehicles sold per month in Australia has continued. 

Chinese brands performed well in August, with BYD, GWM, MG and Chery locking out spots among the top 10 best-selling manufacturers for the month, marking the first time four Chinese manufacturers have done so at once.

GWM, BYD and MG also occupy spots among the best-selling manufacturers for year-to-date sales figures, ranking seventh, eighth and tenth, respectively. Toyota continues to lead year-to-date sales, with 163,491 vehicles sold, ahead of Mazda (63,208) and Ford (62,581).

The Ford Ranger topped the best-selling cars for August after losing its top-two spot for the first time in 2025 in July, with 4,942 examples sold, followed by the Toyota HiLux (4,823) and the Toyota RAV4 (4,115). 

The MG ZS cemented the trend of the strong Chinese manufacturer performance in August, ranking as the fourth best-selling car for the month, with 2,680 examples sold. 

SUVs dominated new vehicle sales in August, accounting for over 60 per cent of new vehicles sold, up by seven per cent compared to last year. Passenger vehicles have seen a 12.9 per cent decrease compared to August last year. 

Sales figures were up in the Australian Capital Territory by 20.7 per cent, New South Wales by 2.4 per cent, Queensland  by 2.8 per cent, Victoria by 3.8 per cent, and Western Australia by 1.6 per cent compared to August last year, while sales decreased in Northern Territory by 7.8 per cent, South Australia by 6.0 per cent, and Tasmania by 3.1 per cent. 

Top 10 Selling Cars for August 2025 

Top 10 Selling Makes for August 2025