New vehicle registrations in New Zealand increased in October 2026, with rental fleets accounting for a substantial share of new passenger vehicle demand as operators prepare for the summer season.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) data shows that 15,109 new vehicles were registered in October 2026, up 6.5 per cent on October 2025.
New passenger registrations rose 10.5 per cent year-on-year to 11,824, the highest October result in records dating back to 2019. Commercial vehicle registrations, however, fell 5.9 per cent to 3,285.
Rental operators registered 4,848 new passenger vehicles, representing 41 per cent of the passenger market. This was the highest monthly rental total in data dating back to 2021, with registrations increasing from 4,287 in October last year.
Rental fleets accounted for 561 of the 1,125 additional new passenger registrations compared with October 2025. Excluding rentals, passenger registrations increased 8.8 per cent to 6,976.
Toyota leads, while Chinese brands gain ground
Toyota remained New Zealand’s leading passenger vehicle brand, recording 2,978 registrations, although this was down 7.8 per cent on October 2025.
Kia moved into second place with 1,173 registrations, up 40 per cent, followed by Mitsubishi with 1,121. Mazda recorded 788 registrations, a 39.2 per cent increase, while GWM rounded out the top five with 611, more than double its result a year earlier.
BYD also recorded a strong increase, reaching 588 passenger registrations compared with 108 in October 2025.
The seven Chinese brands tracked in the passenger data (GWM, BYD, MG, Chery, Jaecoo, Geely and Leapmotor) recorded a combined 2,510 registrations. Their combined market share rose to 21.2 per cent, up from 11.1 per cent a year earlier.
The Toyota RAV4 was the month’s most-registered passenger model, with 1,174 units. This included 439 plug-in hybrid versions. The Toyota Corolla Cross followed with 912 registrations, ahead of the Mitsubishi Outlander on 732.
Hilux leads the commercial segment
Toyota led commercial vehicle registrations with 1,039 units, up 3 per cent year-on-year, giving it a 31.6 per cent market share. Ford followed with 911 registrations, down 3.9 per cent.
The Toyota Hilux was the top-registered ute, with 872 units, ahead of the Ford Ranger on 805. The Mitsubishi Triton recorded 203 registrations, while the BYD Shark 6 reached 197.
Toyota also led commercial registrations for the first 10 months of 2026, with 9,302 registrations to Ford’s 8,841.
Battery electric and plug-in hybrid registrations rise sharply
Electric vehicle registrations also recorded significant growth in October.
The Motor Trade Association (MTA) recorded 3,317 new light battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in October, up 174.1 per cent on October 2025.
The MTA said some of the increase reflected registrations catching up with sales following a surge in interest when fuel prices began rising in March. The association also noted that concerns about sustained higher fuel costs were influencing buyer behaviour.
In the NZTA passenger registration data analysed by AutoTalk, BEVs accounted for 12.5 per cent of new passenger registrations, with PHEVs representing a further 12.5 per cent. Both shares were considerably higher than the 4.7 per cent and 4.8 per cent recorded respectively in October 2025.
Petrol hybrids remained the most common passenger powertrain, accounting for 4,859 registrations, or 41.1 per cent of the market. Petrol-only registrations fell 12 per cent to 3,265, while diesel passenger registrations declined 43.4 per cent to 623.
Year-to-date market remains ahead
For the first 10 months of 2026, total new vehicle registrations reached 127,311, up 10.9 per cent on the same period last year.
Passenger registrations were up 16 per cent to 94,252, while commercial registrations fell 1.5 per cent to 33,059.
The figures point to continued growth in passenger vehicle demand, supported in part by rental fleet activity and stronger registrations across several emerging brands. Meanwhile, the commercial sector remains softer, with October registrations below the same month last year.
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