New Zealand’s new-vehicle market showed strong growth in November, with both passenger and commercial registrations exceeding the same month last year, helping the sector recover after a quieter start to 2025.
A total of 13,615 new vehicles were registered last month, up 11.9 per cent from November 2024’s 12,168 units. Year-to-date, the market has reached 128,769 vehicles, a 7.5 per cent increase over the 119,808 recorded at the same point last year.
Passenger Vehicles Drive Growth
Passenger registrations led the surge, with 10,247 units in November, up 14.3 per cent on the previous year. Year-to-date figures sit at 91,677, a jump of roughly 13 per cent.
Toyota remained the top-selling brand, with 2,705 registrations, accounting for 26.4 per cent market share, despite a 20.6 per cent drop year-on-year. Mitsubishi followed with 1,125 units, up 48.6 per cent, taking 11 per cent share, while Kia more than doubled its sales, recording 773 units, a 128.7 per cent increase and 7.5 per cent share. Other notable performers included Ford (644 units, down 9.4 per cent), Mazda (591 units, up 38.7 per cent), Suzuki (580 units), and Hyundai (477 units).
Among popular models, the Toyota RAV4 led the pack with 1,257 registrations, followed by the Mitsubishi ASX (558) and the Ford Everest (527). Other highlights included the Mitsubishi Outlander (425), Toyota Yaris Cross (348), Suzuki Fronx (302), Hyundai Tucson (272), Toyota Corolla (271), Kia Seltos (224), and Toyota Highlander (217).
Premium brands also showed signs of recovery. Mercedes-Benz posted 152 registrations (+28.8 per cent), BMW reached 150 (+94.8 per cent), and Audi recorded 127 (+51.2 per cent).
Commercial Vehicles Hold Steady
The commercial segment remained solid, with 3,368 registrations in November, up 5.1 per cent from a year ago. Year-to-date volumes were slightly lower at 37,092, down about 3 per cent compared with 2024.
Ford led the commercial market with 1,173 units (34.8 per cent share), followed by Toyota (814 units, 24.2 per cent share) and Mitsubishi (203 units, down 21.3 per cent). Mercedes-Benz rose 21.5 per cent to 164 units, while Isuzu fell 23.8 per cent to 147 units. Chinese EV-maker BYD saw strong growth, more than tripling sales to 139 units, capturing 4.1 per cent market share, and LDV added 114 registrations (+86.9 per cent).
At the model level, the Ford Ranger dominated with 1,030 registrations, followed by the Toyota Hilux (621) and Mitsubishi Triton (203). Other commercial highlights included the Toyota Hiace (183 units), Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (155), BYD Shark 6 (139), Ford Transit (118), Fiat Ducato (85), and Isuzu D-Max (83).
These figures indicate a stabilising market and highlight the continued strength of both passenger and commercial segments as 2025 draws to a close.
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