New Zealand’s new vehicle market remained steady in July as strong passenger vehicle demand offset a sharp decline in commercial registrations.
Registration data from Waka Kotahi NZTA shows that 11,663 new vehicles were registered during the month. This is broadly unchanged from the 11,667 recorded in July 2025. Passenger vehicle registrations, meanwhile, rose 14.5 per cent to their strongest July result since 2021. Moreover, commercial registrations fell 27.4 per cent against a comparatively strong month last year.
The latest figures bring total registrations for the first seven months of 2026 to 83,139 vehicles, an increase of 10.6 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.
Passenger market offsets commercial decline
The passenger vehicle market recorded 8,736 registrations in July, up from 7,633 a year earlier. Commercial registrations fell to 2,927 vehicles, compared with 4,034 in July 2025, when deliveries were boosted by the runout of the previous-generation Nissan Navara.
| Market segment | July 2026 | Annual change |
| Passenger vehicles | 8,736 | +14.5% |
| Commercial vehicles | 2,927 | -27.4% |
| Total registrations | 11,663 | +0.2% |
Year-to-date, passenger vehicle registrations climbed 15.2 per cent to 60,193 units, while commercial registrations totalled 22,946. Overall market registrations reached 83,139 vehicles.
Chinese brands continue to strengthen
Toyota remained the leading passenger vehicle brand in July with 1,681 registrations and a 19.2 per cent market share. Kia retained second place, while BYD moved into third after recording one of the strongest year-on-year increases among major brands.
Chinese manufacturers continued to expand their presence, with BYD, GWM, Chery, Zeekr, Jaecoo, Geely, Dongfeng and MG collectively recording 2,286 passenger vehicle registrations—more than double the 1,128 registrations achieved during the same month last year. Together, they accounted for 26.2 per cent of the passenger vehicle market.
| Top passenger brands | Registrations | Annual change |
| Toyota | 1,681 | +24.2% |
| Kia | 707 | +5.7% |
| BYD | 622 | +143.0% |
| GWM | 479 | +74.2% |
| Mitsubishi | 466 | -34.5% |
Tesla also maintained strong momentum following its record June performance, recording 412 passenger vehicle registrations, while newer entrants including Zeekr, Jaecoo, Geely and Dongfeng continued to build market presence.
Toyota RAV4 returns to the top
The Toyota RAV4 reclaimed the title of New Zealand’s best-selling passenger vehicle in July with 699 registrations, ahead of the Tesla Model Y, which followed up its record June result with 403 deliveries.
The Toyota Corolla Cross, Kia Sportage and GWM Haval H6 rounded out the top five passenger models.
| Top passenger models | Registrations |
| Toyota RAV4 | 699 |
| Tesla Model Y | 403 |
| Toyota Corolla Cross | 302 |
| Kia Sportage | 271 |
| GWM Haval H6 | 252 |
The Zeekr 7X also entered the top 10 during its first year on the market, highlighting the growing influence of newer electric vehicle brands.
Commercial registrations decline after a strong 2025
The commercial vehicle market experienced a softer July, although last year’s results were inflated by the final deliveries of the outgoing Nissan Navara.
Toyota remained the leading commercial brand despite registrations falling 27.1 per cent to 846 units, while Ford followed with 800. Mitsubishi was one of the few major brands to post growth, increasing 21.4 per cent to 335 registrations.
Nissan recorded the largest year-on-year decline, with commercial registrations falling from 416 to 39 after the completion of the Navara runout.
| Top commercial brands | Registrations | Annual change |
| Toyota | 846 | -27.1% |
| Ford | 800 | -13.8% |
| Mitsubishi | 335 | +21.4% |
| BYD | 207 | -19.1% |
| Isuzu | 109 | -30.1% |
Among commercial models, the Ford Ranger reclaimed the top spot with 738 registrations, ahead of the Toyota HiLux (608), Mitsubishi Triton (335), BYD Shark 6 (207) and Toyota HiAce (199).
MIA points to changing market conditions
The Motor Industry Association (MIA) said the July results reflected changing purchasing conditions across the market, with passenger demand remaining resilient while commercial sales softened.
“The July result reflects a resilient market, but with increasingly divergent performance across vehicle segments,” said MIA Chief Executive Officer Aimee Wiley.
“Strong passenger vehicle registrations offset a significant decline in commercial vehicle registrations during the month. Although the total market remains well ahead of last year on a year-to-date basis, the underlying results point to different purchasing conditions across vehicle segments.”
Ms Wiley said improving economic conditions, including easing fuel prices and a more moderate interest rate outlook, were expected to support household spending and business investment. However, she noted that geopolitical instability, higher freight costs and ongoing pressure on business confidence continued to weigh on the commercial vehicle sector.
Electrified vehicles also continued to gain market share during July. Battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles accounted for 29.8 per cent of all new vehicle registrations, up from 11.8 per cent a year earlier. Including conventional hybrids, electrified vehicles represented 56.6 per cent of the overall market.
“The increase reflects broader model choice, more competitive pricing and continued customer focus on operating costs, with battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles now available across a wider range of transport needs,” Ms Wiley said.
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