New vehicle registrations in New Zealand reached 9,863 units in April 2026, an 11.6 per cent increase compared with 8,839 units in April 2025, continuing the market’s steady recovery through the first four months of the year.
Year-to-date registrations climbed to 46,770 units, up 12.9 per cent compared with 41,417 over the same period last year. Passenger vehicles continued to drive growth, while the commercial segment remained relatively flat.
Market snapshot
| Segment | April 2026 | April 2025 | Change |
| Total registrations | 9,863 | 8,839 | +11.6% |
| Passenger vehicles | 7,110 | 6,092 | +16.7% |
| Commercial vehicles | 2,753 | 2,747 | +0.2% |
| YTD total registrations | 46,770 | 41,417 | +12.9% |
Passenger market led by Toyota as Chinese brands surge
Toyota remained New Zealand’s top passenger brand in April with 1,440 registrations, representing a 20.3 per cent market share. Kia held second place with 595 units, while Mitsubishi Motors slipped 20.9 per cent year-on-year to 548 registrations.
Chinese and emerging brands continued to gain momentum, with GWM recording the strongest growth among established brands, up 139.2 per cent to 445 units. BYD also posted significant gains, rising 148 per cent year-on-year.
Top passenger brands
| Brand | Registrations | Change YoY |
| Toyota | 1,440 | +7.9% |
| Kia | 595 | +8.6% |
| Mitsubishi Motors | 548 | -20.9% |
| GWM | 445 | +139.2% |
| Suzuki | 378 | +13.9% |
| MG Motor | 368 | +22.3% |
| BYD | 310 | +148% |
| Mazda | 247 | -8.5% |
| Hyundai | 204 | -15% |
| Honda | 186 | +16.3% |
Jaecoo recorded 160 units during the month, including 89 registrations of the J5 BEV, while Chery added 151 units and Dongfeng Motor Corporation recorded 102. Zeekr contributed 83 registrations with its 7X model.
Combined, GWM, MG, BYD, Jaecoo, Chery, and Dongfeng accounted for 1,536 passenger registrations – more than double the 683 units recorded by those brands in April 2025 – representing 21.6 per cent of the passenger market.
RAV4 remains top-selling passenger vehicle
The Toyota RAV4 retained its position as New Zealand’s best-selling passenger vehicle despite registrations falling from 697 units a year earlier to 568 in April 2026.
The Mitsubishi Outlander finished second, while the GWM Haval H6 climbed to third after tripling its April 2025 result.
Top passenger models
| Model | Registrations |
| Toyota RAV4 | 568 |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | 257 |
| GWM Haval H6 | 245 |
| Toyota Corolla Cross | 213 |
| Kia Sportage | 204 |
| Mitsubishi ASX | 182 |
| MG ZS | 176 |
| Kia Stonic | 152 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser Prado | 138 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 125 |
Commercial market holds steady
The commercial vehicle market remained largely unchanged year-on-year, with Ford narrowly leading Toyota in April registrations. Mitsubishi Motors posted strong growth following the arrival of the new Triton.
Top commercial brands
| Brand | Registrations | Change YoY |
| Ford | 837 | — |
| Toyota | 836 | — |
| Mitsubishi Motors | 268 | +79.9% |
| Isuzu | 129 | +53.6% |
| BYD | 78 | -34.5% |
| Kia | 55 | New |
| GWM | 44 | — |
| Geely | 38 | New |
Nissan recorded 29 units during the month, while LDV posted 33 registrations. Scania recorded 31 units and Volvo added 28.
Ford Ranger remains commercial leader
The Ford Ranger continued as New Zealand’s top-selling commercial vehicle with 753 registrations, ahead of the Toyota HiLux on 607 units.
Top commercial models
| Model | Registrations |
| Ford Ranger | 753 |
| Toyota HiLux | 607 |
| Mitsubishi Triton | 268 |
| Toyota HiAce | 207 |
| Ford Transit | 84 |
| BYD Shark 6 | 78 |
| Isuzu D-Max | 78 |
| Kia Tasman | 55 |
| GWM Cannon | 44 |
| Geely Riddara RD6 | 38 |
Did you find this article interesting? Click the ‘heart’ button above to give it a ‘like’!
