New vehicle registrations in New Zealand dropped again in April 2025, continuing a slow downward trend seen since the start of the year. A total of 8,839 new vehicles were registered last month, down 4.3 per cent from the 9,223 recorded in the same period last year. Compared to April 2023, this is a 13.1 per cent fall, or 1,338 fewer vehicles.
Aimee Wiley, Chief Executive of the Motor Industry Association (MIA), said the results reflect current financial pressures.
“Registrations to the end of April totalled 41,380 vehicles a 3.9 per cent drop on the 43,079 registered over the same period in 2024. This is likely due to continuing tight economic conditions impacting on spending behaviour,” she said.
Passenger Vehicles Hold Steady
Some vehicle types are holding steady despite the general slowdown. Light passenger vehicle registrations, including cars and SUVs, were mostly unchanged at 6,092 in April – just 19 fewer than last year.
Light commercial vehicles saw a bigger drop, down 5.9 per cent to 2,367 units. Heavy commercial vehicles had the largest fall, dropping 36.3 per cent to just 380 registrations compared to 597 last April.
Toyota Leads the Market, But Slips Slightly
Toyota held its lead as the top-selling passenger brand with 2,172 registrations, taking 24.6 per cent of the market. But even this was down 8.6 per cent from 2,378 units in April 2024.
Ford followed with 917 registrations, and Mitsubishi came in third with 842 – both lower than their April 2024 results of 1,264 and 948 units, respectively.
Electric Vehicles on the Rise
In terms of fuel type, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were a bright spot, rising from 262 registrations in April 2024 to 442 in April 2025.
Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models remained steady with 2,310 combined registrations, slightly down from 2,569 last year. Meanwhile, petrol and diesel-powered light passenger vehicles stayed strong at 3,340 units, a small increase from 3,280 in April 2024.
Ranger vs Hilux: A Close Race
The Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux continued their battle for the top commercial spot. In April, the Ranger led with 674 units, just ahead of the Hilux at 644.
But looking at year-to-date figures, the Hilux is now ahead with 2,528 registrations (24.9 per cent market share), overtaking the Ranger’s 2,460 units (24.2 per cent).
This marks a big change from the same time last year, when the Ranger was far in front with 4,266 sales and a 33.5 per cent share, compared to just 2,469 Hilux units and a 19.4 per cent share.
Despite a few areas of growth, the overall picture shows that New Zealand’s vehicle market is still facing tough times, with consumers cautious in a tight economy.
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