New-car sales recorded another dip last month, as drops in deliveries for the three most popular vehicles – led by the Toyota HiLux – outweighed the first growth in EV sales this year.
The first year-on-year increase in electric-car sales of 2025 was not enough to prevent another decline in Australian new-vehicle deliveries, the ninth in 12 months.
And the Toyota HiLux topped the charts for the second month in a row – for the first time since September 2023 – amid declines for it, the second-placed Ford Ranger, and third-placed Toyota RAV4.
Data published by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) shows a 1.6 per cent dip in vehicle sales last month, from 111,245 to 109,425 deliveries.
Still, it remains the second-best May on record – ahead of 2023’s tally of 105,694 sales – and four of the Top 10 best-selling brands performed better last month than a year prior.
MORE: Australian new-car sales in April 2025 – Toyota HiLux back on top as PHEVs nosedive
Since the start of the year, just under half a million new cars have been reported as sold – 496,693 – down 3.2 per cent on last year’s tally of 513,082.
More than 10,000 electric cars were reported as sold last month for the first time since March 2024, up 10.4 per cent on the prior year, and accounting for 9.2 per cent of new vehicles sold.
It was helped by a resurgence in Tesla deliveries, up 9.4 per cent year-on-year to 3897 cars, thanks to the arrival of the updated Model Y SUV that accounted for 91 per cent of its total.
The Model Y (3580) placed fourth overall for the month, its best result since finishing third in March 2024 on 4379 deliveries.
MORE: Tesla bounces back with highest Australian sales in nearly 12 months
That month saw it finish ahead of the HiLux, but in May 2025, Toyota’s evergreen ute topped the charts, reporting 4952 sales when 4×2 and 4×4 examples are combined.
But sales of the top three finishers were all down last month – 13.2 per cent for the HiLux, ahead of 19.5 per cent for the Ford Ranger (4761 sales), and 27.4 per cent for the Toyota RAV4 (4003 sales).
Only the RAV4 is up year-to-date – albeit by 0.5 per cent – but it is unlikely to be helped in the short term by the launch of a new model early next year, which will see the current generation run out towards the end of this year.
The Ford Ranger has reclaimed the lead from the Toyota RAV4 in the year-to-date race – 22,018 utes against 21,613 SUVs – with the HiLux third (20,072).
MORE: 2026 Toyota RAV4 revealed, due in Australia next year with plug-in hybrid option
Despite the RAV4’s slowdown, sales of hybrid cars grew 5.5 per cent last month compared to May 2024 (17,089 vs 16,197), and are up 18.3 per cent year-to-date (78,391 vs 66,277).
Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales were up 117.6 per cent last month to 3081 vehicles, but they have more than halved compared to two months prior (6932), due to the end of the Fringe Benefits Tax exemption on the propulsion type.
Toyota continued to lead the sales charts – after 23 full years as number one – reporting 23,576 deliveries, up 0.8 per cent on the prior year, and accounting for more than one in four new cars sold.
MORE: 2025 BYD Shark 6 vs GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV comparison
It led Ford in second (8464, down 3.9 per cent) and Mazda (7845, down 2 per cent) ahead of South Korean siblings Kia (6903, down 8 per cent) and Hyundai (6708, up 3.3 per cent).
Mitsubishi sales fell by 25.6 per cent (to 4766 cars) in sixth position, while Toyota, Hyundai, eighth-placed GWM (4272, up 11.8 per cent) and ninth-placed Tesla (3897, up 9.3 per cent) were the only Top 10 brands to grow their sales in May.
GWM outsold Chinese compatriot MG for the fourth month in a row, the latter down 21.4 per cent in May as its latest models struggle to match the popularity of their cheaper predecessors.
Data below supplied by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and Electric Vehicle Council (EVC), and compiled by Alex Misoyannis.
TOP 10 CARS IN May 2025
| Rank | Model | Volume May 2025 | Change year-on-year |
| 1 | Toyota HiLux | 4952 | down 13.2 per cent |
| 2 | Ford Ranger | 4761 | down 19.5 per cent |
| 3 | Toyota RAV4 | 4003 | down 27.4 per cent |
| 4 | Tesla Model Y | 3580 | up 122.5 per cent |
| 5 | Toyota Prado | 2732 | up 2936 per cent |
| 6 | Isuzu D-Max | 2643 | up 1.2 per cent |
| 7 | Ford Everest | 2369 | up 12.3 per cent |
| 8 | Mazda CX-5 | 2264 | up 7.4 per cent |
| 9 | Toyota LandCruiser | 2040 | up 37.7 per cent |
| 10 | Hyundai Kona | 1951 | up 5.9 per cent |
TOP 10 CAR BRANDS IN May 2025
| Rank | Brand | Volume May 2025 | Change year-on-year |
| 1 | Toyota | 23,576 | up 0.8 per cent |
| 2 | Ford | 8464 | down 3.9 per cent |
| 3 | Mazda | 7845 | down 2 per cent |
| 4 | Kia | 6903 | down 8 per cent |
| 5 | Hyundai | 6708 | up 3.3 per cent |
| 6 | Mitsubishi | 4766 | down 25.6 per cent |
| 7 | Isuzu Ute | 4286 | down 2.6 per cent |
| 8 | GWM | 4272 | up 11.8 per cent |
| 9 | Tesla | 3897 | up 9.3 per cent |
| 10 | MG | 3270 | down 21.4 per cent |
Passenger cars: Top Three in each segment in May 2025
| Micro | Kia Picanto (551) | Fiat/Abarth 500 (27) | |
| Light < $30k | MG 3 (723) | Mazda 2 (361) | Suzuki Swift (334) |
| Light > $30k | Mini Cooper (208) | Hyundai i20 N (121) | Volkswagen Polo (94) |
| Small < $40k | Toyota Corolla (1576) | Hyundai i30 (909) | Mazda 3 (735) |
| Small > $40k | MG 4 (319) | Volkswagen Golf (290) | Subaru WRX (285) |
| Medium < $60k | Toyota Camry (919) | BYD Seal (355) | Mazda 6 (107) |
| Medium > $60k | Tesla Model 3 (317) | Mercedes-Benz C-Class (166) | BMW 3 Series (146) |
| Large < $70k | Skoda Superb (17) | Citroen C5 X (0) | |
| Large > $70k | BMW 5 Series (47) | Mercedes-Benz E-Class (44) | Mercedes-Benz EQE (34) |
| Upper Large > $100k | Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Panamera (8 each) | BMW 7 Series, i7 (4 each) | BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe (3) |
| People Movers | Kia Carnival (987) | Hyundai Staria (139) | Volkswagen ID. Buzz (75) |
| Sports < $80k | Ford Mustang (720) | Subaru BRZ (89) | Mazda MX-5 (67) |
| Sports > $80k | BMW 2 Series coupe/convertible (163) | Mercedes-Benz CLE coupe/convertible (84) | BMW 4 Series coupe/convertible, Porsche 718 Boxster (26 each) |
| Sports > $200k | Porsche 911 (57) | Mercedes-AMG GT two-door (15) | Ferrari sports cars (13) |
SUVs: Top Three in each segment in May 2025
| Light SUV | Mazda CX-3 (1254) | Toyota Yaris Cross (1076) | Suzuki Jimny (719) |
| Small SUV < $45k | Hyundai Kona (1951) | Chery Tiggo 4 Pro (1725) | MG ZS (1693) |
| Small SUV > $45k | BMW X1 (511) | Volkswagen T-Roc (433) | Audi Q3 (351) |
| Medium SUV < $60k | Toyota RAV4 (4003) | Mazda CX-5 (2264) | Hyundai Tucson (1794) |
| Medium SUV > $60k | Tesla Model Y (3580) | Kia EV5 (703) | BMW X3 (618) |
| Large SUV < $80k | Toyota Prado (2732) | Ford Everest (2369) | Isuzu MU-X (1643) |
| Large SUV > $80k | BMW X5 (475) | Land Rover Defender (365) | Range Rover Sport (225) |
| Upper Large SUV < $120k | Toyota LandCruiser wagon (2040) | Nissan Patrol wagon (661) | Land Rover Discovery (41) |
| Upper Large SUV > $120k | BMW X7 (108) | Lexus GX (85) | Mercedes-Benz GLS (78) |
Utes and vans: Top Three in each segment in May 2025
| Vans < 2.5t | Volkswagen Caddy (78) | Renault Kangoo (24) | Peugeot Partner (20) |
| Vans 2.5t-3.5t | Toyota HiAce van (960) | Ford Transit Custom (295) | Hyundai Staria Load (279) |
| 4×2 Utes | Toyota HiLux (744) | Isuzu D-Max (621) | Ford Ranger (280) |
| 4×4 Utes < $100k | Ford Ranger (4481) | Toyota HiLux (4208) | Isuzu D-Max (2022) |
| Utes > $100k | Ram 1500 (223) | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (136) | Chevrolet Silverado HD (111) |
The post Australian new-car sales in May 2025: Electric cars up in declining VFACTS market appeared first on Drive.