Australia’s 10 Best-Selling Cars of October 2026: Toyota HiLux Leads as Five Chinese Models Make the Top 10

The latest new-vehicle sales data from Australia reveals the country’s 10 best-selling cars of October 2026, based on VFACTS figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) together with Tesla and Polestar figures reported by the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC), published on 5 November 2026. The Toyota HiLux tops the chart, while Chinese-brand models take five of the top 10 places, including the Chery Tiggo 4 in seventh.

Australia’s new-car market reached 107,493 sales in October 2026 (including Tesla and Polestar), up 6.8% year on year and the best October on record according to The Beep. Year-to-date sales stand at 1,065,191 vehicles, up 2.5%.

Australia’s Top 10 Best-Selling Cars (October 2026)

Rank	Model	October 2026 sales	Change vs October 2025
1	Toyota HiLux	5,954	↑ 34.0%
2	Ford Ranger	4,841	↑ 10.0%
3	Toyota RAV4	4,718	↑ 7.2%
4	Tesla Model Y	3,105	—
5	BYD Sealion 7	2,524	↑ 88.2%
6	Toyota Prado	2,397	↑ 64.4%
7	Chery Tiggo 4	2,178	↑ 10.3%
8	BYD Atto 2	1,943	New entry
9	BYD Shark 6	1,843	↑ 72.2%
10	Geely EX5	1,789	↑ 421.6%

1. Toyota HiLux – 5,954 sales

The HiLux returned to the top of the Australian market in October 2026 with 5,954 sales, up 34% year on year. Even so, its rival the Ford Ranger still leads it year to date by just 129 units according to The Beep, leaving the race for Australia’s best-selling vehicle of 2026 open until December.

2. Ford Ranger – 4,841 sales

The Ranger finished second with 4,841 sales (4×2 and 4×4 combined), up 10%, keeping its narrow year-to-date lead over the HiLux. The battle underlines how important pickups are in Australia, much as in the US, where we tracked the best-selling pickup trucks of 2026.

3. Toyota RAV4 – 4,718 sales

The RAV4 remained October’s best-selling non-electric SUV with 4,718 sales, up 7.2%, making Toyota the only brand with three models in the top 10.

4. Tesla Model Y – 3,105 sales

The Model Y was the best-selling electric car with 3,105 sales, according to Electric Vehicle Council data. Tesla does not report through VFACTS but via the EVC, so the sources used do not give a year-on-year change for it.

5. BYD Sealion 7 – 2,524 sales

BYD’s electric SUV came fifth with 2,524 sales, up 88.2%, making it Australia’s best-selling Chinese model in October 2026 and one of three BYD models on the list.

6. Toyota Prado – 2,397 sales

The Prado recorded 2,397 sales, up 64.4%, and has moved ahead of the Ford Everest year to date with 18,062 sales against 17,944. It is also one of the most popular 4x4s in Kuwait and the Gulf.

7. Chery Tiggo 4 – 2,178 sales

The Chery Tiggo 4 (Tiggo 4 Pro) achieved a notable result, claiming seventh place with 2,178 sales, up 10.3%, ahead of a number of well-known Japanese and Korean models. Chery brand sales in Australia rose 21.6% to 4,317 units, while Omoda Jaecoo jumped 312.4% to 2,330 units, in line with the record October 2026 results of Chery Group.

8. BYD Atto 2 – 1,943 sales

The compact electric crossover Atto 2 entered the top 10 for the first time with 1,943 sales, confirming growing demand for affordable compact EVs.

9. BYD Shark 6 – 1,843 sales

BYD’s plug-in hybrid pickup recorded 1,843 sales, up 72.2%, proving that an electrified ute can compete in a segment traditionally dominated by diesel.

10. Geely EX5 – 1,789 sales

The electric Geely EX5 closes the list with 1,789 sales, a huge increase of 421.6%, while the Geely brand overall grew 520% to 4,365 units, ninth among all brands. In the VFACTS-only ranking (excluding Tesla), the Ford Everest is tenth with 1,741 sales.

Australia’s Best-Selling Car Brands, October 2026

Among brands, Toyota stayed well clear at the top, BYD held second place for the seventh consecutive month, and four Chinese brands featured in the top 10.

Rank	Brand	October 2026 sales	YoY change
1	Toyota	20,649	↑ 4.7%
2	BYD	10,025	↑ 153.2%
3	Ford	7,310	↓ 3.4%
4	Kia	5,801	↓ 12.2%
5	Mazda	5,730	↓ 19.7%
6	MG	4,676	↑ 31.5%
7	Hyundai	4,571	↓ 28.6%
8	GWM	4,417	↓ 0.3%
9	Geely	4,365	↑ 520%
10	Chery	4,317	↑ 21.6%

From January to October 2026, Toyota sold 173,593 vehicles, followed by BYD with 86,639, more than double its total at the same point last year (41,882), according to CarSauce.

Diesel Retakes the Lead as EVs Hold 23.1%

After electric vehicles outsold every other fuel type in August and September 2026, diesel returned to first place in October with 25,649 sales (23.9%), followed by battery EVs with 24,845 (23.1%), petrol with 23,605 (22.0%), hybrids with 18,434 and plug-in hybrids with 11,745. Electrified vehicles of all types accounted for 51.2% of the market. China-built vehicles made up 36.3% of VFACTS sales in October, the largest share of any source country.

What It Means for Kuwait and the GCC

Buyer tastes in Australia and the Gulf are strikingly similar: tough pickups and 4x4s such as the HiLux, Ranger and Prado, and family SUVs like the RAV4. What stands out is the rapid rise of Chinese brands in a demanding, highly competitive market. The presence of the Chery Tiggo 4, three BYD models and the Geely EX5 in the top 10 reflects growing confidence in their quality and technology, the same trend seen in Kuwait as brands such as Chery, Jetour, Omoda and Jaecoo expand.

FAQ

What was Australia’s best-selling car in October 2026?
The Toyota HiLux with 5,954 sales, followed by the Ford Ranger (4,841) and the Toyota RAV4 (4,718).

What is Australia’s best-selling car of 2026 so far?
The Ford Ranger, just 129 units ahead of the Toyota HiLux at the end of October 2026, according to The Beep.

How many Chinese cars are in Australia’s top 10 for October 2026?
Five: the BYD Sealion 7, Atto 2 and Shark 6, the Chery Tiggo 4 and the Geely EX5.

What was the EV share in Australia in October 2026?
23.1% of total sales (24,845 vehicles), compared with 7.3% in October 2025.

Sources: VFACTS data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) data for October 2026, via: CarExpert (5 November 2026); The Beep (5 November 2026); CarSauce (November 2026); Torque Cafe (November 2026).