Australians bought a record number of new cars in 2025 — around 1.24 million for the third record year running — and three names dominated nationally: the Ford Ranger (56,555) held off the Toyota RAV4 (51,947) and Toyota HiLux (51,297), while Toyota claimed its 23rd consecutive year as top brand. But drill into state-level VFACTS data and the country splits into distinct car cultures.
New South Wales
The RAV4 topped the nation's biggest market with 16,731 deliveries, ahead of the Ranger and HiLux — a suburban-hybrid-SUV state with a strong tradie undercurrent. The Isuzu D-Max and Toyota Prado rounded out a ute-and-4WD-heavy top five.
Victoria
Ford country. The Ranger's 17,618 Victorian deliveries were the biggest single-model tally in any jurisdiction, and the related Everest placed third — its highest ranking anywhere — with the RAV4 between them. Ford's manufacturing history in the state clearly still counts for something, a decade after local production ended.
Queensland
The HiLux ruled the Sunshine State with 14,098 sales, ahead of the Ranger and RAV4, atop a conspicuously ute- and large-SUV-heavy top 20. The BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute also placed higher here than in NSW — the new-energy ute pitch is landing in Queensland.
Western Australia
WA's top five reads identically to Queensland's — HiLux first at 8,424 — but the west distinguishes itself with the LandCruiser: both the 70 Series ute and the 300 Series wagon feature unusually strongly, a nod to mining and genuine remote-area work.
South Australia
The RAV4 led at 3,944 ahead of the HiLux and Ranger. SA's quirk is an absence: it was the only mainland state where the Tesla Model Y didn't crack the top 20.
Tasmania
The Ranger topped the Apple Isle, but the story is Subaru: the Forester placed fifth, and Tasmania was the only jurisdiction where the Crosstrek and Outback made the top 20 at all. All-wheel drive, all-weather island motoring.
Australian Capital Territory
Canberra is Australia's EV capital. The RAV4 won (949), but the Tesla Model Y placed second — its best result anywhere — the BYD Shark 6 outsold the HiLux, and the ACT was the only jurisdiction where the Model 3 and BYD Sealion 6 appeared in the top 20.
Northern Territory
The Top End is Toyota's fortress. The HiLux won by a country mile (1,361, more than three times the Ranger's tally), the Prado placed second, and both LandCruiser body styles made the top seven. It was the only jurisdiction featuring the Fortuner, HiAce Commuter and Suzuki Jimny — and the only one with no Tesla, BYD or Chery in the top 20 at all.
What it means for the used market
Today's sales charts are tomorrow's used listings. Rangers, RAV4s and HiLuxes will be the deepest, most liquid used stock nationally for years — easy to buy, easy to resell. Regionally, the signals matter more: 4WDs and utes hold value hardest in QLD, WA and the NT; the ACT will develop Australia's richest used-EV pool; and a well-kept Subaru will always find a Tasmanian buyer.
Source: FCAI VFACTS and Electric Vehicle Council 2025 full-year data, as reported by industry outlets in January 2026.