The domination of Japanese and South Korean car brands in Australia could be coming to an end. While Toyota remains the clear market leader, the latest sales data from the industry makes it clear that Chinese brands are on the rise.
According to the information released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), four Chinese brands made the top 10 performers for a single month. In August BYD, GWM, MG and Chery all finished amongst the best-selling brands.
Toyota led sales for the month with 20,791 sales, ahead of Ford and Mazda (with the pair swapped in the year-to-date sales race). But it was BYD surging to sixth place, with 4877 sales, followed by GWM (4488), MG (3927) and Chery (3305) that has left an impression in the industry.
FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said the result highlights the changing nature of the increasingly competitive new car marketplace.
“The presence of four Chinese brands in the top ten illustrates the continuing evolution of the automotive landscape in Australia,” Weber said. “Consumers have an extraordinary range of vehicles to choose from – more than 400 models, including around 100 EVs.”
Chinese brands are on the rise due to competitive pricing, often undercutting key rivals, as well as a clear plan to establish a foothold in the Australian market with a range of models designed to appeal to our tastes.
The BYD Shark 6, for example, is proving to be a popular addition to the brand’s range, attracting a new ute buying audience interested in plug-in hybrid powertrains. BYD sold 1261 Shark 6 in August, making it the fourth most popular 4×4 ute (pipping the Mitsubishi Triton by a single sale).
GWM, meanwhile, has invested in a permanent residency at Holden’s former test facility, the Lang Lang Proving Grounds, and hired former Holden engineer RobTrubiani to localise its models to better appeal to customers.
As for the overall market, August 2025 was up 2.2 per cent on the same month last year, with 100,539 vehicles sold.
Year-to-date Toyota leads Mazda, Ford, Kia and Hyundai in the top five. GWM is sitting seventh for the year, just ahead of BYD with MG the 10th best performer in 2025.
In August the Ford Ranger pipped its arch-rival, the Toyota HiLux, to top spot. The Toyota RAV4, MG ZS and Isuzu D-Max round out the top five most popular models in August.
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