The most popular cars in New Zealand in 2021

The Ford Ranger was the most popular, for the 4th year running. New cars and used imports, by the year they were first registered here.

First registered
265,355
2021
Most popular
Ranger
12,509 Fords
Top electric
Model 3
3,215 registered
Top used import
Aqua
7,634 registered

The top 20, 2021

How many were registered, and how each moved since 2020.

  1. 1FordRanger12,509Same place
  2. 2MitsubishiOutlander9,312Up 4
  3. 3ToyotaHilux8,492Down 1
  4. 4ToyotaAqua7,785Up 4
  5. 5ToyotaCorolla6,777Up 2
  6. 6ToyotaRAV46,475Down 3
  7. 7NissanX-Trail6,180Up 6
  8. 8MazdaCX-55,686Up 2
  9. 9MazdaAxela5,033Down 4
  10. 10MitsubishiAsx4,934Up 10
  11. 11MitsubishiTriton4,927Same place
  12. 12SuzukiSwift4,754Down 8
  13. 13ToyotaPrius4,390Up 1
  14. 14VolkswagenGolf3,802Up 3
  15. 15NissanNavara3,556Up 7
  16. 16HondaFit3,417Down 4
  17. 17TeslaModel 33,215New entry
  18. 18ToyotaHiace3,188Down 9
  19. 19SubaruImpreza2,555Up 2
  20. 20NissanLeaf2,474Up 3

New and used imports

Many of the cars New Zealand adds each year arrive used, most of them from Japan.

New

  1. 1FordRanger12,355Same place
  2. 2ToyotaHilux8,276Same place
  3. 3MitsubishiOutlander6,397Up 9
  4. 4ToyotaRAV46,129Down 1
  5. 5MitsubishiAsx4,912Up 6
  6. 6MitsubishiTriton4,882Down 2
  7. 7ToyotaCorolla4,691Up 2
  8. 8NissanNavara3,498Up 5
  9. 9TeslaModel 33,211New entry
  10. 10MazdaCX-53,100Down 3

Used imports

  1. 1ToyotaAqua7,634Up 1
  2. 2MazdaAxela4,972Down 1
  3. 3ToyotaPrius4,278Up 1
  4. 4NissanX-Trail3,734Up 9
  5. 5HondaFit3,389Down 2
  6. 6VolkswagenGolf3,157Up 4
  7. 7MitsubishiOutlander2,915Up 1
  8. 8MazdaCX-52,586Up 14
  9. 9SubaruImpreza2,442Same place
  10. 10NissanLeaf2,380Up 1

Electric and hybrid

The most registered of each in 2021. Hybrids include plug-ins.

Electric

  1. 1TeslaModel 33,215
  2. 2NissanLeaf2,474
  3. 3HyundaiKona817
  4. 4MGZS725
  5. 5HyundaiIoniq234
  6. 6HyundaiIoniq 5233
  7. 7KiaNiro211
  8. 8MiniHatch137
  9. 9MGZS Ev135
  10. 10Audie-tron116

Hybrid

  1. 1ToyotaAqua7,665
  2. 2ToyotaRAV44,549
  3. 3ToyotaPrius4,316
  4. 4ToyotaCorolla3,458
  5. 5HondaFit2,336
  6. 6ToyotaC-HR1,189
  7. 7MitsubishiOutlander1,188
  8. 8ToyotaCamry1,029
  9. 9ToyotaHighlander930
  10. 10ToyotaYaris Cross867

Over the years

Where 2021's top ten placed each year since 2012. Tap a year for its list.

Car2012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Ford Ranger4433121111
Mitsubishi Outlander24141311988762
Toyota Hilux3344433423
Toyota Aqua–––––––2184
Toyota Corolla1111212275
Toyota RAV410586866636
Nissan X-Trail4747292619181816137
Mazda CX-52816151617141412108
Mazda Axela8755675559
Mitsubishi Asx–––34402727222010

Cars, utes and vans by the year they were first registered in New Zealand, new or as a used import, from Waka Kotahi's Motor Vehicle Register. Counts are of those still on the register, so older years are lower than they were.

What will the drive cost?

Roadtrip works out the fuel or charging cost of any drive for your exact car, finds the cheapest stations on the way, and splits it between everyone in the car.

Plan a trip on the web
Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Rated 4.7 by drivers · 700,000 downloads

The Roadtrip app showing a drive into London that costs £4.81 each, with fuel prices along the way