The most popular cars in New Zealand in 2026 so far

The Ford Ranger was the most popular, taking over from the Toyota RAV4. New cars and used imports, by the year they were first registered here.

First registered
75,188
2026 so far
Most popular
Ranger
3,274 Fords
Top electric
Leaf
789 registered
Top used import
Aqua
2,851 registered

The top 20, 2026 so far

How many were registered, and how each moved since 2025.

  1. 1FordRanger3,274Up 1
  2. 2ToyotaCorolla2,988Up 3
  3. 3ToyotaAqua2,852Same place
  4. 4ToyotaHilux2,332Same place
  5. 5ToyotaRAV41,983Down 4
  6. 6ToyotaPrius1,856Same place
  7. 7ToyotaHiace1,441Up 15
  8. 8MitsubishiOutlander1,421Down 1
  9. 9NissanNote1,414Up 2
  10. 10NissanX-Trail1,370Same place
  11. 11NissanNavara1,261Up 10
  12. 12MitsubishiAsx1,255Down 4
  13. 13MazdaCX-51,177Down 4
  14. 14MitsubishiTriton1,177Up 2
  15. 15SuzukiSwift1,125Down 1
  16. 16ToyotaC-HR1,084Down 3
  17. 17HyundaiTucson1,012Up 13
  18. 18MazdaAxela930Down 3
  19. 19HondaFit925Down 1
  20. 20MGZS901Up 6

New and used imports

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

New

  1. 1FordRanger3,223Up 1
  2. 2ToyotaHilux2,299Up 1
  3. 3ToyotaRAV41,869Down 2
  4. 4ToyotaCorolla1,480Up 2
  5. 5MitsubishiAsx1,250Down 1
  6. 6NissanNavara1,249Up 5
  7. 7MitsubishiTriton1,172Up 1
  8. 8MitsubishiOutlander1,075Down 3
  9. 9HyundaiTucson1,002Up 6
  10. 10ToyotaHiace955Up 9

Used imports

  1. 1ToyotaAqua2,851Same place
  2. 2ToyotaPrius1,856Same place
  3. 3ToyotaCorolla1,508Same place
  4. 4NissanNote1,414Same place
  5. 5ToyotaC-HR936Up 2
  6. 6MazdaAxela930Down 1
  7. 7HondaFit925Down 1
  8. 8SubaruImpreza891Same place
  9. 9MazdaDemio860Up 1
  10. 10NissanX-Trail795Down 1

Electric and hybrid

The most registered of each in 2026 so far. Hybrids include plug-ins.

Electric

  1. 1NissanLeaf789
  2. 2TeslaModel Y618
  3. 3DongfengBox347
  4. 4BYDAtto 1305
  5. 5BYDAtto 2252
  6. 6MGZS240
  7. 7TeslaModel 3230
  8. 8Zeekr7X220
  9. 9BYDSealion 7206
  10. 10BYDAtto 3185

Hybrid

  1. 1ToyotaCorolla2,935
  2. 2ToyotaAqua2,852
  3. 3ToyotaRAV41,977
  4. 4ToyotaPrius1,856
  5. 5ToyotaHilux1,658
  6. 6ToyotaC-HR1,084
  7. 7NissanNote861
  8. 8HondaFit824
  9. 9GWMHaval H6802
  10. 10ToyotaYaris786

Over the years

Where 2026 so far's top ten placed each year since 2017. Tap a year for its list.

Car2017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Ford Ranger2111133121
Toyota Corolla1227575652
Toyota Aqua––218411333
Toyota Hilux3342346444
Toyota RAV46663664215
Toyota Prius191515141382566
Toyota Hiace5710918202120227
Mitsubishi Outlander8876227778
Nissan Note48403534–311115119
Nissan X-Trail1818161371214101010

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.

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