Chinese car sales in Australia for 2026 (H1) For the first time ever, China has overtaken Japan to become the most popular country of origin for new vehicles sold in Australia. More than 195,000 new Chinese-built cars were sold in Australia in the first half of 2026, representing more than 1 in every 4 new cars on the road (31%). Japanese-built car sales fell to 144,430 units (-22.8%), leaving Thailand in third (113,538, -11.4%), which is the source of most of the utes sold Down Under.
It’s no surprise, then, that the fastest-growing brands in Australia in the first half of 2026 were all Chinese, with big-volume players such as BYD, GWM and Chery now entrenched among the top 10. MG slipped to 11th in the first half with only single-digit year-on-year growth, while other emerging contenders are moving up the rankings at a rapid pace: Geely, Zeekr, Jaecoo, to name just three.
BYD’s Denza brand is also aiming at BMW and Mercedes-Benz for luxury car market leadership.
2026 Top 5 Chinese brands in Australia (H1): 1: BYD – 52,335 (+124.1%) 2: GWM – 30,359 (+20.5%) 3: Chery – 24,964 (+76.8%) 4: MG – 23,146 (+6.8%) 5: Geely – 10,970 (+494.6%)
Best-selling medium SUVs in Australia for 2026 (H1) Medium SUVs hold firm as the most sought-after new vehicles in Australia with more than 185,000 of them sold in the first half of 2026. Toyota RAV4’s changeover to the new sixth generation restricted its volume, at a time when demand is rampant for popular EVs in this class, most notably the Tesla Model Y and BYD Sealion 7.
2026 Top 5 medium SUVs in Australia (H1): Tesla Model Y – 20,396 (+95.5%) Toyota RAV4 – 15,551 (-35.3%) BYD Sealion 7 – 12,516 (+233.2%) Hyundai Tucson – 11,236 (+9.4%) Mitsubishi Outlander – 10,907 (-4.3%)
Top-selling large SUVs in Australia for 2026 (H1) Sales of large SUVs in Australia fell 12 per cent in the first half of 2026, notably impacting diesel models as fuel prices spiked and buyers reconsidered their plans. The Ford Everest and Toyota Prado remain the two most popular models in class, albeit with softer demand, while a new on-road-oriented entrant, the BYD Sealion 8 PHEV, has muscled in.
2026 Top 5 large SUVs in Australia (H1): Ford Everest – 11,133 (-9.4%) Toyota LandCruiser Prado – 9102 (-41.6%) Isuzu MU-X – 7564 (-3.2%) BYD Sealion 8 – 5380 (new model) Hyundai Santa Fe – 3089 (-3.8%)
In hindsight I would have played and rucked Lewis Young to help Reidy...its not about what Reidy and Young are doing its about stopping Cameron dominating which he always does and that helps enable Nick Daicos. It gets frustrating as a supporter game after game vs the Pies being a rinse and repeat of previous games and we change nothing....we cant ignore the ruck position anymore and need a better quality ruckman with the new rules. The moneyball types dont work in this new era and its time to pay up and recruit one who can prevent the better rucks from taking over the game and giving their star mids an armchair ride...
how many years are we losing in the same manner ,me a blue collar worker said on friday are hard hard sacrifice your game tag on ND nah 36 possies later and numerous score involvement his bog . long bomb into f50 how many years when are our coaches going to learn.
Hardwick learned the same lesson with Bont...didnt tag him, game over.
I have been happy with Fraser in that respect. Despite pushing towards a wildcard he has kept the youngsters in the side. His main goal to leave Carlton a better place at season's end and may well do that.
So you agree he's leaving?
I won't argue with you, I think it's the most likely occurrence too!
Personally, I think the end of 2026 is going to see a lot of coaching changes, perhaps the most ever in a season.
Top-selling utes in Australia for 2026 (H1) Australia remains a ute-loving nation, but sales took a dive during the first half of 2026. In particular, the volume-selling 4x4 ute category dropped to 96,153 units (-11.1%). This impacted not only diesel models but the BYD Shark 6 PHEV, too, although the new BYD Shark 6 Performance and Cab Chassis variants now available should boost the Chinese brand’s sales during the second half.
2026 Top 5 utes in Australia (H1): Ford Ranger – 26,314 (-7.0%) Toyota HiLux – 22,607 (-13.9%) Isuzu D-Max – 12,908 (-8.2%) Mitsubishi Triton – 10,351 (+12.2%) BYD Shark 6 – 9493 (-8.9%)
Ford need your business, without the Ranger they would be out of business....
I didn't like Ford or rangers until i was given one as a company car. Their tech is far superior to anything else out there. So much so, that i couldn't live with anything less now. I was a hilux man before that, but they ended up being overpriced and well behind on tech. They have caught up recently.
I did have a triton for a while which was terrible to drive and while the tech was better than the hilux, was nowhere near the ranger.
I don't need it for any hardcore off-roading, but do go camping in areas where 4wd is not necessary, but can get you out of trouble.
There's a reason they sell so many.....and its mostly due to companies making them their base fleet car....but they are good to drive and don't feel like a ute.
Fair enough, you do pay the Badge premium with Toyota and their dealerships are loathe to negotiate.
Injuries are never an excuse — but they are a reason.
We were wasteful up forward and we gave up far too many easy goals. Membrey alone crumbed at least two.
Ainsworth had an uncharacteristically bad first quarter and made some awful errors. To his credit he worked into the game and finished strongly, but seven turnovers is rough.
Hayward was close to his worst game of the season and had basically no impact. Florent struggled as well, and we generated almost no drive off half‑back.
Acres was poor and showed why he was dropped earlier in the year. He lost his width, which let Crisp stroll inside 50 for an easy goal. He was up against it when thrown into the ruck. If Ollie isn’t the answer, I’d rather see a kid get wing minutes — Acres isn’t it.
The inexperienced backline battled hard but panicked and over‑handled the ball coming out of defence.
Kemp… he gets to the right spots, but when he lines up for a set shot from 40 out on a slight angle you just know he’s not kicking it — and might not even trouble the scorers. Eight marks is good, but his confidence looks shot. Levi actually improved his kicking at Carlton; Kemp looks like he’s going backwards.
Reidy — I haven’t seen anything yet that gives me much hope.
We always seem to find a way to lose to this mob. The only upside is the false hope their supporters will walk away with.
Pies would probably suggest with their two key defenders out in Moore and Howe they had the injury excuse too, you add perennial pest Elliott and the hardworking Schultz and I reckon it was even on the injury front. I thought it was a poor quality game from both teams and showed why both are midpack combatants at best and the best players for both teams are the best players every week, every game because the drop away in impactful talent is so large...
I have no inclination or plan to buy an EV. Just does not add up for me.
x2..The savings dont equate when you are paying a lot more for an EV and you are not doing the same milage you did when working/younger. I guess if you are a greenie then the environmental benefits if any might impact your decision but like you I dont see any reason to be in a EV based on the maths.
Ford Ranger – 26,314 (-7.0%) Toyota HiLux – 22,607 (-13.9%) Tesla Model Y – 20,396 (+95.5%) Toyota RAV4 – 15,551 (-35.3%) Chery Tiggo 4 – 13,638 (+70.6%) Hyundai Kona – 13,132 (+16.8%) Isuzu D-Max – 12,908 (-8.2%) BYD Sealion 7 – 12,516 (+233.2%) GWM Haval Jolion – 11,480 (+27.1%) Hyundai Tucson – 11,236 (+9.4%) The Ford Everest (11,133, -9.4%) has fallen out of the top 10, along with other key SUVs including the Mitsubishi Outlander (10,907, -4.3%), Mazda CX-5 (10,542, -12.1%) and Toyota LandCruiser Prado (9102, -41.6%). In their place are fast-growing EVs and popular cheap SUVs from Chinese brands: BYD Sealion 7, Chery Tiggo 4 and GWM Haval Jolion.
Just start with the simple stuff, improve our kicking for goal and we’d probably have beaten them. Plenty of other issues of course but getting the basics right would be a good start.
You dont need me to tell you Cookie as you have watched plenty of football over the journey that unfortunately players who are poor to average field or goal kicks rarely improve and you have to usually go out and recruit better kicking players. Stewart Lowe is about the only player I can remember who went from being a poor kick for goal to a very reliable kick later in his career. Earl Spalding perhaps is another who improved in our last premiership year....seems like a century ago🤔😉.
In my teen years I worked and trained at an ICC where Gary worked and had his small cricket gear shop, and he also offered some coaching. I was a net bowler for the WSC crew. He hated being called Sir Gary or Sir Garfield, and would correct you in the gruff voice "Call me Gary!" When the WSC bowlers were being coached I'd get to have a bat, Gary would stand behind the net giving me tips. He was the exact opposite of most coaches, he didn't try to change your technique to make you look classical, he'd look at your strengths and weakness and work on them without trying to make you look like a Greg Chappell. The year after he started giving me free coaching I scored a double century in suburban cricket, I'd changed from an opening bowler low order batsmen to an opening batsmen all rounder.
I don't want to trigger anyone who might be a fan, but as good as he was at cricket he had a lot of troubles off the field, drinking was a big problem, I'm not sure he ever got the better of it. I believe he was arrested multiple time for D&D and also for domestic violence orders, really for all his fame it's quite a sad story. I talked to a police officer once who was standing the carpark when they come to "give him a lift", a euphemism I'm sure, he told me Sobers was his childhood hero but he couldn't see him in the same light, it sounds a bit like Winmar. I've meet Winamr too, and he seemed a terrific person, but I suppose we only ever get to see one side of life.
He did have problems with drinking and was behind the wheel during an accident which cost a teammate his life back in 1959 but I think the cricket culture of drinking which is still alive and well today was to blame for him having continual issues through his career and life. Interesting story about Sir Gary was he was born with an extra finger on each hand.....which he removed with cat gut and a knife...as a child 😲
