New-vehicle sales rebound in November 

New-vehicle sales rose in November, delivering a welcome lift to the market after a quieter first half of the year. Registrations across both passenger and commercial sectors outpaced November 2024, reinforcing signs of renewed buyer confidence.

In total, 13,615 new vehicles were registered last month, an 11.9 per cent jump on the 12,168 units recorded a year earlier. Year-to-date, the market sits at 128,769 registrations, up 7.5 per cent on the same period in 2024.

Passenger segment accelerates

Passenger-vehicle registrations climbed 14.3 per cent year-on-year to reach 10,247 units. That lifts the passenger YTD tally to 91,677, around 13 per cent ahead of last year.

Toyota maintained its lead with 2705 passenger sales, securing 26.4 per cent market share despite a 20.6 per cent annual dip. Mitsubishi followed with 1125 units (+48.6%), while Kia more than doubled its November 2024 result with 773 registrations (+128.7%). Ford (644), Mazda (591), Suzuki (580) and Hyundai (477) also posted strong showings.

The Toyota RAV4 topped the model rankings with 1257 units, comfortably ahead of the Mitsubishi ASX (558) and Ford Everest (527). Other strong performers included the Mitsubishi Outlander (425), Toyota Yaris Cross (348), Suzuki Fronx (302), Hyundai Tucson (272) and Toyota Corolla (271).

Premium brands continued to regain ground too, with Mercedes-Benz (152), BMW (150) and Audi (127) all posting healthy double-digit growth.

Commercials remain steady

Commercial-vehicle registrations reached 3368 units in November, up 5.1 per cent on the same month last year. Despite the strong monthly result, YTD commercial volumes are at 37,092 — about three per cent lower than in 2024.

Ford once again dominated the sector, registering 1173 commercials for a commanding 34.8 per cent share. Toyota followed with 814 units (+18.1%), while Mitsubishi (203), Mercedes-Benz (164) and Isuzu (147) rounded out the leading brands. BYD continued its rapid ascent with 139 registrations, more than tripling its November 2024 performance.

The Ford Ranger retained its spot as New Zealand’s best-selling commercial model with 1030 units, ahead of the Toyota Hilux (621) and Mitsubishi Triton (203). Toyota’s Hiace added 183 units, followed by the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (155), BYD Shark 6 (139), Ford Transit (118), Fiat Ducato (85) and Isuzu D-Max (83).

With momentum building into December, the industry will be watching closely to see whether the late-year surge sets the tone for a stronger 2026.