Chinese vehicles now outsell Japan and Thailand in Australia
Chinese-made vehicles are now almost 40 per cent of Australia's new-car market and outsold all Japanese and Thai models combined in September.
September sales data marks the second time Chinese vehicles have dominated Japanese and Thai imports. Australians bought 42,045 Chinese-made cars last month, compared to 40,933 from Japan and Thailand combined.
A dedicated ship carrying almost 5,000 vehicles from BYD and Denza from China boosted sales in that period. The shift reflects where vehicles are now built: Mazda, Hyundai, Kia, BMW and Mini all manufacture models in China for Australian buyers.
Electric vehicles are accelerating the change, with EV sales jumping 117.7 per cent year on year. Petrol vehicle sales fell 36.2 per cent, and diesel was down 18.4 per cent.
- 42,045
- Chinese vehicles in September
- 40,933
- Japan and Thailand combined
- 117.7 percent
- EV sales growth
- 38.9 percent
- Chinese market share
Why it mattersNearly 4 in every 10 new cars sold in Australia now come from China, reshaping the vehicles available to buy and signalling a fundamental shift in global automotive supply.
AustraliaAustralian drivers are increasingly choosing Chinese-made vehicles or familiar brands built in China. It signals a major reordering of trade ties and shapes what models, features and prices Australians can access.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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