The biggest car news and reviews, no BS

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Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning news roundup bringing you the biggest automotive headlines from around the world.

The Downshift briefly recaps the news with links to deeper stories. Hope you enjoyed what was a great weekend for racing and sports fans in general, between the 24 Hours of Le Mans, World Cup action and, last but certainly not least, the New York Knicks. Here’s your bulletin for Monday, June 15, 2026.

New EV registrations year-over-year have unsurprisingly declined every month since the start of 2026, post-federal tax credit, but April proved to be the strongest month yet for EVs, with only a 9.8% drop versus April 2025. That follows declines of 25% on March, 37% in February, and 41% in January. [Automotive News]

Stellantis’ American brands chief Tim Kuniskis teased a surprise vehicle debut at Roadkill Nights on August 8. In 2022, Dodge introduced the Charger Daytona SRT concept and Hornet at the same event, which could give us a hint at what SRT is planning. [Carscoops]

The U.K. government will reportedly meet with automakers this week to discuss softening regulations that require 80% of new cars sold in the country to be battery-electric in 2030. Under a potential new plan, half of all cars sold would need to be electric. However, the existing ban of new purely internal-combustion cars that same year, and outlawing new hybrids in 2035, is expected to remain. [Autocar]

Independent traffic researchers say that data Tesla submitted to officials in Sweden and the Netherlands about Full Self-Driving’s supposed safety is misleading. The EV maker is still attempting to secure approval for an FSD rollout in Europe. [Reuters]

5⃣ Bovensiepen, the new coachbuilder run by the family that founded Alpina after BMW fully absorbed Alpina in 2022, has unveiled the 05 GT, an M5 Touring with 790 horsepower—around 50 more than a normal M5—and loads of bespoke design touches. [Autoblog]

Economic headwinds and high gas prices have depressed the RV industry, as manufacturers have shipped 13.5% fewer products to retailers over the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period one year ago. [Reuters]

Weekend race results:

• 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries won overall for Toyota
• NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Pocono: Justin Allgaier won for JR Motorsports
• Formula 1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton won for Ferrari
• GT World Challenge America at Road Atlanta: Jason Daskalos and Philip Ellis won overall for JMF Motorsports
• NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono: Denny Hamlin won for Joe Gibbs Racing

Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com

IN A little over two and a half years, Subaru has gone from having zero battery electric models in its Australian line-up to three; yet the Japanese marque has no sales volume split expectations for its Uncharted, Solterra, and Trailseeker electric SUV trio.

 

When asked about the expected volume split at the local launch of the Trailseeker, Subaru Australia general manager Scott Lawrence said there is no specific target for the importer’s battery electric range, saying only that he expects the three to provide “good growth”.

 

“At this stage we don’t have a target for sales split for the three BEVs,” he stated.

 

“The important part for us is offering consumers in those different segment options.

 

“So, at this stage, (there is) no target. But we are confident that we’ll see good growth in those three segments.”

 

Subaru’s electric SUV trio find themselves priced remarkably close to one another.

 

Kicking off Subaru’s battery electric range, the Uncharted small SUV is priced at $59,990 plus on-road costs.

 

Following a recent price drop, the Solterra is now priced from $61,990 + ORC for the entry-level AWD, rising to $67,990 for the Touring variant.

 

Prices for the Trailseeker were also recently dropped with the base model and Touring variants priced at $63,990 and $69,990 + ORC respectively.

 

As it stands, the pricing of Subaru’s entire electric model range fits within a window of $10,000.

 

The Solterra mid-size SUV has had a relatively slow sales start since it landed on Australian shores in 2024, during which 386 examples were sold.

 

Last year, Subaru sold just 202 Solterras, less than a fifth of the closely related Toyota bZ4X’s sales.

 

However, both paled in comparison to the segment-leading sales of the Tesla Model Y, of which 22,239 were sold.

 

Instead, Subaru’s 2025 sales were dominated by the Forester (15,179 unit sales), Crosstrek (10,842), and Outback (8384).

 

Following an update which gave it more power and range along with a lower price tag for the 2026 model year, 398 Solterras have been sold this year as of the end of May (Toyota sold 1526 bZ4X examples during the same period).

 

Meanwhile, 117 Trailseekers – prices for which have also been reduced since they were initially announced in April – have been sold in 2026 so far, 112 of which were sold during the month of May.

 

However, the Trailseeker significantly outsold the Solterra during May with 112 and 74 sales respectively.

 

Pre-orders for the Uncharted opened last month and sales figures are yet to be posted.

 

According to Inchcape Australasia – Subaru’s local importer and distributor – marketing director Amanda Leaney, Subaru’s initial electric SUV buyers come from its existing customer base followed by new buyers.

 

“We have a very loyal customer base, and the first volume of sales always come from within the Subaru loyalty group,” she said.

 

“We’ve got a huge following of Subaru owners who are looking for an electrification journey. And complementing that is we have a whole bunch of new people coming to discover what Subaru’s electric vehicle range will be.

 

“So, we see a really good mix of both actually, but early sales will always indicate that Subaru loyalty will reward us first as we grow the credibility and capability in the new to brand entrants.”

The biggest car news and reviews, no BS

Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday.

Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning news roundup bringing you the biggest automotive headlines from around the world.

The Downshift recaps news briefly, with links to full stories for those seeking more info. Congrats, it’s Friday! Here’s your bulletin for June 12, 2026.

Ford has no plans to introduce an even more hardcore Ranger Raptor R or Bronco Raptor R, with Ford Racing production vehicle chief engineer Carl Widmann saying that, “If anything, the Ranger Raptor might even already have too much power.” The Ranger Raptor’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 makes 405 horsepower. [Road & Track]

Ford will recall more than half a million Expedition SUVs, model years 2018 through 2024, for center console chrome plating that may bubble and peel over time, creating sharp edges that can cut occupants. [Reuters]

Meanwhile, Honda will recall over 1 million tire repair kits sold with their vehicles due to a faulty sealant bottle that could allow pressure to build to the point where the bottle’s cap becomes a projectile. The kits in question are offered with hybrid versions of the Accord and CR-V. [Reuters]

Back to Ford, who has been able to successfully upsell Edge and Escape customers—two vehicles that are no longer in production—to the larger Explorer. The Explorer is Ford’s most-improved model in terms of sales this year, up 18 percent. [Automotive News]

Nissan has detailed the nostalgic touches it’s bringing to the 2027 Z, expanding the S30-inspired split grille design across the lineup and adding a new wheel design that references the machined rims on the Z31, as well as a new green exterior color and a tan interior option. [Nissan]

Volkswagen is reportedly planning to cut 19,000 jobs in Germany by the end of the year; for reference, Volkswagen Group employs nearly 300,000 people in the country, and is targeting to shed at least 28,000 jobs by the end of this decade. [Quartz]

Fernando Alonso told media that weekend will mark “probably my last Barcelona race in Formula 1,” given that the track will not be on next year’s calendar. The 44-year-old veteran is likely gearing up for retirement from the sport, though he hasn’t made an official announcement yet. [Motorsport]

The #15 BMW hypercar will start pole at the 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans tomorrow, followed by the #12 Cadillac and #35 Alpine. [Motorsport]

Weekend races to watch:

• 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans: Saturday at 10 a.m. on HBO Max
• NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Pocono: Saturday at 4 p.m. on The CW
• Formula 1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix: Sunday at 9 a.m. on Apple TV
• GT World Challenge America at Road Atlanta: Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on YouTube
• NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono: Sunday at 3 p.m. on Prime Video

Got a tip or feedback for TDS? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com

THE IRAN WAR has seen Australian new car buyers shift rapidly towards the purchase of electrified vehicles with hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric sales accounting for 46 per cent of the overall count for the month of May.

 

Combined data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) show Australians purchased 106,887 new vehicles in May, down 2538 units on the month prior (-2.3 per cent).

 

The year-to-date tally for 2026 sits at 491,525 units from both sources, down 5168 units on the May 2025 (-1.0 per cent).

 

Across the segments, we note a further decline for the majority of passenger cars segments with the Micro passenger segment down a further 2.8 per cent YoY (to 562 units in May), the Small passenger under $45K segment down a whopping 18.9 per cent (to 3693 units), the Small passenger over $45K segment down 3.1 per cent (to 1424 units), and Large passenger vehicles on either side of the $70K price divide down 52.9 and 34.2 per cent respectively (to eight and 129 units).

 

The Light passenger segment bucked the trend rising 5.4 per cent YoY (to 2383 units), as did the Medium passenger vehicles on either side of the $60K barrier, up 18.7 and 35.3 per cent respectively (to 1795 and 1437 units), buoyed in no small part to the greater availability of new energy entrants from within the segment.

 

Upper Large segment passenger cars fell 50.0 per cent (to just 15 units) while People Movers under $70K fell 20.2 per cent (to 970 units). People movers over $70K increased by 26.6 per cent across May (to 214 units).

 

Perhaps indicating a holdback on discretionary spending, we note a decline across all Sports car segments in May. Sports cars under $90K fell 49.4 per cent (to 503 units), Sports cars over $90K dropped 34.0 per cent (to 246 units), and Sports cars over $200K slid 25.9 per cent (to 100 units even).

 

Shifting focus to SUV sales and we note more mixed results…

 

Light segment SUV sales fell 25.7 per cent (to 3350 units) YoY for the May period, while Small segment SUV under $45K sales rose 7.8 per cent (to 14,987 units). Small segment SUV over $45K sales fell 18.3 per cent (to 3076 units), while Medium segment SUV under $65K sales rose 26.9 per cent (to 23,406 units, the highest singular segment in May 2026).

 

Medium segment SUV over $65K sales were likewise up in May, rising 36.9 per cent (to 10,865 units), while Large segment SUV sales on either side of the $80K split sank, down 25.4 and 16.2 per cent respectively (to 9846 and 2030 units).

 

Upper Large SUV sales on both sides of the segment’s $120K division were also down, falling 27.0 and 9.6 per cent respectively (to 2017 and 44 units).

 

Light passenger buses were also down in May, the segment showing a decline in both the under and over 20-seat categories. Sales of lower capacity light passenger buses dropped a substantial 85.6 per cent in May (to 68 units), while higher capacity light passenger buses declined by 44.4 per cent (to 35 units).

 

Interestingly, counterpart light commercial vans rose incrementally across the same period, with vehicles in the sub-2.5t category up 13.1 per cent (to 138 units) and vehicles in the 2.5-3.5t category up 2.5 per cent to 2035 units.

 

Perennially popular light commercial utility vehicles faced a fall from form in May, with sales of two-wheel drive pick-up and cab-chassis models sliding 4.8 per cent (to 2008 units) and four-wheel drive pick-up and cab-chassis models slipping 18.0 per cent (to 14,891 units).

 

Despite the descent, pick-up and cab-chassis models remain high in the sales charts for May with the Ford Ranger (4474 units) and Toyota HiLux (4005 units) ranking in first- and second place for the month.

 

Countering the downward trend, Larger pick-up and cab-chassis models, those in the over $100K category, rose 44.2 per cent across May to achieve sales of 851 units. However, Heavy commercial vehicle sales elsewhere were down, falling 14.4 per cent (to 3362 units).

 

On a brand-by-brand basis, we note Toyota on top for May with sales of 16,342 units. That figure represents a year-on-year decline of 30.7 per cent (or 7234 units), reducing the Japanese brand’s market share to just 15.3 per cent.

 

BYD placed second in May with sales of 8211 units (up 7.7 per cent) ahead of Ford with 7195 units (down 15.0 per cent), Hyundai with 7007 units (up 4.5 per cent), Kia with 6761 units (down 2.1 per cent), and Tesla with 6433 units (up 65.1 per cent).

 

Top models for the month of May saw Tesla top the charts with 5605 registrations of its newly updated Model Y (up 56.6 per cent YoY), leading the four-wheel drive Ford Ranger with 4051 unit sales (down 9.6 per cent YoY), the Toyota RAV4 with 3865 unit sales (down 3.4 per cent YoY), the Toyota HiLux with 3685 units (down 12.4 per cent YoY), and the Hyundai Kona with 2291 unit sales (up 17.4 per cent YoY).

 

While economic challenges continue to take their toll on the new car market more broadly, we note steady sales from private buyers across passenger and SUV segments. Business buyers purchased more light commercial vehicles in May, while rental fleet buyers purchased more passenger and SUV models than government fleet purchasers.

 

Unsurprisingly, Chinese-made vehicles continued to lead as Australia’s preferred source of new vehicles in May with 37,229 units from the People’s Republic registered (up 74.1 per cent YoY). Japan trailed in second place with 22,823 registrations (down 28.9 per cent) ahead of third place Thailand with 17,552 units (down 22.1 per cent), fourth place South Korea with 13,184 units (up 5.2 per cent), and fifth place Germany with 4597 units (down 6.5 per cent).

 

As indicated at the outset, however, is a shift in Australian’s driveline preference that comes as a most significant alteration.

 

Spurred by fuel shortages as a result of the Iran War, Australians are rapidly changing the type of vehicles they purchase, with FCAI data showing a significant shift away from internal combustion power and towards electrified options.

 

In May, sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) across all categories rose by 202.3 per cent year-on-year (to 9315 units). Traditional hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) sales jumped 11.3 per cent (to 19,024 units) while battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales shot up 111.7 per cent (to 21,303 units).

 

Despite a fall in popularity of 30.3 per cent, petrol-powered vehicles continued to prove the most popular overall in May with 28,692 unit sales, closely followed by diesel-powered vehicles with 25,191 units (down 26.2 per cent).

 

FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said the results demonstrated the pace of consumer adoption of lower-emission technologies in response to an international energy shock.

 

“The shift is particularly evident in the SUV segment, where consumer preferences are changing rapidly,” he said, while noting that more work was to be done on EV charging infrastructure if a greater update of PHEV and BEV models was to eventuate.

 

“Today’s SUV buyer is increasingly choosing hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric options,” he noted.

 

“(But) as the number of EVs on the road continues to grow, charging infrastructure must become more of a priority.

 

“Continued investment and enabling policy settings will be essential to ensure infrastructure keeps pace with consumer adoption.”

 

Mr Weber said yesterday’s findings by Victoria’s parliamentary inquiry reinforce what consumers and industry have been saying for some time.

 

“Charging infrastructure rollout must accelerate if Australia is to maintain consumer confidence and support continued uptake,” stressed Mr Weber.

 

“The evidence increasingly demonstrates that NVES is encouraging manufacturers to bring more low emissions vehicles to Australia, increasing both consumer choice and technology availability.

 

“Regulatory stability and growth in public charging infrastructure is now critical to maintaining investment, consumer confidence and continued growth, particularly during a period of global economic uncertainty.”

 

Top 10 vehicle sales by make (May 2026)*:

 

Make	Sales	Share	Variance
Toyota	16,342	15.3%	-30.7%
BYD	8,211	7.7%	+7.7%
Ford	7,195	6.7%	-15.0%
Hyundai	7,007	6.6%	+4.5%
Kia	6,761	6.3%	-2.1%
Tesla	6,433	6.0%	+65.1%
Mazda	5,698	5.3%	-27.4%
GWM	4,660	4.4%	+9.1%
Chery	4,401	4.1%	+59.7%
MG	3,872	3.6%	+18.4%
Mitsubishi	3,307	3.1%	-30.6%

 

Top 10 vehicle sales by model (May 2026)*:

 

Make/Model	Sales	Variance
Tesla Model Y	5,605	+56.6%
Ford Ranger 4×4	4,051	-9.6%
Toyota RAV4	3,865	-3.4%
Toyota HiLux	3,685	-12.4%
Hyundai Kona	2,291	+17.4%
Hyundai Tucson	2,287	+27.5%
Omoda Jaecoo J5	2,172	New entrant
Chery Tiggo 4	2,123	+23.1%
Ford Everest	1,876	-20.8%
Geely EX5	1,814	+255.0%

 

State-by-state sales (May 2026)*:

 

State/Territory	Sales	Variance
Australian Capital Territory	1,575	-1.5%
New South Wales	33,465	-0.4%
Northern Territory	821	-5.7%
Queensland	22,182	-6.2%
South Australia	6,737	+0.1%
Tasmania	1,667	+5.2%
Victoria	29,382	-1.6%
Western Australia	11,058	-4.4%

 

*All sales data is supplied courtesy of the FCAI and the EVC.

The biggest car news and reviews, no BS

Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday.

Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning news roundup serving up the biggest automotive headlines from across the globe.

The Downshift gets you up to speed with quick recaps of stories, fit with links for those who want to dive deeper into the news. Here’s your bulletin for Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

Hyundai has announced its May sales figures, and while overall sales have increased by 3% against May 2025, the biggest story is that the company sold 39% more Sonatas compared to that same period one year ago—8,456 examples, versus 6,082. It echoes similar gains for the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, as sedans are showing signs of life again in the U.S. [Hyundai]

Toyota has given the GR86 a slight update with improved throttle calibration, shifter feel, and new interior trim options. [Toyota]

United Auto Workers at GM’s axle plant in Three Rivers, Michigan, ​owned by Dauch Corp, walked off the job on Monday. According to individuals said to be familiar with the matter, the company has about two weeks of axle inventory currently on hand. [Reuters]

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna backed up the decision to offer the Luce in an interview, saying, “There are clients that are telling us, ‘I will become your client if and only if you have an electric traction car. Otherwise, I will not take an [internal-combustion vehicle] because I have to be consistent with the messaging that I’m giving to my son and my daughter.’” The chief executive also restated a commitment to support a diversity of powertrains, and that Ferrari will never offer a Level 3+ autonomous car. [Drive]

The Mazda MX-5 Miata has received a new color called “Zinc Green,” which barely qualifies as green and is so flat and gray that it’d be more at home on a Bronco. [Mazda]

Mini is reportedly reintroducing dual exhaust tips and adding more quirky colors to its repertoire in an effort to “get back to how it was launched in the U.S,.” in the words of one dealer that attended a BMW retailer meeting last month. [BMW Blog]

BYD’s sales finally rose for the first time in nine months in May, up precisely 0.3% from the same period one year earlier. [Bloomberg]

Foxtron—the EV-making arm of Foxconn, the electronics manufacturing giant best known for making iPhones—has announced a Tesla Model Y rival powered by an LFP battery pack that looks a little more minivan than SUV. It’ll go on sale first in Taiwan. [InsideEVs]

Got a tip or feedback for TDS? Let us know at tips@thedrive.com

Australia’s new car market took another decisive step in April, and the message is now hard to miss: the centre of gravity is shifting away from internal combustion and towards electric cars.

And China is delivering that transition – more on that below.

The latest data shows battery electric vehicles jumping to nearly 17% of monthly new car sales in April, another sharp lift from the previous record set in March, while plug-in hybrids also surged.

On the numbers now visible in the market, the old petrol-and-diesel majority is shrinking fast. Pure ICE-only vehicles – petrol and diesel, excluding hybrids and plug-in hybrids – are now down to just 52.5% of new vehicle sales.

That is the real story in the April data. It is not simply that EVs had a strong month. It is that the combined rise of battery electrics, plug-in hybrids and conventional hybrids is steadily hollowing out the old market dominance of petrol and diesel.

The drivetrain chart show this clearly. Petrol has been in long decline since the post-Covid rebound, diesel has flattened and then eased, while BEV share has climbed from almost nothing in 2020 to the high teens in April 2026.

Hybrids and plug-in hybrids have also continued to rise, meaning the share of the market with some level of electrification is now approaching half of all new vehicles sold.

That shift is also changing where Australia’s vehicles come from.

China is now firmly in the lead as the biggest source of new vehicles sold into Australia, with about 28% of the market on a year-to-date basis. Japan, which dominated the Australian market for decades, continues to lose share.

The April data reinforces China overtaking Japan on a monthly basis, and Japan’s share continuing to slide, and the longer trend now suggests that is no temporary blip but a clear structural change locked in the supply base.

The significance of that goes beyond a country-of-origin league table. Australia is not just electrifying; it is electrifying mainly with vehicles built in China.

And that reflects the reality of the global market. China moved early and fast on solar, but now is moving even faster on batteries and EV platforms and manufacturing scale.

Meanwhile, Japanese automakers leaned more heavily into hybrids and delayed full battery EV rollouts. The result is now visible in Australian showrooms and in VFACTS tables alike.

April also matters because it comes one month before the traditional run-up to the June end-of-financial-year sales spike.

Historically, June has often delivered a temporary rebound in ICE sales as dealers clear stock and businesses bring purchases forward before 30 June. That was visible in the June 2023 and June 2025 bumps, even though the broader petrol and diesel trend kept heading down afterwards.

But 2026 may look different.

This year’s EOFY push will land in a market shaped by three forces at once: strong EV momentum, the first full year of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, and still-elevated fuel prices from the 4 week war on Iran.

That means June could still be a big month overall, but the composition of the spike may be very different from the old ICE-heavy EOFY pattern.

If fleets and business buyers move early to lock in deliveries, some of that demand is now likely to flow to hybrids, plug-in hybrids and BEVs (especially with full FBT exemption for EVs confirmed to stay for another year) rather than just diesel utes and petrol SUVs.

At the same time, carmakers will be increasingly aware that extra low-emissions volume helps under NVES, while pushing more high-emissions stock becomes harder to sustain – just like happened with Dieselgate.

So April may prove to be more than just another strong EV month. It may be the clearest sign yet that Australia’s market is crossing a threshold: China is now the lead supplier, one in six new vehicles is a battery EV, and ICE-only sales are falling towards half the market just as EOFY pressure begins to build.

See The Driven’s detailed EV sales data here: Australian electric vehicle sales by month in 2026; by model and by brand.

Sign up for The Driven’s free daily newsletter and get the latest EV news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox. 

Model	April 26	April 25	YTD 26	YTD 25
Outback	10,552	11,501	37,626	51,435

Model	April 26	April 25	YTD 26	YTD 25
Solterra	1,128	949	4,169	4,080
Trailseeker	406	N/A	N/A	N/A
Uncharted	519	N/A	N/A	N/A

Model	April 26	April 25	YTD 26	YTD 25
Crosstrek	15,667	14,935	54,164	58,547
Forester	17,837	19,330	71,989	69,195
WRX	1,178	772	4,680	5,599

TOYOTA Motor Corporation (TMC) has celebrated a Japanese fiscal year (April 2025 – March 2026) sales record, finishing the period with sales up 2.5 per cent year-on-year to 11.28 million units. 

  

While the group (including Daihatsu, Hino and Lexus) is still a week away from announcing its fiscal year profits, the results show that Toyota’s “multi-pathway approach” to new energy vehicle technologies have helped to insulate the company from the effects of US tariffs and inconsistent battery electric vehicle demand globally. 

  

Daihatsu – which was forced to halt production in early 2024 following a certification scandal – rebounded strongly, with worldwide sales rising 13.9 per cent to 697,271 units. Hino, meanwhile, continued its decline, with global volume falling 13.1 per cent to 108,619 units. 

  

Although the fiscal year numbers show a healthy increase, month-by-month sales in the first quarter of 2026 headed in the wrong direction – potentially signalling a weaker result for the 2026-27 financial year. 

  

Toyota’s sales figures show the company sold 887,266 units globally in January (up 4.8 per cent YoY), and just 806,182 units in February (down 2.4 per cent YoY). 

  

March results fell by an even greater percentage, the month’s 983,126 sales representing a YoY decline of 5.8 per cent. 

  

US sales of Toyota and Lexus models climbed 7.7 per cent to a record 2.52 million units in the just-ended fiscal year, Canadian sales increased by 6.8 per cent to 248,238 vehicles, while European sales grew 1.5 per cent to 1.18 million units – another record for the Japanese brand. 

  

Global hybrid sales advanced by 0.5 per cent to 4.34 million units – accounting for close to 40 per cent of TMC’s total deliveries – while BEV sales rose 31 per cent to 188,785 units, or just 1.7 per cent of the car-maker’s overall global volume. 

  

That last figure means every region reported in TMC’s most recent fiscal year results filed its best year yet for BEV sales, led by China. 

 

Including plug-in hybrids (152,071 units, down 5.6 per cent), mild hybrids (118,510 units) and fuel cell vehicles (1,275 units), total electrified Toyota and Lexus sales reached 4.8 million units or 45.8 per cent of combined Toyota and Lexus deliveries (and 42.5 per cent of all TMC volume). 

  

TMC prestige brand Lexus sold 870,570 units across the 2025-26 fiscal year, with almost half of that figure (405,261 units) sold into North American markets. 

  

Asia (excluding Japan) was the second strongest market for Lexus, where 236,154 units were sold (down 0.5 per cent on the 2024-25 fiscal year). 

 

While BEV sales in China are growing strongly, overall Toyota and Lexus sales in the country dipped 1.4 per cent to 1.76 million units amid intensifying competition from domestic manufacturers. 

 

India proved a bright spot for TMC in Asia, with sales surging 21.4 per cent to 371,536 units. 

  

The 2025-26 fiscal year numbers continue a mostly steady trajectory for the Japanese brand. 

  

Reviewing the company’s production sales figures from 2018 to now, we note increases of 1.9 and 1.5 per cent in the lead up to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company taking a 1.4 per cent production hit in 2020, followed by a sharper 5.1 per cent hit the following year. 

  

Sales recovered quickly in 2022, up 4.7 per cent, staying positive through 2023 and 2024 (up 1.7 per cent and 5.0 per cent respectively) before falling slightly in 2025 (down 0.7 per cent). 

 

 

2018-26 TMC total sales (including Daihatsu, Hino, and Lexus)*:   

 

*Sales data supplied courtesy of Toyota Motor Corporation

TOYOTA is confident that increased brand recognition for the bZ4X nameplate will contribute to significantly improved sales for its battery electric mid-size SUV model in Australia according to its local vice president of national sales, marketing, and franchise operations John Pappas.

 

Speaking with GoAuto at the Australian launch of the sixth-generation Toyota RAV4 in Tasmania last week, Mr Pappas expressed his confidence in the upgrades made to the bZ4X, and noted that inquiries had increased – even before recent fuel price spikes raised demand for EVs in the Australian market.

 

“I firmly believe that the new bZ4X upgrade that we’ve made is a very big step up when it comes to the value proposition to a customer,” he said.

 

“Well before the escalation of the fuel issues that are going on around us right now, we were seeing this massive step-up.

 

“Then we had the last three to four weeks where we’ve had even further inquiry on the car, because people are getting very nervous about now inquiring on EVs on the back of the fuel situation.”

 

Further interest in the model has been generated by the imminent arrival of the Touring variant, landing in Australian showrooms in May.

 

“On top of that we’ve now got the bZ4X Touring coming which is another value proposition because it’s a wagon, it’s got great power, and it’s got extra luggage space. It gives us a new conversation, and we’re excited about that.”

 

It has taken time for the bZ4X to garner brand recognition, as was the case for Toyota’s hybrid models according to Mr Pappas. However, its increased familiarity has improved the model’s sales outlook.

 

“We have obviously got such breadth across our range of hybrids, but hybrid technology has taken us over 20 years to (get to a level where it can now) penetrate 50 per cent of our sales,” he added.

 

“Now, we’ve introduced a new nameplate, which was the bZ4X in 2024, and at that time brand familiarity with ‘bZ’ was quite low.

 

“In time – a bit like hybrid – we saw the ‘bZ’ get increased familiarity and increased consideration, which is good.

 

“And now, obviously, with the latest (fuel price) situation – and a very good step up in the value of the bZ4X – we believe it is going to do five times (as many sales as) it did last year.”

 

Toyota bZ4X sales were slow when the model first arrived in Australia, mustering just 977 deliveries in 2024 and 1041 during 2025.

 

Meanwhile, the Tesla Model Y – Australia’s best-selling mid-size electric SUV in 2025 – posted 22,239 units sales in the last calendar year.

 

However, an update for the bZ4X was rolled out in Australia in December last year, which added a larger battery and more powerful electric motors – factors that have evidently increased the model’s appeal in the eyes of local buyers.

 

The two-wheel drive model received a 15kW/2.6Nm power and torque increase, while the all-wheel drive models’ power output increased by 92kW. 

 

Its lithium-ion battery capacity was increased from 71.4kWh to 74.7kWh, resulting in a driving range increase of 155km and 106km on the WLTP cycle for the 2WD and AWD models respectively.

 

Prices were also slashed to the tune of $10,010 for the entry-level two-wheel drive model and $6910 for the all-wheel drive variant with the update.

 

The bZ4X range now starts from $55,990 plus on-road costs for the entry-level 2WD model, rising to $67,990 + ORC for the AWD version.

 

The incoming Touring model serves as the new flagship of the range and is priced at $69,990 + ORC.