The best-selling new car in New Zealand in September was a Tesla

It has been released

The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling new car worldwide in the first half of 2023.

The all-electric Tesla Model Y topped New Zealand’s new car registration charts in September, a month that saw the industry continue to struggle amid potential changes in government and Clean Cars legislation.

According to preliminary sales data released by Waka Kotahi, the Model Y beat the Toyota RAV4 in the passenger car and direct registration awards, with the two boasting 697 and 683 registrations respectively. The Ford Ranger led the commercial market once again, with 605 registrations, in third place.

The ranger’s main rival, the Toyota Hilux (540 registrations) finished the fourth straight month, leading the Toyota Yaris Cross (316), Mitsubishi ASX (286), Mitsubishi Outlander (268), MG ZS (250), and Mitsubishi Triton (198 ). )

Matthew Hansen/Things

The MG4 goes toe-to-toe with the GWM Ora and the BYD Dolphin.

The all-new MG4 rounded out the top 10, with 159 registrations in just its second month on sale. It is the first time that the electric crossover, which is now the cheapest clean car in the country, appears in the top 10.

Tesla’s power month comes amid confirmation that the National Party plans to scrap the Clean Car Rebate for electric and low-emission vehicles at the end of 2023 if elected.

But, the manufacturer’s strong sales numbers are unlikely to match National leader Christopher Luxon’s claims, with the bulk of these registrations expected to be historic pre-existing orders.

Ford has electrified the Ranger, and it’s coming to New Zealand.

Although September represented a slight improvement on August’s new car sales figures, the numbers are still well below where the industry was 12 months ago.

A total of 10,909 new vehicles were registered in September, including 8,150 passenger cars and 2,759 commercial vehicles. This represents a market decline of 26.5% year-on-year.

Association of Motor Vehicles chief executive Aimee Wiley said last month that the industry’s current slowdown in performance could be attributed in part to continued signs of the industry’s record results in June, difficult economic conditions, and “reluctance or reluctance to buy before the elections, especially with the changes in the transport policy depending on the results of the elections”.

The 10 best selling new cars in New Zealand in September, 2023