After a period of sluggish sales that had dealers nervously polishing the same windscreens for months, the New Zealand new vehicle market just received a much-needed adrenaline shot. June saw a significant bounce-back in registrations, with the industry pointing a grateful finger at the Government’s ‘Investment Boost’ initiative announced in the May Budget. It seems the promise of a little financial grease was all it took to get businesses and private buyers back into showrooms and signing on the dotted line.
A total of 11,862 new vehicles hit the tarmac in June, making it the second-best month of 2025. The figure represents a whopping 26 percent increase on the 9,406 sales from June 2024 and a healthy jump from the 10,251 registrations in May.
According to Aimee Wiley, CEO of the Motor Industry Association, the link between the sales surge and the government’s new policy is hard to ignore. She noted that recent business surveys showed Kiwi firms were primed to invest, with passenger vehicles, vans, and utes topping their shopping lists. “Further analysis of the June numbers shows the lift has come from rental, business and private buyers alike,” Wiley added.
The Winners Circle: SUVs, Utes, and a Shock of Electricity
Digging into the numbers, the usual suspects and a few surprising newcomers dominated the charts.
In the ever-popular car and SUV segment, which totalled 8,245 registrations, the Toyota RAV4 continued its reign as the undisputed king with 781 sales. It was followed by the perennial value favourite, the Mitsubishi ASX (482), and the stylish Kia Seltos (444). Proving the electric buzz is far from over, Tesla had a stellar month, shifting 407 units of its recently updated Model Y to take fourth place.
The light commercial sector, the backbone of Kiwi business, had its best month in 14 months with 3,204 registrations. The eternal battle for ute supremacy continued, with the Ford Ranger (948) pipping the Toyota Hilux (853) for the top spot. However, the real story was the remarkable performance of the BYD Shark 6, a plug-in hybrid newcomer that stormed into third place with 413 sales, signaling a major shift in the workhorse market.
When it came to motive power, June was an exceptional month for electrification, even without direct subsidies. A total of 1,073 pure battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) were registered—the best sales figure since the Clean Car Discount was axed in December 2023. They were joined by a strong showing from plug-in hybrids (912) and conventional hybrids (3,152), proving that efficiency is a major driver for Kiwi buyers.
It wasn’t all good news, however. The heavy commercial vehicle segment didn’t feel the same boost, with sales down compared to last year, suggesting the investment incentive hasn’t quite filtered through to the nation’s big rigs yet.
Overall, June’s figures are a welcome dose of optimism. It shows that when the economic conditions are right, Kiwis are ready to invest in everything from family haulers to the next generation of electric and hybrid workhorses. The big question now is whether this is the start of a sustained recovery or just a one-month sugar rush. For now, at least, the industry is firing on all cylinders.
