2023 Saw Record-Breaking Sales from Tesla, BYD, and Lexus

By Jeff Gibbs

Emerging automotive brands like BYD, MG, and Tesla have achieved remarkable sales milestones in Australia, but established players such as Lexus, Isuzu Ute, and Volvo have also made signifcant strides in 2023.

The automotive market witnessed an unprecedented surge in new vehicle sales, yet as more brands enter the local market, achieving record-breaking sales fgures has become increasingly challenging for car manufacturers.

The Isuzu D-Max secured a notable position as the third most popular ute, trailing behind the Ford Ranger, which claimed the top-selling spot for the frst time, and the perennial favorite Toyota HiLux. Isuzu’s sales performance soared to 45,341 units, securing the tenth position overall, a mere 1000 units shy of the eighth-placed Tesla.

MG emerged as the leading Chinese carmaker in 2023, with its ZS small SUV as the top-selling model. With a remarkable 58,346 sales, MG surpassed its 2022 fgure of 49,582, claiming the seventh spot overall, just behind Mitsubishi’s

63,511 units.

The Chinese automotive industry showcased its prowess with GWM and LDV, joining MG among the top 15 carmakers.

GWM achieved 36,397 sales, marking a 45.3% increase, securing the 12th position overall, while LDV claimed the 15th spot with a 30.9% surge in sales, totalling 21,398 units.

BYD, though a newcomer to the Australian market, experienced exponential growth by substantially expanding its all-electric line-up in 2023. Sales soared from 2113 in 2022 to an impressive

12,438 units, with bold aspirations to challenge Toyota’s longstanding market leadership.

While fnishing in 20th place overall, BYD’s staggering 488% yearon-year growth signals its burgeoning success. The brand aims to expand aggressively in 2024, planning to open over 30 new retail outlets and introducing new models like the Seal U SUV and an upcoming plug-in hybrid ute.

Tesla, despite its late entry into offcial reporting via VFACTS in 2022, achieved a commendable fgure of 46,116 units, trailing MG but surpassing Subaru by a mere two sales. Other notable achievements include Polestar’s impressive 61.6% sales increase, recording 2463 units sold with its single offering, the Polestar 2. Cupra, owned by Volkswagen, marked a substantial 238.9% growth with 3765 units sold.

SsangYong reached a new annual record with 5966 sales, a 51.3% increase from its 2022 result of 3943. At the premium end, Genesis nearly doubled its 2022 sales with 1916 units, predominantly driven by the GV70 mid-size SUV.

Lexus achieved a historic milestone with 15,192 sales, surpassing its previous record of 9612 set in 2019.

Volvo maintained its momentum, exceeding 10,000 sales for the second consecutive year, reaching a new high of 11,128 units, led by the XC40 small SUV.

Porsche rounded off the achievements by selling 6052 units, surpassing its 2022 record, with the Macan, set for replacement in 2024, as its most popular model.