Chinese cars in Australia: which brands sell there and since when
Facts checked
Australia is one of the most open markets in the world for Chinese cars. It has no local car industry left to protect (Ford, Holden and Toyota all closed their Australian plants between 2016 and 2017), it takes vehicles from anywhere in right-hand drive, and under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement the 5 per cent duty on Chinese-built passenger vehicles was phased out, with all remaining tariffs on Chinese goods eliminated on 1 January 2019. There is no tariff, quota or import ban aimed at Chinese vehicles.
The brands arrived in waves. Great Wall Motor came first, in 2009, followed by LDV (the export name for SAIC's Maxus vans) in 2012, MG in 2016 and Chery, which sold cars from 2011, withdrew in 2015 and returned in March 2023. BYD entered in 2022 through the independent importer EVDirect and took distribution in-house in July 2025. A second wave followed in 2024 and 2025: Xpeng, Leapmotor, Deepal, JAC, Zeekr, Geely, Omoda and Jaecoo, smart and Foton. Geely Holding's European marques - Volvo, Polestar and Lotus - have sold here for years and are counted separately by most Australian readers, although all three are Chinese-owned.
In calendar 2025 the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reported 1,209,808 sales through VFACTS; Tesla and Polestar report separately through the Electric Vehicle Council, which takes the whole market to about 1.24 million. FCAI stated that vehicles built in China were roughly 18 per cent of new vehicle sales in 2025, up from about 14 per cent in 2024. GWM finished seventh with 52,809 sales, BYD eighth with 52,415 (up 156.2 per cent) and MG tenth with 41,298; Chery sold 34,889. By August 2026 the FCAI reported that BYD, GWM, MG, Geely and Chery together took 26,610 sales, or 26.4 per cent of the month, that five Chinese brands were in the top ten, and that Chinese manufacturers supplied five of the ten highest-selling models.
The live policy questions are not about tariffs. The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, which began on 1 January 2025 with its first reporting period from 1 July 2025, sets fleet CO2 targets that favour the electrified models Chinese brands lead with. Separately, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner opened an investigation in 2026 into two carmakers over connected-vehicle data handling; the regulator has not named them or published findings.
At a glance
| Country code | AU |
|---|---|
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
| Market status | Open |
| Brands recorded | 24 |
| Chinese-owned plants | 0 |
| Models on this site | 69 |
Brands sold in Australia
| Brand | Status | Since | Route to market | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 长城GWM | Sold | 2009 | The company itself | Great Wall Motor entered Australia in 2009; the Australian operation is now factory-backed as GWM Australia. |
| 哈弗Haval | Sold | 2015 | The company itself | Sold as GWM Haval; the Jolion and H6 are the volume models. Launch year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 坦克Tank | Sold | 2023 | The company itself | Sold as GWM Tank (Tank 300, 500). Launch year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 长城炮GWM Poer | Sold | 2021 | The company itself | Sold as the GWM Ute / Cannon, the export name for the Chinese Poer pickup line. Launch year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 上汽大通Maxus | Sold | 2012 | An independent importer | Sold as LDV, imported by Ateco Automotive. 14,108 sales in 2025. |
| 名爵MG | Sold | 2016 | The company itself | MG Motor Australia, a SAIC subsidiary. 41,298 sales in 2025, tenth overall. |
| 比亚迪BYD | Sold | 2022 | The company itself | Launched in 2022 with the Atto 3 through the independent importer EVDirect; BYD announced in May 2025 that it would take over distribution itself from July 2025. 52,415 sales in 2025, eighth overall. |
| 奇瑞Chery | Sold | March 2023 | The company itself | Chery sold cars in Australia from 2011, withdrew in 2015 and returned in March 2023 with a factory-owned distributor. 34,889 sales in 2025. |
| 欧萌达Omoda | Sold | 2023 | The company itself | First sold as the Chery Omoda 5 in 2023, then split into a separate Omoda Jaecoo dealer network. Combined Omoda Jaecoo volume in 2025 was 3,721. |
| 奇瑞探索Jaecoo | Sold | 2025 | The company itself | The Jaecoo J7 was confirmed for an early-2025 Australian launch; exact first-delivery month not confirmed here. |
| 极氪Zeekr | Sold | 2025 | The company itself | Zeekr Australia opened with the X and 009 and recorded 1,994 sales in 2025; 7X deliveries began in October 2025. |
| 小鹏Xpeng | Sold | 2024 | An independent importer | Xpeng appointed TrueEV as its exclusive Australian partner and launched the G6 in late 2024; Xpeng later moved to factory-backed operations. |
| 零跑Leapmotor | Sold | 2024 | A joint venture | Distributed by Stellantis through Leapmotor International. 644 sales in 2025. |
| 深蓝Deepal | Sold | 2024 | An independent importer | Changan's Deepal brand, distributed by Inchcape. VFACTS first recorded volume for the brand in 2025 (481 sales). |
| 吉利Geely | Sold | March 2025 | The company itself | Geely Auto Australia launched in March 2025 with the EX5; 5,010 sales in 2025 and a top-ten model in August 2026. |
| 江淮JAC | Sold | 2024 | An independent importer | JAC sold light commercials in Australia from 2012; the T9 ute brought the brand back for passenger-adjacent sales in 2024. 1,582 sales in 2025. |
| 福田Foton | Sold | 2024 | An independent importer | Foton sold vehicles in Australia from 2012 and relaunched through Inchcape in 2024-25. 178 sales in 2025. |
| 智马达smart | Sold | 2024 | An independent importer | The Geely-Mercedes joint-venture brand returned to Australia through Mercedes-Benz dealer group LSH Auto; about 30 deliveries in late 2024 and just under 500 in 2025. |
| 开沃Skywell | Sold | 2021 | An independent importer | Small-volume importer operation (EV Automotive). Reported by Chasing Cars; not separately broken out in the VFACTS summaries used here. |
| 极星Polestar | Sold | 2021 | The company itself | Polestar Australia. Polestar reports its Australian sales through the Electric Vehicle Council rather than VFACTS. |
| 沃尔沃Volvo Cars | Sold | not published | The company itself | Volvo has been sold in Australia for decades; Volvo Cars has been majority-owned by Geely Holding since 2010. Australian start date not established here. |
| 路特斯Lotus | Sold | not published | The company itself | Lotus has been sold in Australia for decades; Geely Holding took a controlling stake in Lotus Cars in 2017. Australian start date not established here. |
| 捷途Jetour | Announced | not published | The company itself | Chery has confirmed its Jetour brand for Australia; a launch date is not confirmed in the sources used here. |
| 埃安Aion | Announced | not published | An independent importer | GAC appointed the independent distributor AGA Auto to launch the GAC and Aion brands in Australia from the second half of 2025; first deliveries not confirmed here. |
The rules
Stated from the document that issued them, with the date each was read. Nothing here is an interpretation.
| Rule | What it says | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Import tariff on Chinese-built cars: 0 per cent | Under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force on 20 December 2015, Australia set tariffs to zero on 82 per cent of Chinese exports immediately and eliminated all remaining tariffs on Chinese goods on 1 January 2019. The 5 per cent duty on motor cars principally designed to carry people fell to zero under that schedule. There is no anti-dumping duty, quota or import ban aimed at Chinese passenger vehicles. | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | |
| New Vehicle Efficiency Standard | The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard Act 2024 commenced on 1 January 2025 and sets average CO2 targets for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes. The first reporting period ran from 1 July 2025. Suppliers over their target earn debits priced at A$100 per gram of CO2 per kilometre and have two years to trade or generate units before a penalty is payable; suppliers under target earn credits. | New Vehicle Efficiency Standard Regulator (Australian Government) | |
| Connected-vehicle data: regulator investigation open | The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner said in 2026 that it was investigating two carmakers over possible breaches of privacy law in relation to connected-vehicle data. The regulator has not named the companies and has published no findings. There is no Australian rule restricting Chinese-built connected vehicles. | CarExpert |
Western badges built in China and sold in Australia
| Model | Badge | Plant | Years | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model 3 | Tesla | Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai | 2019 onwards | Australian-market Model 3 and Model Y are supplied from Tesla's Shanghai plant; both were among the best-selling China-built cars in Australia in 2024. |
| Model Y | Tesla | Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai | 2021 onwards | Best-selling China-built car in Australia in the first half of 2024 with 12,516 registrations. |
| EX30 | Volvo | Zhangjiakou, Hebei | 2024 onwards | Australian-market EX30 supplied from China; Volvo added European assembly for European markets later. |
| Polestar 2 | Polestar | Luqiao, Zhejiang | 2020 onwards | Built at a Geely Holding plant in Luqiao. End-of-production date for the Australian market not established here. |
| Polestar 4 | Polestar | Hangzhou Bay, Zhejiang | 2024 onwards | Polestar added contract manufacturing of the Polestar 4 at Renault Korea's Busan plant from the second half of 2025 for North America and South Korea; Australian supply source not established here. |
| Cooper Electric and Aceman | Mini | Spotlight Automotive (BMW-Great Wall Motor joint venture), Zhangjiakou | 2024 onwards | The electric Mini hatch and Aceman are built in China by BMW's joint venture with Great Wall Motor. |
| Tavascan | Cupra | Volkswagen Anhui, Hefei | 2024 onwards | Volkswagen Group's Cupra Tavascan is built at the Volkswagen Anhui plant, a venture with JAC. |
| iX3 (first generation, G08) | BMW | BMW Brilliance Automotive, Shenyang | 2021 onwards | The first-generation iX3 was built only in Shenyang and exported worldwide. Australian sale years and the sourcing of the second-generation car are not established here. |
Kia EV5 · Mazda 6e · MG MG3 · MG MG4 EV · MG HS · MG ZS · Polestar Polestar 2 · Polestar Polestar 3 · Polestar Polestar 4 · smart #1 · Tesla Model 3 · Tesla Model Y · Volvo EX30
Models recorded in Australia
| Model | Body | Status | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aion Aion UT | Hatchback | Announced | 320 km CLTC |
| Aion Aion V | SUV | Announced | 520 km CLTC |
| BYD Atto 2 | SUV | Sold | 430 km WLTP |
| BYD Atto 3 | SUV | Sold | 508 km WLTP |
| BYD Dolphin | Hatchback | Sold | 427 km WLTP |
| BYD Seagull | Hatchback | Sold | 322 km WLTP |
| BYD Seal | Saloon | Sold | 570 km WLTP |
| BYD Sealion 5 | SUV | Sold | 61 km WLTP |
| BYD Sealion 6 | SUV | Sold | 80 km WLTP |
| BYD Sealion 7 | SUV | Sold | 482 km WLTP |
| BYD Shark 6 | Pickup | Sold | 100 km NEDC |
| BYD Song Pro | SUV | Sold | 75 km CLTC |
| Chery Tiggo 4 | SUV | Sold | not published |
| Chery Tiggo 7 | SUV | Sold | 93 km NEDC |
| Chery Tiggo 8 | SUV | Sold | 95 km NEDC |
| Chery Tiggo 9 | SUV | Sold | 90 km NEDC |
| Deepal Deepal S05 | SUV | Announced | 520 km CLTC |
| Deepal Deepal S07 | SUV | Sold | 550 km CLTC |
| Denza Denza D9 | MPV | Sold | 98 km NEDC |
| Denza Denza Z9 GT | Estate | Announced | 161 km WLTP |
| Exeed Exlantix ET | SUV | Announced | 625 km CLTC |
| Fangchengbao Bao 5 | SUV | Sold | 125 km CLTC |
| Geely EX2 | Hatchback | Sold | 310 km CLTC |
| Geely EX5 | SUV | Sold | 440 km CLTC |
| Geely Starray EM-i | SUV | Sold | 130 km CLTC |
| Haval H6 | SUV | Sold | 106 km (manufacturer figure, cycle not stated) |
| Haval H7 | SUV | Sold | not published |
| Haval H9 | SUV | Withdrawn | not published |
| Haval Jolion | SUV | Sold | not published |
| IM Motors IM5 | Saloon | Sold | 490 km WLTP |
| IM Motors IM6 | SUV | Sold | 450 km WLTP |
| Jaecoo Jaecoo 5 | SUV | Sold | 399 km WLTP |
| Jaecoo Jaecoo 7 | SUV | Sold | 90 km WLTP |
| Jaecoo Jaecoo 8 | SUV | Sold | 134 km WLTP |
| Leapmotor B10 | SUV | Sold | 510 km CLTC |
| Leapmotor C10 | SUV | Sold | 605 km CLTC |
| Leapmotor C16 | SUV | Announced | 630 km CLTC |
| Maxus Maxus eDeliver 7 | Van | Sold | 318 km WLTP |
| Maxus Maxus Mifa 9 | MPV | Sold | 540 km NEDC |
| Maxus Maxus T60 | Pickup | Sold | not published |
| Maxus Maxus Terron 9 | Pickup | Sold | 430 km WLTP |
| MG MG3 | Hatchback | Sold | not published |
| MG MG4 | Hatchback | Sold | 437 km CLTC |
| MG MG5 | Saloon | Sold | 320 km WLTP |
| MG MG7 | Saloon | Sold | not published |
| MG MG Cyberster | Coupé | Sold | 507 km WLTP |
| MG MG HS | SUV | Sold | 135 km NEDC |
| MG MG S5 EV | SUV | Sold | 450 km WLTP |
| MG MG ZS | Crossover | Sold | 263 km WLTP |
| Omoda Omoda 5 | SUV | Sold | 430 km WLTP |
| Omoda Omoda 9 | SUV | Sold | 169 km NEDC |
| Ora Ora 03 | Hatchback | Withdrawn | 400 km NEDC |
| GWM Poer GWM Cannon | Pickup | Sold | 115 km (manufacturer figure, cycle not stated) |
| Polestar Polestar 2 | Hatchback | Sold | 658 km WLTP |
| Polestar Polestar 3 | SUV | Sold | 647 km WLTP |
| Polestar Polestar 4 | Crossover | Sold | 619 km WLTP |
| smart smart #1 | SUV | Sold | 311 km WLTP |
| smart smart #3 | Crossover | Sold | 325 km WLTP |
| Tank Tank 300 | SUV | Sold | 115 km NEDC |
| Tank Tank 500 | SUV | Sold | not published |
| Volvo Cars EX30 | SUV | Sold | 344 km WLTP |
| Volvo Cars EX90 | SUV | Sold | 460 km WLTP |
| Volvo Cars XC40 / EX40 | SUV | Sold | 569 km WLTP |
| Volvo Cars XC60 | SUV | Sold | 77 km WLTP |
| Xpeng G6 | SUV | Sold | 625 km CLTC |
| Xpeng X9 | MPV | Sold | 702 km CLTC |
| Zeekr 009 | MPV | Sold | 740 km CLTC |
| Zeekr 7X | SUV | Sold | 620 km CLTC |
| Zeekr X | SUV | Sold | 330 km WLTP |
Best sellers
| Model | Brand | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chery Tiggo 4 | Chery | 2025 | 20,149 sales in calendar 2025. |
| MG ZS | MG | 2025 | Reported at about 20,000 sales in calendar 2025; the exact VFACTS figure was not confirmed here. |
| GWM Haval Jolion | Haval | 2025 | 19,413 sales in calendar 2025. |
| BYD Shark 6 | BYD | 2025 | 18,073 sales in its first full year; a plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute. |
| BYD Sealion 7 | BYD | 2025 | 13,410 sales in calendar 2025. |
| Geely EX5 | Geely | 2026 | One of five China-built models in Australia's ten highest-selling vehicles in August 2026. |
| Zeekr 7X | Zeekr | 2026 | One of five China-built models in Australia's ten highest-selling vehicles in August 2026. |
Chinese cars in Australia: questions people ask
- Does Australia charge a tariff on cars made in China?
- No. Under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement the 5 per cent duty on Chinese-built passenger cars was phased out, and all remaining Australian tariffs on Chinese goods were eliminated on 1 January 2019. There is no extra duty, quota or ban on Chinese vehicles.
- Which Chinese car brands are sold in Australia?
- GWM (with Haval, Tank and the Cannon ute), MG, LDV, BYD, Chery, Omoda, Jaecoo, Zeekr, Xpeng, Leapmotor, Deepal, Geely, JAC, Foton, smart and Skywell all sell here, and GAC, Aion and Jetour have been announced. Volvo, Polestar and Lotus are also Chinese-owned.
- How big are Chinese brands in Australia?
- In August 2026 the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reported that BYD, GWM, MG, Geely and Chery took a combined 26,610 sales, or 26.4 per cent of the month, with five Chinese brands in the top ten.
- Who sells BYD in Australia?
- BYD launched in Australia in 2022 through the independent importer EVDirect. BYD announced in May 2025 that it would take over importing and distribution itself from July 2025, with retail handled through a joint venture with Eagers Automotive.
- Which cars sold in Australia are built in China but are not Chinese brands?
- Tesla supplies the Australian Model 3 and Model Y from Shanghai. The Volvo EX30, Polestar 2 and 4, the electric Mini Cooper and Aceman, the Cupra Tavascan and the first-generation BMW iX3 are also China-built.
- What was the best-selling Chinese-brand car in Australia in 2025?
- The Chery Tiggo 4 at 20,149 sales, with the MG ZS at about 20,000 and the GWM Haval Jolion at 19,413 close behind. BYD's Shark 6 ute was the highest-selling new nameplate at 18,073.
What changed
The only dated surface on this page. It records status changes, not news.
-
FCAI reported that BYD, GWM, MG, Geely and Chery took 26.4 per cent of August 2026 sales and that Chinese manufacturers supplied five of the ten best-selling models.
-
FCAI reported 1,209,808 VFACTS sales for 2025 and said vehicles built in China were about 18 per cent of the market, up from about 14 per cent in 2024.
-
BYD took over importing and distribution in Australia from EVDirect.
-
Geely Auto launched in Australia with the EX5.
-
The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard commenced; the first reporting period began on 1 July 2025.
New Vehicle Efficiency Standard Regulator (Australian Government)
-
Chery returned to Australia with a factory-owned distributor after leaving in 2015.
-
BYD began Australian passenger-car sales with the Atto 3 through the importer EVDirect.
-
All remaining Australian tariffs on Chinese goods, including passenger vehicles, were eliminated under the ChAFTA schedule.
Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
-
The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement entered into force.
Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Related
Sources for Australia
- Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Australia's new vehicle market remains resilient (full-year 2025). Read . Released 6 January 2026: 1,209,808 sales; China-built vehicles about 18 per cent of the market; 103,269 battery-electric sales.
- Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, August vehicle market remains buoyant. Read . Released 3 September 2026: 100,939 VFACTS sales in August 2026; five Chinese brands combined 26,610 sales or 26.4 per cent.
- CarExpert, VFACTS 2025: Another record year for new vehicle sales in Australia, but growth modest overall. Read . Brand-by-brand 2025 VFACTS table including Tesla and Polestar figures reported through the Electric Vehicle Council.
- RACV, Australia's best-selling cars, utes and SUVs for 2025. Read . Model-level 2025 volumes.
- Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, ChAFTA outcomes at a glance. Read . Tariff elimination schedule; the page itself timed out on direct fetch and was read through its indexed text.
- New Vehicle Efficiency Standard Regulator (Australian Government), What is the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard?. Read .
- CarExpert, BYD drops local importer EVDirect, will distribute vehicles in Australia itself. Read . Announced May 2025, effective July 2025.
- Chasing Cars, Chinese car brands in Australia: from BYD to Zeekr. Read . Per-brand Australian arrival years and distributors.
- CarExpert, Australian Government urged to tighten connected-car data laws. Read . 29 July 2026; reports the Privacy Commissioner investigating two unnamed carmakers.
- Drive, Smart electric-car sales revealed in Australia for the first time. Read . About 30 deliveries in late 2024 and just under 500 in 2025.
- XPeng Inc, XPENG announces expansion into Australia; appoints TrueEV as exclusive partner. Read .
- CarsGuide, All the new Chinese car brands and when they're coming to Australia. Read . Jetour, GAC and Aion launch plans; AGA Auto appointment.
- The Driven, Zeekr gets 2,500 pre-orders for fast-charging 7X electric SUV as Australian deliveries begin. Read .
- CarExpert, Cupra Tavascan to be built in China for export markets. Read .
- CarExpert, The new Mini Cooper electric car is now rolling down Chinese production lines. Read .
- CarsGuide, The top 5 best selling Chinese-built cars in Australia. Read . 5 July 2024; first-half 2024 volumes for China-built models including the Shanghai-built Teslas.
- CarsGuide, Where is the Volvo EX30 made and manufactured?. Read .
- Polestar, Polestar expands manufacturing footprint to South Korea with production of Polestar 4 set to start in Busan in 2025. Read .
- Green Car Reports, BMW iX3 to be built in China, exported worldwide. Read .