Most Kiwis want the same thing in a car. Something to get from A to B safely, comfortably and with a little style. Something that can tow the boat and fit the whole family inside.

In 2019 the best selling cars in New Zealand (according to Stuff.co.nz) ticked all of those boxes, with utes once again the most popular vehicle type by far.

Toyota Corolla

Say what you will about Toyota and the Corolla, but there’s no doubting its mass appeal. The dependable hatchback was once NZ’s best selling car and while it’s lost some ground to SUVs and utes of late, it still sold big in 2019.

Mazda CX-5

The Mazda CX-5 is one of the most awarded cars the Japanese company has ever produced. It won the AMI NZ Car of the Year award and was nominated for the prestigious World Car of the Year Award, just to name a couple. This is the ultimate compact, practical and efficient SUV so it’s no surprise it sold thousands in 2019.

The Mazda CX-5 is one of New Zealand’s favourite compact SUVs.

Kia Sportage

The Kia Sportage is yet another award winning small SUV that sold like crazy in New Zealand last year. The Mazda CX-5 out sold it, but we expect the Sportage to continue to compete in the crowded SUV market.

Ford Ranger

The Ford Ranger is New Zealand’s best-selling car, and with good reason. It can tow 3.5 tonne with ease, handles rough terrain like a dream and is absolutely packed with safety features. With that said, we reckon both the Nissan Navara and the Holden Colorado will give the Ranger a run for its money in coming years.

Toyota Hilux

The Toyota Hilux may not be the most popular ute in NZ right now, but it’s still the best selling ute of all time. In fact, it’s sold a whopping 140,000 units here in NZ since it’s launch back in 1976. This is the most expensive model out of the top selling utes, but many would argue that you’re paying for the reliability promised by that Toyota badge.

Holden’s Colorado ute is a fantastic workhorse and every day vehicle.

Nissan Navara

The Nissan Navara may just be our favourite ute of 2019. Kiwis agreed and bought close to 3,700 of the things during 2019. New Navaras have 450 Nm of torque and 140 kW of power, which makes towing the boat and going offroad an absolute breeze. Nissan’s intelligent mobility system ensures that the Navara is fit to handle any terrain, as well as riding smooth and comfortable when you’re on the road.

Holden Colorado

Can you tell that New Zealanders love utes? The Holden Colorado is the most powerful of all, with 500 Nm of torque and a massive 147 kW of raw power. This ute isn’t just a tough brute though – it’s also packed with safety features and convenient tech like roll over mitigation, hill descent control and Android Auto.

Nicholson Auto are proud to be selling NZ’s favourite vehicles including the Holden Colorado, Nissan Navara, Mazda CX-5 and Suzuki Swift. There’s a reason they’re so popular – because they’re all fantastic cars. Drop into your nearest Nicholson dealership soon to take a closer look at these awesome vehicles or get behind the wheel for a test-drive.