The passenger car market continues to slump markedly in SUV-mad and ute-hungry Australia, as some segments shrink, familiar nameplates disappear, and once-popular models fade into obscurity.
If we look at the worst-selling passenger models in Australia in 2024 purely by number of units sold, it doesn’t give us a clear picture.
After all, the “worst-selling” vehicles are often high-end sports cars and luxury cars.
For a better picture of which vehicles are declining in popularity in the market, it’s best to look at each respective segment of vehicles, and that’s where the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries’ VFACTS report comes in handy.
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We’ve omitted the Large Cars under $70,000 segment, in which just one model still ‘competes’, plus the low-volume Upper Large over $100,000 and Sports Cars over $200,000 segments.
We’ve also excluded vehicles either discontinued or introduced during 2024.
Below are the worst-selling vehicles in each passenger car segment.
MORE: Australia’s worst-selling SUVs of 2024
Micro cars
Fiat 500
The good news for Fiat is its 500 range – inclusive of the petrol 500, electric 500e, and their sporty Abarth versions – was the second most popular model range in this segment last year.
The bad news? There are just two models in the segment.
Total 500 deliveries numbered 527 units in 2024, down 30.2 per cent on the previous year. The Kia Picanto outsold it by more than 10 to one, with 5822 delivered – itself down 24.4 per cent on 2023’s tally.
First worst, or second-best? It depends on how you look at it…
MORE: Everything Fiat 500 • Fiat 500e • Abarth 595 • Abarth 500e
Light cars under $30,000
Toyota Yaris
What’s this, a Toyota on a worst-selling cars list?
You’re reading this correctly, as despite 2263 Yaris hatchbacks being delivered – more than the likes of the larger BYD Dolphin and Subaru WRX and Impreza – the little Toyota came dead last in its segment. Note that the Yaris’ tally also includes the wildly different and more expensive GR Yaris hot hatch.
Just four models still compete in this segment: the Yaris, as well as the Mazda 2 (5365 deliveries), and the new Suzuki Swift (6126) and MG 3 (12,563).
Yaris deliveries were up 7.9 per cent in a segment down 22.8 per cent overall, with only the Mazda 2 posting a modest increase.
Nevertheless, it was the second worst year for Australian deliveries in the almost two-decade history of the Yaris.
MORE: Everything Toyota Yaris
Light cars over $30,000
Audi A1
Audi confirmed back in 2021 that its A1 wouldn’t be replaced at the end of its run, and it seems nobody is in a rush to buy the little hatch while they still can.
The A1 had a very non-A1 sales performance in 2024, with deliveries slumping 61.9 per cent to just 176 units. Mini’s Aceman beat it by seven units despite not being on sale for the full year.
Overall, it was the worst year for the A1 since the first generation launched here in 2011. Its corporate cousins beat it soundly, with the Skoda Fabia notching 331 deliveries and the Volkswagen Polo soaring 132.1 per cent to 2154 deliveries.
MORE: Everything Audi A1
Small cars under $40,000
Skoda Scala
The Skoda Scala continues to be an unfairly overlooked vehicle in its segment, and last year found just 416 new homes.
This was a slump of 56.1 per cent on the previous year, though it’s worth noting Skoda did change over to an updated model during the year.
Still, it’s the worst full-year result for Skoda’s small car in Australia.
As with 2023, close to half of Scalas sold in Australia went to rental agencies.
Compared to the Volkswagen Group’s other small cars, which compete in a higher price bracket, the Scala did better than the Cupra Leon (347) but worse than the Audi A3 (2375) and Volkswagen Golf (2929).
MORE: Everything Skoda Scala
Small cars over $40,000
Peugeot 308
The Peugeot 308 beat out the Cupra Leon for the title of worst-selling car in this segment, with the French hatchback notching just 150 deliveries – less than half that of its Spanish rival.
This figure was down 46.4 per cent on the previous year, with Peugeot announcing last year it would delete wagon and plug-in hybrid versions of its small car.
It did introduce the E-308 electric hatch, which is included in this tally, though only two examples were delivered.
MORE: Everything Peugeot 308
Medium cars under $60,000
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord has never been as popular as the Toyota Camry in our market, but for the past several years it has languished in obscurity as the worst-selling vehicle in its segment.
Sales dropped below the 200-unit mark in 2018 and have never risen past this point since, despite the introduction of a new-generation, hybrid-only model last year.
Registrations were down 4.9 per cent in a segment that was actually up 63.5 per cent, though this was almost entirely on the back of strong sales for the Toyota Camry and BYD Seal.
Hyundai delivered more than three times as many Sonatas (506 units), while Skoda sold more than six times Octavias (846 units).
MORE: Everything Honda Accord
Medium cars over $60,000
Genesis G70
The Genesis G70, available as either a sedan or wagon, was not only the worst-selling vehicle in its segment but also the luxury brand’s worst seller overall.
A total of 45 examples were delivered, down 44.4 per cent. Despite being discontinued during 2024, both the Jaguar XE (66 units), Peugeot 508 (65 units) and Volkswagen Arteon (87 units) outsold the Genesis.
It was also the worst full-year result in the G70’s history in our market.
MORE: Everything Genesis G70
Large cars over $70,000
Toyota Mirai
Technically, the Toyota Mirai drew the short straw here with just nine units delivered. However, the hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) isn’t available to the general public, and is instead offered exclusively on lease to organisations.
If we look instead at models available to private buyers, it’s somewhat less clear which one gets the wooden spoon.
The Jaguar XF recorded 12 deliveries and the Maserati Ghibli a total of 18, but though these vehicles still appear on their respective manufacturers’ local public websites, they exited production last year.
From these, it’s a bit of a jump up in volume to the Genesis G80, which notched up 57 registrations for an improvement of 11.8 per cent on the previous year.
Sports cars under $80,000
Mini Convertible
This segment is an eclectic one, with a mixture of relatively affordable, compact Japanese options (Mazda MX-5, Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86), as well as the larger and more expensive Nissan Z and Ford Mustang.
There’s one vehicle that’s more of an outlier than the others, though, and that’s the Mini Convertible.
Just 188 reached buyers, a slump of 51.8 per cent on the previous year. That put it behind the Nissan Z (320 deliveries, down 28.7 per cent) and Toyota GR86 (614 units, down 46.3 per cent).
Excluding vehicles launched or discontinued during 2024, the droptop was Mini’s worst-selling vehicle in Australia. That’s despite the field being mostly cleared of affordable convertibles, with droptop versions of the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series long gone.
An updated model is due here this year.
Sports cars over $80,000
Lexus LC
Technically, the Audi TT and Jaguar F-Type remain on local price lists into 2025 despite having ended production.
A total of 47 TTs and 49 F-Types were delivered during 2024, putting them just below Lexus’ grand touring flagship, which recorded 51 deliveries (down 27.1 per cent on the year prior).
Of the 51 Lexus LCs registered, just two were hybrid LC500h coupes with the other 49 being the V8-powered LC500 coupe and convertible.
For 2025, the LC line moves up to the sports cars over $200,000 category.
MORE: Everything Lexus LC
