This is the year of the SUV. The segment is surging as private, business and fleet buyers switch to the high-riding, spacious format.
Back in 2006, around 14,000 SUVs were sold in New Zealand. By the end of 2016 that had number increased to more than 44,500.
So far this year combined SUV segments account for 38 per cent of the market. In contrast, sedans, once strong sellers, now account for only 2 per cent behind Heavy Commercial Vehicles (3 per cent) and vans (4 per cent).
As we’ve now crossed the halfway mark of 2017, we reveal the top 10 best selling SUVs and take a closer look at the top three model’s Kiwis are buying.
1. Kia Sportage Urban LX 2.0
Motor Industry Association data for the first six months revealed the Kia Sportage Urban LX 2.0 petrol as the best-selling SUV.
With 746 units registered, the Korean-built vehicle leads a pack of more established nameplates in the booming SUV market.
What makes the Sportage's sales success impressive is that the model hasn't been pushed along with the help of rental vehicle sales, a category where the Sportage doesn't even register in the top 15 models, unlike Toyota RAV4, Highlander, Holden Captiva and Mitsubishi ASX.
The combination of a $35,990 RRP, up-to-date features, five-star safety rating and five-year mechanical warranty seems to be ticking all the boxes with Kiwi consumers.
2. Toyota RAV4 GLX AWD
The Toyota RAV4 was a pioneering mid-sized SUV when it arrived two decades ago, and it's still as popular as ever in the market segment it helped to establish.
The RAV4 rane is the second top-selling passenger vehicle model range so far this year (3612 units) behind the Corolla. And the GLX AWD petrol model is the second top-selling SUV behind the Sportage by just 10 units (736 units).
Most RAV4 buyers' went straight past the entry level GX model for the mid-level GXL with more toys and all-wheel-drive, so much so that the GXL outsold the GX by more than 300 units (429 units) by the end of June.
3. Toyota Highlander GLX 3.5 AWD
Toyota NZ wanted a 40 per cent increase on its 2016 (6882 units) SUV sales volume in 2017. They went about this by securing all the RAV4 stock it could, introducing the new C-HR compact SUV, and updating the third-generation Highlander - a move that’s proved popular with consumers.
The U.S.-built Highlader GLX 3.5 AWD totaled 666 units in the first six month of this year, and like its little RAV4 cousin, most Highlander buyers skipped past the entry-level model for a higher level of trim and all-wheel-drive capabilities.
This year’s model features a more efficient, powerful and responsive V6 petrol engine, small styling tweaks and updated tech capabilities.
NZ's Top 10 Selling SUV's - Six months until June
| Kia Sportage | Urban LX 2.0 | 746 |
| Toyota RAV4 | GLX 2.5 AWD | 736 |
| Toyota Highlander | GLX 3.5 AWD |
666 |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 2.2 Diesel Elite | 641 |
| Mitsubishi ASX | XLS 2.0 |
599 |
| Mazda CX-9 | LTD 2.5 | 556 |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | LS 2.0 | 542 |
| Nissan X-Trail | ST 2.5 | 505 |
| Holden Captiva | LS Equipe | 497 |
| Kia Sportage | Urban EX 2.0 |
475 |