Ford Australia says it’s not involved by the rise of Chinese language auto manufacturers together with BYD, which outsold it once more final month to complete second within the native gross sales race – placing it behind solely Toyota for the primary time.
BYD additionally beat Ford to put third in March, when China grew to become the most important supply of latest autos for Australia for the primary time, and it at the moment lies only a few hundred gross sales behind the Blue Oval in fifth place to date in 2026, when its full-year goal is to turn into a top-three model in Australia following an inflow of latest fashions.
“I believe when you had a have a look at the positions between two and 5 in that month [March], there was a few hundred models between it… Our view is that is a cut-off date, primarily based on what’s occurring within the general atmosphere, and that issues will normalise,” stated Ford Australia advertising and marketing director Ambrose Henderson on the launch of the up to date MY26.50 Ranger and Everest.
“We’ll see the outcomes of that come over the subsequent few months, however you already know that wasn’t a efficiency they have been in a position to ship over consecutive months at this level, and perhaps they are going to in time, however we’re right here to run our personal race, deal with the segments we’re actually sturdy in, and play the place we are able to win.”
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Sturdy demand for plug-in hybrid autos (PHEVs) and electrical autos (EVs) propelled BYD to the number-two spot within the native new-vehicle market in April, when China’s greatest auto model delivered an all-time excessive variety of 7702 autos in Australia – up 140 per cent on April 2025 – to beat its earlier file of 7217 set only a month earlier, and end forward of not solely Mazda and Ford but additionally Kia and Hyundai.
BYD’s best-selling mannequin to date this 12 months is the Sealion 7 mid-size electrical SUV (6248), adopted by three plug-in hybrids (PHEVs): the Shark 6 ute (4851), Sealion 8 massive SUV (2491) and Sealion 6 medium SUV (2292).
New fashions just like the Atto 1 electrical hatch are additionally off to a powerful begin, with Australia’s least expensive EV nearly knocking off the MG 3 for the title of Australia’s best-selling gentle automotive.
In the meantime, at 5748 final month, Ford gross sales have been down by 21.6 per cent in comparison with April 2025, as a consequence of gross sales declines for all fashions besides the lately refreshed F-150 pickup and Mustang Mach-E electrical SUV.
Yr-to-date, BYD is sitting in fifth place with 25,243 gross sales, simply 677 models shy of fourth-placed Ford (25,920), which it may nicely overtake by the top of 2026 – lower than 5 years after it arrived right here in 2022.
BYD has made no secret of its plan to dominate the Australian auto market, and continues to publicise its “first particular cargo” of just about 5000 new autos, which is at the moment on its method from China, as a part of an April dedication to ship 30,000 autos to Australia throughout Could and June in response to file gasoline costs driving a gross sales spike.
The fleet of 4810 new autos is aboard considered one of BYD’s eight purpose-built, roll-on roll-off (RORO) car-carrying vessels, known as the BYD Zhengzhou, which has left Shanghai and can arrive in Melbourne on June 2, earlier than heading on to Sydney and Brisbane.
BYD will maintain a particular media operate to mark the vessel’s arrival in Australia subsequent week, and the Chinese language model even cited the ship’s captain describing sea chicken species en route in its newest press launch selling the particular cargo.
Nonetheless, Ford’s advertising and marketing chief dismissed all this exercise as a publicity stunt.
“I will communicate particularly in regards to the boat for a second and the reason being that three, 4 years in the past we leased two boats of our personal, and so we may additionally do an image of our 5000 Rangers coming in each month at each port, as a result of we leased two boats and all these two boats do is go between Thailand and Australia, delivering Rangers and Everests,” stated Mr Henderson in response to a query about BYD’s newest cargo.
“So I believe a part of that is some PR, a part of that is some, you already know, sensationalism, if I can put it that method. So we’re taking these actions and already took these actions to safe the logistics for the quantity of vehicles we’re promoting years in the past, so there’s in my thoughts no new information a few boat of 5000 vehicles coming, as a result of we do that each month.”
Mr Henderson stated the inflow of Chinese language manufacturers is simply the most recent chapter in a protracted historical past of auto manufacturers organising store in Australia, moderately than the most important shift the native auto trade has ever seen.
“I believe we have seen so many shifts within the trade over time, it could be a daring assertion to say that is the most important,” he stated.
“I believe it is a new wave of rivals that everybody is , as we do on a regular basis, each regionally and internationally. Clearly, what the Chinese language OEMs have executed rather well is basically assume via their future technique and deal with BEV and BEV platforms to have the ability to vertically combine these platforms proper now.
“It is an financial atmosphere that could be very a lot favouring that sort of providing, however that present financial atmosphere will not be going to be round without end, and at a cut-off date gasoline costs and all that form of factor will normalise once more.
“I believe that there is some issues which have occurred within the latest couple of months which can be cut-off dates, not systemic developments, and for us what we’re targeted on is our key segments – and people key segments, usually talking, will not be impacted from enormous swings in electrification, or enormous swings when it comes to these producers which can be profitable their quantity.
“These enormous variations have been present in different segments, which we do not take part in.”
Australia has lengthy been one of many world’s best auto markets, although there at the moment are about 75 gamers combating for a slice of what’s been a static market of about 1.2 million new autos every year for the previous few years. But Ford says it has a powerful observe file of keeping off rivals.
“This has been probably the most aggressive market on the earth for a very long time, and it was probably the most aggressive market on the earth earlier than the Chinese language OEMs began to enter the market and have the influence that they’ve had,” stated Mr Henderson.
“We have not been round for 101 years in Australia with out having to undergo a number of modifications out there – two world wars, GFC, COVID, melancholy, you already know. We have seen a good bit in our historical past, and I believe what you have seen from Ford at each a kind of modifications within the trade is us refocus on what clients need, pivot and deal with that, to ship and win.
“You’ve got seen us undergo that cycle many, many instances. And I believe what you are seeing from us goes via that cycle once more, proper? There is a new wave of rivals, in fact. We’re assessing what they’re doing as we assess each competitor, as we assess what’s occurring all over the world, and take into account what is perhaps coming subsequent.”
Mr Henderson stated Ford’s place as the one automaker with the potential to design, engineer and develop a automobile from scratch in Australia provides it a aggressive benefit, and dismissed efforts by numerous Chinese language manufacturers led by GWM to conduct native chassis tuning applications as mere window dressing.
“It is so necessary that we hold speaking about functionality right this moment, as a result of that’s one thing that we expect we have now a sustainable long-term aggressive benefit on, as a result of we have decided to be primarily based right here and make investments right here, whereas others – that could be Chinese language OEMs or it is perhaps different OEMs – speak about Australian-tuned as a advertising and marketing plan,” he stated.
“I am in advertising and marketing, proper? So I understand how you are able to do a advertising and marketing splurge. Let’s be sincere, proper? How a lot is Australian tuning? How a lot can you actually change on the dynamics of a automobile? I imply, I might argue if it is any greater than 5 per cent.
“It is actually insignificant when it comes to how an entire automobile comes collectively. Our NVH engineers, brake engineers, efficiency engineers – they’re all primarily based right here. So 100 per cent of the automobile is basically contemplating the way it must carry out in Australia, not simply the ultimate 5.
“Tuning is the final finish of it. Should you’re not designing it right here from scratch and put the proper {hardware} in at the beginning, you possibly can’t get the tuning you need. Once you discuss in regards to the lifetime of the automotive, you set the proper {hardware} within the begin and it provides it lengthy life. Should you mess it up at the beginning, it would not matter how arduous you’re employed on tuning, you are by no means going to get that.”
Requested whether or not the Chinese language onslaught has pressured Ford to regulate the pricing and/or specs of its fashions to stay aggressive, Mr Henderson pointed to new entry-level variations and wider availability of its V6 diesel engine in its top-selling Ranger and Everest as a part of their MY26.50 improve.
“I’d put it as two components. There is a aggressive atmosphere, which existed regardless, and that is solely getting extra aggressive, and that is nice for Australian shoppers, proper?” he stated.
“As a result of costs will proceed to go down and worth will proceed to go up, and so I believe the Australian shopper wins out of that. I do not assume it is simply due to the Chinese language. I believe it is a issue of quite a few issues… the financial atmosphere, the entire rivals pushing actually arduous in segments which can be clearly development alternatives for a lot of producers.
“So has it had an influence? Certain, however have a number of different facets of trade additionally impacted it? Sure. Are we in our key segments to win? Completely, we’re. And a part of that technique is to function in a broader a part of these segments, with extra aggressive entry fashions which can be extra value-packed, which can be extra in line with what clients have advised us they need when it comes to retail attraction and issues like that.
“So we have now every little thing from that entry-level product to compete actually arduous in that area proper up via to the premium sequence, and nonetheless to this present day we do not have an actual competitor to Raptor, and we do not have rivals that may actually match us in functionality.
“So our job at Ford Australia is to ensure that these two merchandise, Ranger and Everest, proceed to be on the absolute peak of functionality, and we proceed to innovate in order that we keep forward of the competitors.
“I believe the proof’s within the pudding, you already know. These rivals have been round for a while now. It is not a Could occasion or an April occasion. They have been round for a while now, and we have continued to have the ability to ship number-one efficiency in each segments, and in addition the number-one promoting automotive general.”
