Kenworth retains top heavy-duty sales spot

The Australian commercial vehicle market experienced a welcome rebound across September, with total deliveries climbing back above the 3000-unit mark to reach 3362 new trucks and van sales, according to the latest T-Mark data from the Truck Industry Council (TIC).

Deliveries across September represent a 12.5 per cent month-on-month lift over August’s 2989-unit low, however the result fell 13.3 per cent short of the 3878 sales achieved in September 2025.

The September figures close out a subdued third quarter for the industry, with a total of 9707 heavy vehicles delivered between July and September, down 14.8 per cent on the same three-month period last year.

Year-to-date, the market continues to trend down, with 29,233 units sold through the first nine months of 2026, representing a 13.3 per cent contraction (-4494 vehicles) compared to the 33,727 deliveries recorded by this point in 2025.

Commenting on the Q3 performance, TIC Chief Executive Officer Tony McMullan noted that cost-of-living constraints continue to curb consumer spending and freight movement, while elevated diesel prices and interest rate pressure restrict operator capital investment.

"The new truck market in Australia was already tracking down for much of 2025 and that trend has continued through 2026," McMullan said.

Isuzu again topped the overall manufacturer leaderboard in September with 863 truck deliveries across the heavy-, medium-, and light-duty categories, while Mercedes-Benz claimed second overall when including light commercial vans, logging 295 total sales.

The heavy-duty segment continued its run as the most resilient sector of the truck market, recording 1124 sales in September 2026, representing a 6.0 per cent lift over August’s 1060-unit result.

Year-on-year, heavy-duty deliveries slipped 7.9 per cent (-97 trucks) against the 1221 units logged in September 2025, but across the third quarter the category contracted by just 4.2 per cent (-137 trucks) compared to Q3 last year.

And, year-to-date, heavy-duty sales sit at 9733 units, down 7.9 per cent (-830 trucks) against the first nine months of 2025, demonstrating that primary freight and linehaul fleet renewals remain relatively robust.

Kenworth held its top spot on the heavy-duty ladder with 247 deliveries, while Volvo locked in second place with 208 sales. Isuzu completed the podium with 136 units.

Scania posted an impressive 119 deliveries to lead the mid-pack, followed by Hino (84), Mack (72), and UD Trucks (60). Fuso (46), Mercedes-Benz (43), and DAF (38) rounded out the top ten.

Further down the board, Western Star registered 28 deliveries, followed by Iveco (15), MAN (13), Freightliner (8), and Dennis Eagle (7).

Heavy-duty truck sales – September 2026:

Kenworth: 247
Volvo: 208
Isuzu: 136
Scania: 119
Hino: 84
Mack: 72
UD Trucks: 60
Fuso: 46
Mercedes-Benz: 43
DAF: 38
Western Star: 28
Iveco: 15
MAN: 13
Freightliner: 8
Dennis Eagle: 7

The medium-duty segment showed signs that its long-term decline might be slowing, posting 457 sales in September 2026, representing a 13.1 per cent improvement on August’s 404 units.

Year-on-year, the category fell 10.0 per cent (-52 trucks) compared to September 2025, marking a far milder drop than the steep contractions seen earlier in the year.

However, the broader picture remains challenging: Q3 medium-duty deliveries totalled 1285 units (down 22.8 per cent on Q3 2025), while year-to-date sales sit at 3,602 units, representing a 31.7 per cent collapse (-1674 trucks) compared to the same nine-month period last year.

Isuzu’s command of the medium-duty sector reached a new peak in September, with its 299 deliveries accounting for a dominant 65.4 per cent of all sales in the category.

Fuso snagged second spot with 76 sales, while Hino finished third with 25 deliveries. Mercedes-Benz took fourth with 13 units, closely followed by Volvo (12), Hyundai (11), Iveco (7), MAN (6), and UD Trucks (4). Foton (2), DAF (1), and Kenworth (1) rounded out the board, while Dennis Eagle logged zero sales for the second month in a row.

Isuzu: 299
Fuso: 76
Hino: 25
Mercedes-Benz: 13
Volvo: 12
Hyundai: 11
Iveco: 7
MAN: 6
UD Trucks: 4
Foton: 2
DAF: 1
Kenworth: 1
Dennis Eagle: 0

The light-duty truck category experienced a strong spring rebound, recording 1029 deliveries in September 2026, which is a 21.2 per cent jump over August’s 849 units.

Despite the month-on-month surge, year-on-year figures were down 19.8 per cent (-254 trucks) against the 1283 units delivered in September 2025. The third-quarter sales total of 2861 units also puts the segment 29 per cent behind its Q3 result in 2025.

On a year-to-date basis, light-duty trucks sit at 8534 deliveries, representing a 13.9 per cent contraction (-1379 trucks) compared to the first nine months of last year – a gap the segment is unlikely to close by end of year.

Isuzu again led the category with 428 deliveries, capturing a 41.6 per cent share of the segment. Hino retained second place with 177 sales, while Fuso locked in third with 138 units.

Fiat posted a strong fourth-place finish with 102 sales, closely followed by Iveco (96). Mercedes-Benz managed 32 deliveries, trailed by Foton Mobility (30). Minor contributions came from LDV (9), Hyundai (6), Renault (4), Foton (4), Ford (2), and Volkswagen (1).

Isuzu: 428
Hino: 177
Fuso: 138
Fiat: 102
Iveco: 96
Mercedes-Benz: 32
Foton Mobility: 30
LDV: 9
Hyundai: 6
Renault: 4
Foton: 4
Ford: 2
Volkswagen: 1

The van segment (3.5-tonne GVM and above) picked up momentum across September, delivering 752 units – an 11.2 per cent month-on-month lift over August’s 676 sales.

Year-on-year, van deliveries dipped 13.2 per cent (-114 vans) compared to the 866 units recorded in September 2025, and Q3 van sales finished at 2,227 units, tracking 7.8 per cent lower (-178 vans) than the same three-month period last year.

Year-to-date the category stands at 7364 deliveries, representing the mildest segment contraction in the market at 7.7 per cent down (-611 vans) when compared with 2025.

Mercedes-Benz narrowly retained its position at the top of the van ladder with 207 deliveries, edging out LDV with 202 sales. Ford locked in third place with 111 units.

Fiat took fourth spot with 78 deliveries, followed by Volkswagen (69) and Renault (50). Further down the board, Iveco recorded 32 sales, while Peugeot added 3 units to complete the tally.

Mercedes-Benz: 207
LDV: 202
Ford: 111
Fiat: 78
Volkswagen: 69
Renault: 50
Iveco: 32
Peugeot: 3