Where this data comes from
Vehicle rankings and fuel consumption figures come from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register.
Each model's figure is the average fuel consumption across all NZ registrations of that model across all years. Models are ranked by total NZ registration count.
How we estimate real-world consumption
Official figures come from standardised lab conditions — no hills, no AC, no traffic. The European Commission published real-world data from mandatory on-board fuel consumption monitors (OBFCM) fitted to 600,000 vehicles. The gap between lab and road is +23.7% for petrol and +18.1% for diesel. → EU Commission OBFCM Report (March 2024)
Small Cars
Petrol avg: 5.6 L/100km official · 6.9 L/100km est. real-world
| Model | Fuel | Official | Real-world | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol — top 5 by NZ registrations | ||||
| Suzuki Swift96,910 NZ registrations 3rd most registered vehicle in NZ overall | Petrol | 5.7 | 7.0 | +24% |
| Toyota Corolla (hatchback)83,082 NZ registrations | Petrol | 6.6 | 8.2 | +24% |
| Toyota Yaris / Vitz54,835 NZ registrations | Petrol | 5.6 | 6.9 | +24% |
| Honda Fit / Jazz52,868 NZ registrations | Petrol | 4.9 | 6.1 | +24% |
| Mazda Demio48,418 NZ registrations | Petrol | 4.8 | 5.9 | +24% |
| Diesel — low NZ volumes (~2,700 total registrations) — informational only, not used in the calculator | ||||
| VW Golf1,977 NZ registrations | Diesel | 5.1 | 6.0 | +18% |
| Toyota Corolla706 NZ registrations | Diesel | 4.8 | 5.7 | +18% |
Medium Cars
Petrol avg: 7.2 L/100km official · 8.9 L/100km est. real-world
| Model | Fuel | Official | Real-world | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol — top 5 by NZ registrations | ||||
| Toyota Corolla (sedan/wagon)44,684 NZ registrations | Petrol | 6.1 | 7.6 | +24% |
| Subaru Legacy (sedan/wagon)38,426 NZ registrations | Petrol | 8.0 | 9.9 | +24% |
| Subaru Outback24,154 NZ registrations | Petrol | 8.0 | 9.9 | +24% |
| Mazda 3 / Axela (sedan/wagon)20,896 NZ registrations | Petrol | 6.4 | 7.9 | +24% |
| Mitsubishi Lancer15,660 NZ registrations | Petrol | 7.9 | 9.7 | +24% |
| Diesel — diesel medium cars have effectively exited the NZ market. Not used in the calculator. | ||||
Small SUVs
Petrol avg: 6.9 L/100km official · 8.5 L/100km est. real-world
| Model | Fuel | Official | Real-world | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol — top 5 by NZ registrations | ||||
| Mitsubishi ASX32,318 NZ registrations | Petrol | 7.6 | 9.4 | +24% |
| Nissan Qashqai18,281 NZ registrations | Petrol | 7.0 | 8.7 | +24% |
| Kia Seltos15,268 NZ registrations | Petrol | 6.9 | 8.5 | +24% |
| Suzuki Vitara12,314 NZ registrations | Petrol | 6.0 | 7.4 | +24% |
| Mazda CX-310,028 NZ registrations | Petrol | 6.2 | 7.7 | +24% |
| Diesel — top 3 by NZ registrations · low NZ volumes (~2,600 total registrations) — informational only, not used in the calculator | ||||
| Mitsubishi ASX2,325 NZ registrations | Diesel | 6.0 | 7.1 | +18% |
| Mazda CX-3532 NZ registrations | Diesel | 4.5 | 5.3 | +18% |
| Nissan Qashqai239 NZ registrations | Diesel | 4.9 | 5.8 | +18% |
Large SUVs
Petrol avg: 7.7 L/100km official · Diesel avg: 7.4 L/100km official
| Model | Fuel | Official | Real-world | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol — top 5 by NZ registrations | ||||
| Mitsubishi Outlander62,200 NZ registrations | Petrol | 7.9 | 9.8 | +24% |
| Toyota RAV462,017 NZ registrations | Petrol | 7.8 | 9.6 | +24% |
| Nissan X-Trail43,132 NZ registrations | Petrol | 7.7 | 9.5 | +24% |
| Mazda CX-539,336 NZ registrations | Petrol | 7.0 | 8.7 | +24% |
| Kia Sportage24,994 NZ registrations | Petrol | 8.1 | 10.0 | +24% |
| Diesel — top 5 by NZ registrations | ||||
| Hyundai Santa Fe18,507 NZ registrations | Diesel | 7.2 | 8.5 | +18% |
| Ford Everest13,407 NZ registrations | Diesel | 7.8 | 9.2 | +18% |
| Toyota LandCruiser Prado13,067 NZ registrations | Diesel | 8.5 | 10.0 | +18% |
| Mazda CX-59,500 NZ registrations | Diesel | 5.6 | 6.6 | +18% |
| Kia Sorento6,935 NZ registrations | Diesel | 6.6 | 7.7 | +18% |
4WD / Traditional 4x4
Diesel avg: 9.0 L/100km official · Petrol avg: 10.0 L/100km official
| Model | Fuel | Official | Real-world | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel — top 5 by NZ registrations | ||||
| Toyota LandCruiser24,105 NZ registrations | Diesel | 9.5 | 11.2 | +18% |
| Toyota LandCruiser Prado13,067 NZ registrations | Diesel | 8.5 | 10.0 | +18% |
| Mitsubishi Pajero5,291 NZ registrations | Diesel | 9.5 | 11.3 | +18% |
| Mitsubishi Pajero Sport5,129 NZ registrations | Diesel | 8.0 | 9.4 | +18% |
| Isuzu MU-X2,961 NZ registrations | Diesel | 8.1 | 9.6 | +18% |
| Petrol — top 5 by NZ registrations | ||||
| Suzuki Jimny9,517 NZ registrations | Petrol | 6.8 | 8.4 | +24% |
| Suzuki Grand Vitara5,451 NZ registrations | Petrol | 9.7 | 12.0 | +24% |
| Mitsubishi Pajero5,304 NZ registrations | Petrol | 12.1 | 15.0 | +24% |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee4,296 NZ registrations | Petrol | 12.1 | 14.9 | +24% |
| Toyota LandCruiser3,537 NZ registrations | Petrol | 12.9 | 15.9 | +24% |
Utes / Pick-ups
Diesel avg: 8.2 L/100km official · 9.7 L/100km est. real-world
| Model | Fuel | Official | Real-world | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel — top 5 by NZ registrations | ||||
| Ford Ranger125,695 NZ registrations NZ's #1 most registered vehicle overall | Diesel | 8.2 | 9.7 | +18% |
| Toyota Hilux111,864 NZ registrations NZ's #2 most registered vehicle overall | Diesel | 8.1 | 9.6 | +18% |
| Mitsubishi Triton54,184 NZ registrations | Diesel | 8.1 | 9.6 | +18% |
| Nissan Navara50,736 NZ registrations | Diesel | 7.9 | 9.3 | +18% |
| Holden Colorado32,772 NZ registrations | Diesel | 8.6 | 10.1 | +18% |
| Petrol — minority of NZ ute sales | ||||
| Toyota Hilux (petrol)6,388 NZ registrations | Petrol | 11.1 | 13.8 | +24% |
| Ford Ranger (petrol)2,825 NZ registrations | Petrol | 11.5 | 14.2 | +24% |
Vans / People Movers
Diesel avg: 8.3 L/100km official · 9.8 L/100km est. real-world
| Model | Fuel | Official | Real-world | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel — top 5 by NZ registrations | ||||
| Toyota HiAce51,808 NZ registrations | Diesel | 8.4 | 10.0 | +18% |
| Ford Transit11,232 NZ registrations | Diesel | 7.6 | 8.9 | +18% |
| Hyundai iLoad6,995 NZ registrations | Diesel | 8.5 | 10.1 | +18% |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter4,481 NZ registrations | Diesel | 8.8 | 10.4 | +18% |
| Nissan Caravan3,306 NZ registrations | Diesel | 9.6 | 11.4 | +18% |
| Petrol — top 5 by NZ registrations | ||||
| Toyota HiAce23,416 NZ registrations | Petrol | 10.5 | 13.0 | +24% |
| Honda Odyssey16,196 NZ registrations | Petrol | 8.4 | 10.4 | +24% |
| Toyota Estima15,261 NZ registrations | Petrol | 9.3 | 11.5 | +24% |
| Mazda MPV11,948 NZ registrations | Petrol | 8.8 | 10.9 | +24% |
| Nissan Serena7,804 NZ registrations | Petrol | 7.4 | 9.2 | +24% |
Hybrids (self-charging)
Avg: 3.6 L/100km official · 4.1 L/100km est. real-world
| Model | Fuel | Official | Real-world | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol hybrid — top 5 by NZ registrations | ||||
| Toyota Aqua65,380 NZ registrations NZ's most registered hybrid by far | Hybrid | 2.8 | 3.2 | +14% |
| Toyota RAV4 Hybrid43,743 NZ registrations | Hybrid | 4.8 | 5.5 | +14% |
| Toyota Prius41,840 NZ registrations | Hybrid | 3.1 | 3.6 | +14% |
| Toyota Corolla Hybrid15,186 NZ registrations | Hybrid | 4.0 | 4.5 | +14% |
| Honda Fit Hybrid12,986 NZ registrations | Hybrid | 3.4 | 3.8 | +14% |
Electric Vehicles
Top 5 by NZ registrations
| Model | Fuel | Official (kWh) | Real-world (kWh) | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric — NZTA data has no FC figures for EVs. Official kWh/100km from manufacturer WLTP specs. Real-world estimate applies +14% (EU Commission OBFCM EV data). | ||||
| Nissan Leaf24,135 NZ registrations NZ's most registered EV overall | Electric | 15.0 | 17.1 kWh | +14% |
| Tesla Model Y10,225 NZ registrations | Electric | 14.9 | 17.0 kWh | +14% |
| Tesla Model 38,997 NZ registrations | Electric | 14.1 | 16.1 kWh | +14% |
| BYD Atto 35,789 NZ registrations | Electric | 15.4 | 17.6 kWh | +14% |
| MG ZS EV3,678 NZ registrations | Electric | 16.0 | 18.2 kWh | +14% |