AutoTalk Australia's October edition charts a month of right-to-repair pressure, sales shifts and showroom change

Diagnostic access costs cut after ACCC investigations

The headline repairer story in the October edition is that Kia, BYD and Mazda have cut the cost of diagnostic access for independent repairers following ACCC investigations, as AutoTalk Australia reported in the issue. In one case, the publication reported, the cost fell from $14,719.60 to $140. ¹

The cuts sit within a broader right-to-repair push that AutoTalk Australia has followed throughout 2026. In May, the publication reported that the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association had welcomed a Federal Government discussion paper proposing to extend the Right to Repair framework to agricultural machinery and improve the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme, including access to electronic logbook information, recognition of intermediaries such as data aggregators and tool makers, pricing transparency and improved governance and enforcement. AutoTalk Australia reported that, according to the Government, the existing motor vehicle scheme has supported growth in independent workshops and a $2.4 billion expansion in annual sector turnover. ⁴

AAAA chief executive Stuart Charity said at the time, as reported by AutoTalk Australia, that "It is not enough for repair information to exist somewhere in theory. Independent repairers need timely, affordable and workable access through the tools, systems and workflows they actually use every day." The October edition also reports the AAAA pushing privacy reforms, alongside BYD planning a software fix for the Shark 6. ¹⁴

The theme also has a trans-Tasman dimension. In early October, AutoTalk Australia reported the AAAA welcoming the New Zealand Labour Party's election commitment to introduce automotive right-to-repair rules modelled on Australia's scheme, which has mandated fair-terms access to service and repair information for independent workshops since 2022. The association called the pledge "A significant step forward for Choice of Repairer in New Zealand," according to AutoTalk Australia's report. The publication noted, however, that the proposed changes would depend on Labour winning government and passing the necessary legislation. ²

Mercedes-Benz takes its Studio inner-city

AutoTalk Australia reported in the October edition that Mercedes-Benz has opened its first Australian inner-city Studio, at 39 Martin Place in Sydney, a shift toward a compact city-centre retail presence. ¹

The opening sits alongside wider showroom-format news in the same issue: AutoTalk Australia also reported that Bentley has unveiled a new showroom format, and that Geely has reached 100 Australian dealerships with its Mandurah opening. ¹

September sales: Chinese brands take half the top 10

The October edition examines the latest VFACTS data, which AutoTalk Australia reported showed September sales up 0.9% to 102,924 units, with Chinese brands taking half the top 10 and every one of them growing while every established rival in that group went backwards. Toyota led the month on 17,682, down 3.5%, followed by BYD on 8,191, up 61.1%, Ford on 7,592, down 8.5%, Kia on 5,901, down 19.5% and Mazda on 5,702, down 18.9%, according to the VFACTS figures reported by AutoTalk Australia. ¹³

Established brands outside the top 10 fell harder still, AutoTalk Australia reported from the VFACTS data: Subaru down 42.6% to 2,009, Mitsubishi down 41.5% to 2,769, Suzuki down 39.3%, Volkswagen down 36.9% to 1,599, Audi down 32.6% and Nissan down 30.0%. GWM, MG, Geely and Chery filled out the Chinese contingent in the top 10, with Geely's 4,473 sales up 870.3% on a line-up that barely existed a year earlier, when it recorded 461 sales; its EX5 was the seventh best-selling model for the month. AutoTalk Australia also reported that China was the largest source country, supplying 36,504 vehicles or 35.5% of the market, up 74.2% year on year. Year to date the market sat at 914,312, down 127 units on the same period last year. ¹³

Body style and powertrain mix both moved sharply. AutoTalk Australia reported that SUVs took 63.3% of the market on 65,116 sales, up 6.1%, while light commercials fell 13.2% to a 20.0% share. VFACTS recorded 20,433 battery electric sales for the month, and the FCAI put battery electric vehicles at 24.2% of the market on an all-sources basis including 5,854 Tesla and Polestar sales reported to the Electric Vehicle Council, against 11.3% in September 2025. "Australian motorists are embracing a broader range of powertrains, following greater model choice offered by manufacturers and growing competition," FCAI acting chief executive Dianne O'Hara said, as reported by AutoTalk Australia. ³

Geely's growth in the sales table is mirrored in its retail footprint, with the same edition reporting the brand reaching 100 Australian dealerships. ¹

Retail and aftermarket moves across the sector

The October edition carries a dense run of retail and aftermarket news, all reported by AutoTalk Australia. Continental has agreed to sell mycar to Tuhu in a $403 million deal, while OzCar has entered administration and closed four NSW sites. The DRIVEN rebate has lifted to $50,000 a site, and Ford is targeting 60% market coverage with an expanded line-up, the publication reported. ¹

On the policy front, AutoTalk Australia reported that the Coalition has pledged to scrap the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, and that the MTAA has welcomed the block on IAG's bid for RAC Insurance while calling for automotive trades to gain migration priority. The AAAA has backed a public sales database built from registration data, the publication reported. ¹

Marketplace and classifieds activity also features: AutoTalk Australia reported that carsales is referring buyers to carbar, and that Drive is claiming the second-largest marketplace spot on dealer-only listings. The edition also notes that CarExpert's chief executive has exited, and reports new research showing more than half of automotive workers would not recommend the career. ¹

Twenty years of the title

The edition is also a milestone for the publication itself. AutoTalk Australia reported that managing editor Richard Edwards looks back on 20 years of the title, which launched as Autofile in 2006, as AutoTalk Australia passes to a new publisher. ¹