Kia vs Mitsubishi:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Mitsubishi had more branded searches than Kia among car brands in Australia. Mitsubishi had about 370,000 branded searches, while Kia had 296,000. Mitsubishi made up 5.7% of all car brand searches we track, and Kia accounted for 4.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about car brands, Kia appeared in three of the five answers and Mitsubishi in one. Kia was mentioned before Mitsubishi in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Mitsubishi, about 25% more searches than Kia
Who does AI mention more?
Kia, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Mitsubishi in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Kia, named ahead of Mitsubishi in 3 of 3 answers
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Top car brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Kia was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Mitsubishi was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Kia was listed before Mitsubishi in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Toyota5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Hyundai5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
BYD4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Kia3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Ford3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Mazda2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Tesla2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Honda2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Suzuki2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Mitsubishi1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about car brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which car should I buy in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the most reliable car brands in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What is the best SUV to buy in Australia?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“car brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“new car”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Kia or Mitsubishi more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kia and Mitsubishi by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 57 car brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Mitsubishi, Kia. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Toyota | BYD | Mitsubishi | Mazda | Kia | Tesla | Ford | Hyundai | Subaru | Honda | Nissan | Porsche | Zeekr | Geely | Suzuki |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 13.4% | 4.6% | 4.9% | 5.3% | 5% | 3.7% | 4.9% | 4.3% | 4% | 3.1% | 3.3% | 3% | 0.69% | 0.48% | 3% |
| Nov 2025 | 13.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 5.5% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 4.9% | 4.1% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 3.6% | 3.1% | 0.72% | 0.52% | 2.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 13.4% | 4.5% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 5% | 3.2% | 4.7% | 4.2% | 3.9% | 3.5% | 3.3% | 2.9% | 0.76% | 0.53% | 2.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 13.6% | 4.9% | 5.3% | 5.8% | 5.4% | 3.1% | 4.8% | 4.5% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 3.3% | 2.6% | 0.81% | 0.57% | 3% |
| Feb 2026 | 13.1% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 3.3% | 4.5% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 0.86% | 0.91% | 2.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 11.8% | 9.8% | 4.6% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 6% | 3.6% | 3.8% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 2.6% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 11.6% | 9% | 4.6% | 4.5% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 3.9% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1.5% | 2.5% |
| May 2026 | 12.1% | 7% | 5.1% | 5.2% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 4.4% | 3.8% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 3% | 2.9% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 2.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 12.3% | 6.3% | 4.6% | 5% | 4.9% | 3.6% | 4.5% | 4.1% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 2.9% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 12.5% | 6% | 4.2% | 5.4% | 5% | 3.5% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 3.6% | 3.2% | 2.9% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 12.5% | 5.9% | 4.2% | 5.5% | 4.8% | 3.8% | 4.3% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 2.8% | 2% | 1.9% | 2.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 11.4% | 6.5% | 5.7% | 4.8% | 4.6% | 4.3% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 3% | 2.8% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
How has the Kia and Mitsubishi comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 5 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Mitsubishi took it in November 2025, Kia took it in January 2026, Mitsubishi took it in May 2026, Kia took it in June 2026, Mitsubishi took it in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kia’s share of searches among car brands in Australia moved from 5% to 4.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 353K to 296K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mitsubishi’s share of searches among car brands in Australia moved from 4.9% to 5.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 346K to 370K.
How did search popularity change for Australia car brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Mitsubishi overtook Mazda and 2 others to rank 3rd among car brands in Australia, with 5.7% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Kia in Australia fell 16.1% over 12 measured months, from 353K to 296K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
23 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kia’s and Mitsubishi’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Kia
13 branded search terms
- kia
- kia cars
- kia cerato
- kia ev9
- kia picanto
- kia seltos
- kia sorento
- kia sportage
- kia stonic
- seltos
- sorento
- sportage
- stonic
Mitsubishi
10 branded search terms
- mitsubishi
- mitsubishi asx
- mitsubishi cars
- mitsubishi delica
- mitsubishi eclipse cross
- mitsubishi lancer
- mitsubishi outlander
- mitsubishi pajero
- mitsubishi triton
- outlander
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