Kia vs Subaru:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kia had more branded searches than Subaru among car brands in Australia. Kia had about 296,000 branded searches, while Subaru had 220,000. Kia made up 4.6% of all car brand searches we track, and Subaru accounted for 3.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about car brands, Kia appeared in three of the five answers and Subaru in one. Kia was mentioned before Subaru in two out of three answers that named either.
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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. Subaru 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 Subaru in two out of three answers 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
Subaru1 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 Subaru more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kia and Subaru 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 Kia, Subaru. 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 Subaru comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Kia was ahead of Subaru in every measured month of the 12 months ending 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, Subaru’s share of searches among car brands in Australia moved from 4% to 3.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 283K to 220K.
How did search popularity change for Australia car brands in September 2026?
3 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 Subaru in Australia fell 22.4% over 12 measured months, from 283K to 220K in September 2026.
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?
22 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kia’s and Subaru’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.
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