Brandwave

Smart vs Volkswagen:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?

In August 2026, Volkswagen had more branded searches than Smart among car brands in New Zealand. Volkswagen was estimated to have 37.7K branded searches compared to Smart’s 1.9K, and held a 3% Share of Search versus Smart’s 0.16%.

Share of Search among car brands in New Zealand in August 2026Which is more popular in search, Smart or Volkswagen?
Smart0.16%1.9K searches
vs
Volkswagen3%37.7K searches

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Which is more popular in search, Smart or Volkswagen?

Compare automotive marques sought by New Zealanders for new and used cars, utes, and SUVs, using branded searches made in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

Smart and Volkswagen among car brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of Search by month for Volkswagen, Smart. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthToyotaMitsubishiBYDFordMazdaHondaTeslaKiaNissanBMWSubaruVolkswagenAudiMercedes-BenzSuzukiHyundaiPorscheLamborghiniZeekrLand RoverLexusHoldenJaecooGWMJeepFerrariAston MartinJaguarSkodaCheryGeelyVolvoMclarenDodgeRolls-RoyceHavalMGDenzaLeapmotorPeugeotIsuzuCupraXPENGChevroletMINIDongfengPolestarLDVMahindraBentleyCadillacAlfa RomeoFiatMaseratiGMCKGMDaihatsuLotusChryslerInfinitiGenesisRenaultCitroenTankDatsunRAMSmartHummerIneosOpelAbarthSaabTVRSeatMorganOraCaterhamJacLadaLincolnAlpineDSPlymouthRoverAustinProtonPontiac
Oct 202514.1%4.9%2.6%4.5%4.1%4%3.4%3.5%3.9%3.3%3.2%3.2%2.9%2.7%3%2.6%2.5%1.8%0.8%1.5%1.3%1.3%0.75%0.83%1%1%0.81%0.91%0.86%0.58%0.3%0.86%1.3%0.88%0.69%0.88%0.74%0.12%0.49%0.68%0.7%0.68%0.19%0.56%0.52%0.21%0.66%0.39%0.52%0.5%0.42%0.36%0.4%0.44%0.36%0.4%0.25%0.26%0.35%0.28%0.17%0.28%0.25%0.29%0.24%0.18%0.16%0.14%0.17%0.15%0.06%0.1%0.09%0.06%0.05%0.04%0.03%0.05%0.05%0.05%0.03%0.04%0.03%0.02%0.01%0.01%<0.01%
Nov 202514%4.8%3.1%5%4%3.7%3.1%3.6%3.9%3.1%3.1%3.2%2.6%2.8%2.9%2.5%2.6%2.1%0.64%1.5%1.2%1.4%0.77%0.82%1%1.1%0.83%0.88%0.94%0.58%0.32%0.89%1.4%0.86%0.71%0.73%0.84%0.23%0.43%0.65%0.67%0.63%0.27%0.48%0.55%0.54%0.63%0.38%0.44%0.45%0.43%0.37%0.42%0.45%0.37%0.37%0.25%0.3%0.3%0.26%0.17%0.28%0.25%0.19%0.24%0.17%0.12%0.14%0.18%0.13%0.07%0.1%0.08%0.06%0.06%0.03%0.04%0.05%0.03%0.03%0.02%0.05%0.02%0.01%0.01%0.01%<0.01%
Dec 202514%4.9%2.8%4.5%3.9%4.2%3%3.8%3.4%3.2%3.2%2.9%2.7%2.9%2.9%2.5%2.4%1.8%0.66%1.4%1.4%1.3%0.73%0.86%1%1%0.73%1%0.93%0.66%0.35%0.88%1.2%0.79%0.6%0.84%0.84%0.68%0.43%0.7%0.71%0.72%0.19%0.58%0.57%0.36%0.65%0.39%0.48%0.55%0.46%0.38%0.42%0.49%0.41%0.4%0.26%0.28%0.4%0.27%0.16%0.29%0.25%0.23%0.27%0.17%0.13%0.15%0.23%0.2%0.07%0.09%0.09%0.05%0.06%0.04%0.04%0.05%0.03%0.03%0.03%0.06%0.02%0.01%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Jan 202615%4.9%3.8%4.9%4.3%4%3.1%4.2%3.5%2.8%3.2%3%2.6%2.9%2.9%2.6%2%1.4%0.59%1.4%1.4%1.2%0.84%0.97%0.97%0.97%0.7%0.76%0.92%0.62%0.34%0.9%0.82%0.7%0.63%0.84%0.93%0.53%0.44%0.66%0.67%0.66%0.28%0.46%0.51%0.32%0.6%0.37%0.48%0.4%0.4%0.35%0.38%0.42%0.35%0.38%0.27%0.27%0.3%0.24%0.17%0.25%0.25%0.2%0.22%0.18%0.14%0.12%0.16%0.14%0.07%0.09%0.08%0.06%0.04%0.04%0.04%0.05%0.04%0.04%0.03%0.07%0.02%0.02%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Feb 202615.4%5%3%4.3%4.5%4.2%2.8%3.8%3.5%3%3.2%3.2%2.7%2.7%2.9%2.6%2.3%1.7%0.72%1.3%1.4%1.3%0.82%0.83%0.97%1%0.69%0.7%0.97%0.66%0.38%0.85%0.88%0.81%0.6%0.78%0.83%0.5%0.38%0.71%0.71%0.66%0.33%0.53%0.52%0.39%0.52%0.41%0.42%0.43%0.42%0.37%0.39%0.4%0.37%0.37%0.27%0.24%0.33%0.33%0.19%0.28%0.26%0.22%0.22%0.17%0.15%0.13%0.17%0.14%0.07%0.1%0.08%0.05%0.06%0.04%0.04%0.05%0.04%0.05%0.03%0.04%0.02%0.02%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Mar 202613.4%4.4%7.1%3.7%3.5%3.6%5%3.9%3.8%3%2.6%2.7%2.3%2.6%2.6%2.5%2.1%1.6%1.3%1.2%1.3%1.1%1%0.88%0.75%0.85%0.64%0.68%0.86%0.81%0.7%0.86%0.83%0.65%0.55%0.86%0.98%0.37%0.6%0.58%0.58%0.6%0.55%0.44%0.48%1.4%1%0.34%0.37%0.4%0.43%0.29%0.4%0.31%0.3%0.29%0.24%0.21%0.23%0.22%0.14%0.26%0.22%0.18%0.21%0.13%0.18%0.12%0.14%0.14%0.09%0.08%0.07%0.04%0.04%0.05%0.03%0.06%0.03%0.03%0.03%0.03%0.02%0.01%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Apr 202613.3%4.6%6.9%3.7%3.3%3.5%4.7%3.7%3.3%2.8%2.7%2.9%2.2%2.4%2.6%2.5%2.2%1.5%1.6%1.1%1.2%1.4%1.2%0.94%0.76%0.81%0.66%0.73%0.86%0.95%0.83%0.96%0.73%0.71%0.65%0.83%0.89%0.47%0.72%0.61%0.54%0.6%0.64%0.61%0.5%1.3%0.83%0.35%0.38%0.39%0.4%0.33%0.37%0.34%0.33%0.28%0.25%0.23%0.25%0.25%0.16%0.25%0.21%0.2%0.19%0.15%0.19%0.13%0.13%0.15%0.07%0.09%0.08%0.05%0.05%0.04%0.03%0.05%0.04%0.04%0.02%0.03%0.01%0.02%0.01%0.01%<0.01%
May 202614.3%5%5%3.9%3.6%3.6%3.7%4.2%3.1%3.1%2.9%3.3%2.5%2.4%2.6%2.3%2.4%1.8%1.4%1.4%1.4%1.1%0.96%0.93%0.84%1.2%0.75%0.81%0.75%0.75%0.65%0.97%0.72%0.68%0.67%0.82%0.71%0.54%0.6%0.63%0.61%0.77%0.52%0.46%0.49%0.65%0.76%0.3%0.34%0.47%0.41%0.38%0.39%0.36%0.34%0.29%0.3%0.28%0.26%0.3%0.15%0.22%0.22%0.19%0.2%0.14%0.19%0.14%0.13%0.13%0.07%0.09%0.08%0.05%0.04%0.04%0.05%0.05%0.05%0.04%0.02%0.03%0.02%0.01%0.02%0.01%<0.01%
Jun 202613.4%5.1%5.1%4.2%3.8%3.9%3.7%3.5%3.2%3.1%3.3%2.9%2.6%2.7%2.5%2.4%2.3%1.7%1.1%1.3%1.2%1.4%0.78%1%0.91%1.1%0.81%0.87%0.73%0.7%0.55%0.97%0.8%0.74%0.74%0.81%0.76%0.45%0.73%0.62%0.7%1.1%0.44%0.54%0.53%0.54%0.64%0.34%0.36%0.44%0.45%0.36%0.35%0.38%0.39%0.36%0.27%0.26%0.28%0.29%0.17%0.24%0.23%0.19%0.19%0.19%0.17%0.13%0.15%0.12%0.06%0.1%0.08%0.06%0.05%0.04%0.03%0.08%0.04%0.03%0.03%0.03%0.01%0.01%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Jul 202613.4%5%4.2%4.4%3.9%3.9%3.5%3.6%3.2%3.1%3.2%2.8%2.5%2.5%2.5%2.6%2.5%1.7%1.1%1.6%1.3%1.1%1%1.1%0.87%1.1%0.84%0.71%0.74%0.74%0.7%0.81%1%0.73%0.66%0.78%0.81%0.58%0.63%1%0.62%0.83%0.82%0.47%0.46%0.52%0.59%0.34%0.37%0.44%0.42%0.38%0.76%0.4%0.37%0.36%0.27%0.24%0.24%0.29%0.25%0.24%0.22%0.24%0.18%0.18%0.16%0.14%0.13%0.13%0.07%0.1%0.07%0.05%0.06%0.04%0.03%0.05%0.03%0.03%0.05%0.03%0.01%0.01%0.01%<0.01%0.03%
Aug 202613.8%4.9%4.3%4.2%4.2%3.7%3.5%3.3%3.3%3.1%3.1%3%2.7%2.6%2.6%2.5%2.5%1.6%1.5%1.4%1.4%1.2%1.1%1%1%1%0.9%0.85%0.83%0.82%0.8%0.8%0.75%0.73%0.72%0.71%0.71%0.65%0.64%0.62%0.59%0.57%0.55%0.52%0.5%0.5%0.49%0.48%0.46%0.42%0.42%0.41%0.37%0.37%0.35%0.3%0.27%0.27%0.27%0.25%0.24%0.23%0.23%0.22%0.19%0.17%0.16%0.15%0.14%0.12%0.1%0.08%0.07%0.05%0.05%0.04%0.04%0.04%0.04%0.03%0.03%0.02%0.02%0.02%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Sep 2026———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

How has the Smart and Volkswagen comparison changed over the last 12 months?

  • Volkswagen was ahead of Smart in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Smart’s estimated Share of Search among car brands in New Zealand held steady at 0.16%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.9K.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Volkswagen’s estimated Share of Search among car brands in New Zealand moved from 3.2% to 3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 39.4K to 37.7K.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand car brands in August 2026?

Neither Smart nor Volkswagen moved beyond provider rounding among car brands in August 2026.

How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Smart’s and Volkswagen’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.

Smart

6 branded search terms

  • smart car
  • smart cars
  • smart forfour
  • smart fortwo
  • smart new zealand
  • smart nz

Volkswagen

15 branded search terms

  • volkswagen
  • volkswagen amarok
  • volkswagen caddy
  • volkswagen car
  • volkswagen cars
  • volkswagen golf
  • volkswagen id 4
  • volkswagen new zealand
  • volkswagen nz
  • volkswagen passat
  • volkswagen polo
  • volkswagen t roc
  • volkswagen tiguan
  • volkswagon
  • vw

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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