Brandwave

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

In August 2026, Subaru and Volkswagen were level on Share of Search among car brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 38K versus 37.7K branded searches, at 3.1% and 3% estimated Share of Search.

Share of Search among car brands in New Zealand in August 2026Which is more popular in search, Subaru or Volkswagen?
Subaru3.1%38K searches
vs
Volkswagen3%37.7K searches

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Which is more popular in search, Subaru 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.

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

Share of Search by month for Subaru, Volkswagen. 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 Subaru and Volkswagen comparison changed over the last 12 months?

  • The lead changed hands 4 times in the 11 months ending August 2026: Volkswagen took it in November 2025, Subaru took it in December 2025, Volkswagen took it in February 2026, Subaru took it in June 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Subaru’s estimated Share of Search among car brands in New Zealand moved from 3.2% to 3.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 40.1K to 38K.
  • 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?

  1. In August 2026, Subaru fell from 9th to 11th among car brands in New Zealand.

How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Subaru’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.

Subaru

12 branded search terms

  • subaru
  • subaru brz
  • subaru car
  • subaru cars
  • subaru crosstrek
  • subaru forester
  • subaru impreza
  • subaru new zealand
  • subaru nz
  • subaru outback
  • subaru wrx
  • subaru xv

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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Put your own brand in this comparison

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