Standard Size of a Carpark Space - New Zealand

If you've ever pulled into a tight parking spot and found yourself inching your way out of the car door, you're not alone. While many of us might feel like carparks are shrinking, the reality is a little more complicated. In New Zealand, the standard parking space hasn’t changed much in decades — but the vehicles we drive have.

Let’s take a closer look at the standard dimensions of a car park space in New Zealand, and how increasing car sizes are making parking feel tighter than ever.

In New Zealand, the dimensions for off-street parking spaces are set out in AS/NZS 2890.1:2004, which provides guidance for the design of parking facilities. According to this standard, a typical 90-degree (right angle) carpark space is:

• 2.5 metres wide

• 5.0 metres long

• Line width: typically 100 mm, included in the overall width

• Aisle width (between rows): around 6.0 metres

These dimensions are intended to fit the average passenger vehicle and allow for reasonable access in and out of the car.

There are also smaller car spaces (often used in tight developments), wider accessible/mobility parks (typically 3.5 m wide), and different dimensions for angled and parallel spaces.

But Vehicles Are Growing...

Here’s where things get interesting: cars are getting bigger. Especially SUVs, utes, and crossover vehicles — which are increasingly popular in New Zealand.

To put it into perspective:

• A Toyota Corolla from the early 2000s was around 1.7 m wide and 4.3 m long.

• A modern Toyota Hilux or Ford Ranger - even SUV's like the Audi Q7 are about 2.0 m wide (mirrors folded) and 5.3+ m long.

That leaves only half a meter between cars, or when the door is open, about the length of a ruler to get in and out of your car!

Why It Feels So Tight

So while the actual size of carparks hasn't shrunk, our vehicles have grown into — and sometimes beyond — those dimensions. Add in thicker door panels, high curbs, pillars, and other cars pushing the limits of their bays, and it’s no wonder parking feels more stressful than it used to.

In some developments, narrower parking bays (e.g., 2.3 m) may be used to increase capacity, making the squeeze even more noticeable.

What Can Be Done?

Some commercial carpark designers and developers are now:

• Increasing the standard bay width to 2.6–2.7 m in high-traffic areas.

• Using "overhang zones" to accommodate longer vehicles without needing deeper paving.

• Installing clearer line markings and bollards to protect space boundaries.

Need Carpark Layout Advice?

Whether you’re planning a new carpark or refreshing line marking on an existing one, it’s worth considering modern vehicle sizes and usage trends. Slightly larger bays, wider aisles, and clear markings can improve safety, usability, and customer satisfaction.

Need help designing or line marking a compliant, functional carpark? Get in touch — we’d be happy to help.