It’s a tough nut for any other competitor to crack, Toyota again taking bragging rights in the April 2022 vehicle sales race.
And it was the HiLux that not only topped the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment, but the ute also racked up more sales than any offering on the Australian vehicle sales landscape in the fourth month.
The latest VFACTS data shows 4,493 sales for the Toyota HiLux in April, a 6.4% lift on the same month last year.
The main rival of the Toyota offering, the Ford Ranger, had a difficult month with sales of the popular utility slipping back 28.7% with 3,581 total sales.
Despite the retraction in Ranger sales, the Ford managed to hold on to second place in the LCV sales race.
Isuzu Ute D-Max managed a top-five position, just squeaking in ahead of the Mitsubishi Triton with 2,374 and 2,357 sales respectively.
Australian ute buyers are also increasingly opting for those big U.S.-sourced pick-ups.
The sales report shows Chevrolet attracted 170 customers in the month (+53.2%) and RAM lifted its sales by more than 86% with 466 customer handovers in April.
And it wasn’t just 4×4 utes that enjoyed increased popularity.
The data shows an 11.3% increase in sales volume for 4×2 ute offerings with the Toyota HiLux leading the charts with 1,052 deliveries (up more than 16%).
Meantime, in the van market, it was another victory for the Toyota HiAce. HiAce streaked home with 657 sales, ahead of the Hyundai Staria Load (321 sales) and the LDV G10 (224 sales).
The venerable Renault Kangoo top honours in the small van category with 73 sales, ahead of Volkswagen Caddy Van and Peugeot Partner.
And as Jon covered here, Heavy Commercial Vehicle sales in the month continued to boom with 3,615 sales in April, a full 6.5% lift on the same month in 2021.
But dark skies could once again be on the horizon for the vehicle sales industry in Australia.
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Chief Executive Tony Weber told us global issues, including the Ukraine war, are continuing to have an impact.
“Automotive manufacturers continue to suffer from a shortage of microprocessor units which is impacting their ability to ramp up production to pre-pandemic levels.”
“Covid19 continues to impact manufacturing and supply, particularly where factories have been forced to close and shipping operations are yet to fully recover.
“This is being reflected in the extended delivery times for new vehicles.”
