UTES CARRYING THE LOAD

THE 4x4 ute manufacturers are in clover at the moment, with the segment showing a 10.2 per cent increase for the month and a 5.2 per cent rise for the year, according to VFACTS sales figures. This is against a drop in vehicle sales overall for the month, with the industry moving 5.1 per cent fewer vehicles than it did in April 2016.

For April, the Ford Ranger was again the top-selling 4x4 ute, edging out the Toyota Hilux by 101 sales. The Ranger also leads Hilux in the year-to-date figures, outselling the once undisputed sales leader by 664 units.

Us Aussies love our utes – in both 4x4 and 4x2 sales, Toyota forged ahead of Ford with 3430 Hiluxes sold, making it Australia’s top-selling vehicle in April. The Ranger was Australia’s second-most popular vehicle, at 3120 sales for 4x4 and 4x2 combined, edging out the likes of the Toyota Corolla (2555 sales) and the Mazda3 (2313 sales).