RANGER OUTSELLS HILUX FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2021

A BIT of movement on the new 4x4 sales chart for April, with the Ford Ranger outselling the Toyota Hilux for the first time this year, moving more than 1300 units over the Toyota. Add in the 4x2 models and the Ranger was the top-selling new vehicle overall for the month, stealing that title from the Hilux as well.

Interestingly, all of the top five best-selling vehicles in April have four-wheel drive or AWD variants, with the Ford Ranger being the top-selling individual model (5021), followed by the Toyota RAV4 (4506), Toyota Hilux (4222), Toyota Landcruiser (3177) and Mitsubishi Triton (2458). With three of those five top-sellers, Toyota remains the best-selling brand in the country.

With 92,347 units moved in April, the overall market was up on the same month in 2020, but it’s a bit unfair to compare it with that time which was the height of pandemic instability in Australia.

Chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Tony Weber, put it in better context when he said: “Historically, the April result is between 70,000 and 80,000 vehicles, so the 2021 result is very significant.”

A nameplate we don’t usually see among the monthly Top 10 4x4 sales is the Ford Everest which has been slowly gaining traction in the market. Its 958 sales includes 4x2 variants but is enough to slot it in to ninth place for the month. As well as offering a choice of 4x4 and 4x2 models, the Everest also has the unique choice of the 3.2litre and 2.0-litre diesel engines, five- and seven-seat interiors, and across four grades.

The Isuzu MU-X really owns that market of mid-size SUVS that are smaller than the Toyota Prado. Its total sales are also spread across 4x4 and 4x2 variants, and with a new MU-X expected some time in the second half of 2021, its popularity with family buyers should remain strong.

Notably absent from the Top 10 best-selling 4x4s in April was the Toyota Landcruiser 79 Series. Buyers are reporting a lack of LC79S in stock around the country, possibly because many new cars are suffering shortages due to the lack of electrical components.

Stock shortages will continue to present problems for some manufacturers in the coming months, but sales of 4x4s are expected to remain healthy through May and June as businesses get in to their new vehicles before the end of the financial year.