FORD RANGER LOOKS CERTAIN TO BE THE TOP SELLING 4X4 IN 2021

NEW vehicle supply shortages continue to hurt 4x4 sales, as manufacturers can’t supply new cars to meet demand. This hasn’t slowed the market domination of the Ford Ranger, which has all but sealed the deal as the top-selling 4x4 of 2021.

The Ranger was also the top-selling vehicle overall in November with 4429 sold when you add the two-wheel drive to the 4x4 numbers, followed by the Toyota Hilux with 4228 sold in total. That’s pretty impressive when you consider the age of the Ranger and the fact the new model will be here within six months.

Toyota is one of the manufacturers affected by the shortages, and the usually competitive Hilux has been left behind at the top of the table. Likewise, sales of the Prado are down on the usual numbers and the Landcruiser 300 has only just started to arrive in customers’ driveways at the start of December. There would still be a few LC300 registrations mixed in with the last remaining 200s to make up the Cruiser’s 155 sales for November.

In other large 4x4 wagons, the Nissan Patrol was also hampered by stock shortages, registering only 55 units, which is the same number as Land Rover Defenders registered for the month.

Mitsubishi Triton continued to tank from its usually strong sales, recording just 444; while the Chinese manufacturers made their presence felt with 727 sales for the LDV T60 and 679 for the Great Wall Cannon.

Overall, new vehicle sales in Australia dropped 15.3 per cent compared to November 2020, with 80,639 new vehicles sold in November 2021.