Three of the top four best-selling models in 2024 were utes – the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max. So why does the head of Toyota Australia believe a ute may not be the best seller in 2025?
Speaking at the reveal of the 2024 annual sales data, Toyota Australia’s head of sales, marketing and franchise operations, Sean Hanley, dropped the bombshell that he believes a ute may not end up on top of the tally this year. While he did caution that it’s no guarantee, he cited the increased diversity in the ute market and the introduction of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) from the government as possible reasons why an SUV could knock-off the Ranger from top spot.
“Looking towards the future we already know that the number of models available to Australian buyers will expand rapidly,” Hanley said. “They’ll all be competing for an overall market that is likely to remain steady, which suggests that the average sales per model will come down. As a result, it maybe, and I stress maybe, that an SUV could rise to the top of the national sales charts in the next year or two.
“And just maybe, that SUV will be a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. Right now, though, we have two utes in the top three sellers, and nine of the top ten are utes and or SUVs. Now, I understand that this will raise a few eyebrows, especially with the New Vehicle Efficiency Standards becoming a reality from July this year.”
Toyota’s RAV4 was the second best-selling new model in 2024, finishing just 3877 sales shy of the Ranger. While utes are undoubtedly still very popular, mid-size SUVs are also a favourite of local buyers with five of the top 10 sellers all fitting that criteria. In addition to the RAV4 the Mitsubishi Outlander (fifth), Mazda CX-5 (eighth), MG ZS (ninth) and Kia Sportage (10th) all sold in big volume.
While the HiLux is aging and no official timing has been revealed for its replacement, a successor is thought to be possible before the end of 2025, which will almost-certainly impact Ford’s ute dominance. The Ranger is also expected to face pressure from newcomers in the ute segment, specifically the BYD Shark 6 and Kia Tasman, which could leave it open to potential growth from the RAV4.
However, Hanley also cautioned that cost-of-living pressures could result in overall sales decline after a record year in 2024, which saw 1.23 million new vehicles sold in Australia.
What do you think – can the Toyota RAV4 knock the Ford Ranger off top spot?
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