Japanese car giant Toyota has been Australia’s best-selling car brand for the past 23 consecutive years, and appears to be showing no signs of giving that title up.
Having notched up a local record of 241,296 deliveries in 2024 and backing it up with a still market-leading 239,863 deliveries last year, Toyota appeared to be set for somewhat of a slump to begin 2026.
In the first four months of the year, it delivered 59,675 vehicles, down 22.7 per cent on the same period 12 months ago, with the biggest drivers of the drop being a 57 per cent drop in RAV4 deliveries (amid a changeover to a new generation), and a 40 per cent downturn for the Prado.
However, the new RAV4 has recently started arriving in showrooms, and this week Toyota announced the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version is coming this month, ahead of schedule.
On top of this, Toyota Australia today said it has “secured an additional 10,000 vehicles for local customers in 2026”, raising its full-year deliveries forecast to 220,000 vehicles – still down on recent years, but allowing it to remain as the only brand to sell more than 200,000 cars here in a year.
The announcement comes amid Chinese giant BYD’s first dedicated car-carrying ship arriving in Australia, delivering 5000 vehicles itself, on top of other ships already transporting the brand’s vehicles.
According to Toyota Australia, the increased production will benefit a handful of its most popular vehicles, including the RAV4, HiLux and bZ4X, though a detailed split of how many additional examples of each model will arrive has yet to be released.
“Toyota has been part of Australian communities for almost seventy years, and we continue to see strong demand from customers who rely on us for their mobility needs,” said Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations, John Pappas.
“This increase in supply is great news for our customers and dealers. It reflects the strong partnership we have with Toyota globally to prioritise the Australian market.
“Vehicles like HiLux remain essential for many Australians, while RAV4 continues to lead the SUV segment thanks to its versatility, drivability and efficiency.
“We will continue working closely with our global production teams to secure additional supply where possible and ensure we are meeting the needs of Australian customers today and into the future.”
Late last month, Nikkei Asia reported production of Toyota vehicles outside Japan would decrease by about 83,000 cars by November, citing the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The RAV4 and bZ4X are both produced in Japan and are unaffected by the reduction, while the Thailand-sourced HiLux is believed to have escaped impact.
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