After losing its sales crown to the much newer Ford Ranger in 2023 and 2024, the Toyota HiLux is close to its ute rival’s sales tally in 2025, winding back the clock for the ever-popular nameplate.
It’s a surprise given the current model is in its 10th year on sale, though its popularity with fleets and dedicated private buyers with an off-roading focus means it continues to lead the Toyota charge locally.
When asked if the HiLux’s competitiveness so late in its model cycle is a surprise, Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations, Sean Hanley, said the ute’s strengths have helped it to become a mainstay in the sales charts.
“Not really, in so far as surprised, only because when you look at that car, it’s really approaching its 10-year model cycle. It’s had some facelifts and tech changes and whatnot on the [current] cycle of the vehicle,” Hanley told Torquecafe.
“But when you look at HiLux over many, many years, it’s built up an incredibly strong brand reputation for off-road capability.
“It’s interesting because there’s been a lot of talk about utes and the way they look and the style: styling’s important, but it’s actually not the greatest buyer engagement factor in a ute.
“Practicality still remains the number one reason why people buy utes. They want practicality, they want reliability. And above all, they want to know if this ute gets in trouble, ‘I can service it, I can get parts for it, and [if] I have an accident, I’m going to get parts for it, and it’s not going to be off the road for months, because it’s my workhorse’.
“I can tell you I’m not surprised with HiLux because when it comes to off-road, I believe the current-generation HiLux is still superior to most other utes on the market.
“I believe in the future when we do eventually launch a new [generation] model the one thing that I can assure customers when it comes to off-road capability, our Hilux will be market leading. Our HiLux will get up the hill, get down the hill, and get you home again.”
A new-generation HiLux – albeit still on the same platform and likely using the same engines – is on track to launch in 2026, and reports from Thailand claim it’ll be revealed in the coming weeks.
With the new HiLux set to be built on the successful and long-serving platform of the current model but with updated equipment and features, Hanley believes the new ute could be ‘perfect.
“It’s important that we bring a HiLux to market that meets the needs of Australian consumers, that is practical and serviceable,” he said.
“I believe that, in the event when we eventually do launch a new model, it will be perfect, and its off-road capability won’t be compromised. In fact, if anything, [it will be] improved.”
Discussion about this post