VFACTS December 2021: Toyota HiLux number one again as new-car sales pass one million

The Toyota HiLux has retained its status as Australia’s best-selling vehicle in a market that returned to one million annual sales despite its worst December in 13 years.

Toyota’s ute topped the vehicle charts for the sixth consecutive year, according to the latest industry figures released today. The rival Ford Ranger was the most popular model in December, but total 2021 sales of 50,279 trailed 52,801 HiLux registrations.

The Australian new-car market registered 78,402 sales last month. The figure is a significant decrease from December 2020’s 95,652 units and is the lowest December result since 2008 when 76,510 vehicles were sold.

10

December’s sales were sufficient to take the 2021 total to 1,049,831 – a 14.5 per cent increase on 2020. It is otherwise the lowest new-car tally since 2011.

The new-car market continues to be affected by the double whammy of a global pandemic and the related microchip shortage.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) said it was encouraged by results considering market challenges.

“Despite the pandemic restricting access to showrooms in 2021, Australian consumers found ways to purchase new vehicles and did so in solid numbers,” said FCAI chief executive Tony Weber.

“The global shortage of microprocessors, compounded by the pandemic, had an impact on the number of cars sold throughout Australia. Automotive manufacturers are continuing to work to strengthen supply chains in 2022.”

10

Passenger cars, SUVs and light-commercials all struggled last month, dropping 27, 18 and 12 per cent, respectively, compared with December 2020.

SUVs accounted for 52 per cent of December sales.

Medium SUV was the biggest individual segment last month, according to VFACTS, though the 15,192 units are surpassed by utes when combining 4x4 (14,460 units) and 4x2 (2948) variants.

The 4x4 Ute segment was 2021’s outright biggest-selling category, with 24 per cent year-on-year growth ensuring its tally of 189,614 units overtook the 180,165 medium-sized SUVs sold last year.

Micro cars (up 164 per cent) and people-movers (up 91 per cent) were the two big movers in December. The small-car and sports-car segments struggled the most, down 40 per cent and 52 per cent, respectively.

Utes dominated the top 10 Vehicles list last month, with the Ranger and HiLux joined by the Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara.

One of the month’s biggest shocks was the absence of the Toyota Corolla from a monthly top 10 for the first time. Just 1271 Corollas were sold in December – half the number registered in December 2020.

10

Top 10 models

The Ranger v HiLux battle has raged all year, and the Ford’s December win means the utes share six monthly victories apiece.

Utes accounted for half of the Top 10, with the Nissan Navara making a second consecutive monthly appearance after not featuring at any other time in 2021.

Isuzu’s D-Max returned to the top 10 after registering its first absence of 2021 in November.

The Hyundai i30 was the sole representative for small cars after the Toyota Corolla missed the best-sellers list for the first time in 2021 as a consequence of a 50 per cent sales decline.

The Toyota Prado placed fifth last month to secure its sixth top 10 result of last year and match its highest placing also achieved in August and September.

MG’s ZS SUV continued its excellent 2021 sales form, with its 1980 December registrations equating to a 96 per cent increase compared with December 2020.

10

Ford’s Ranger staged a fine comeback against the rival Toyota HiLux that topped the charts for every month except one (April) in the first half of the year.

Despite the locally developed ute taking the honour of best-selling vehicle for the last four months of the year, however, the Ranger fell just over 2500 units short of glory.

Ford Australia will find consolation in two areas. The Ranger again led the vastly more popular 4x4 ute segment, increasing its margin of sales superiority over the HiLux compared with 2020.

And the Ranger’s 23 per cent year-on-year growth was higher than the HiLux’s 17 per cent.

10

Toyota’s RAV4 was the country’s most popular SUV for the second consecutive year despite a slight decrease in sales (down seven per cent) and a solid year for the rival it displaced, the Mazda CX-5 (up 14 per cent).

The Japanese brand’s larger Prado SUV enjoyed an impressive year, finishing in eighth place.

Toyota’s Corolla, despite a bad blip in December, comfortably held off the Hyundai i30 for title of best-selling small car.

The new-generation Isuzu D-Max had a stellar year, with Mitsubishi’s Triton making it four utes in the top 10 for 2021.

Chinese brand MG knocked the Kia Cerato (18,114 sales) out of the chart, with its ZS compact SUV securing the final top 10 position.

Top 10 models: December 2021

10

Top 10 models: 2021 year to date

Top 10 brands

MG was the standout brand last month, increasing its sales 70 per cent compared with this time last year when most car makers struggled. With 3268 sales, MG matched its best place of seventh – achieved in November.

Kia was the only other brand in the Top 10 to achieve growth, albeit a low four per cent.

A 31 per cent decline compared with December 2020 couldn’t deny Toyota top spot. With more than 16,000 units, the Japanese company was again well ahead of second-placed Mazda.

Volkswagen was a big victim in December. With month-on-month sales down by more than 25 per cent to 2245 units, last month marked the first time the German car maker hadn’t featured in the Top 10 during 2021.

Nissan squeezed in despite a 36 per cent decline, avoiding the July, August and September anomalies when it failed to make the top-brands list.

10

The unstoppable Toyota sales machine rolled on in 2021, continuing a dominance that started in 2003.

Toyota sold 223,642 vehicles last year – its third best result on record. The figure surpasses not only the pandemic-hit 2020 (204,801 units) but also 2019, when it sold 205,766 cars.

Hybrid vehicles, led by petrol-electric versions of the RAV4, accounted for nearly 30 per cent of Toyota sales.

The only minor sour note for Toyota was seeing its market share slip from 22 to 21 per cent.

Mazda returned to six figures for the first time since 2018, if not beating that year’s 111,280 registrations.

Hyundai emerged victorious from an intense, year-long midfield battle with Ford, stablemate Kia and Mitsubishi. Just 5140 units separated the four brands.

An even smaller gap existed between the rest of the Top 10, with 4248 units between seventh-placed Nissan and 10th-placed Subaru.

Subaru sales grew 18 per cent year on year, with slightly better growth for Ford (up 20 per cent) and Kia (up 21 per cent). Mitsubishi (16 per cent) and Hyundai (12 per cent) also achieved double-digit growth, with only single-figure increases for Toyota (nine per cent), Nissan (eight per cent), and Volkswagen (four per cent).

The brand story of 2021 belongs to China’s MG, which became a Top 10 regular last year and registered 156 per cent growth.

Top 10 brands: December 2021

10

Top 10 brands: 2021 year to date

10

In charts

December 2021 - Top 10 models

December 2021 - YTD sales top 10

December 2021 - Overall segment sales

December 2021-2020 category sales

December 2021-2020 YTD category sales

2021 YTD model sales race