VFACTS: Ranger takes a slim lead over Hilux for top 4x4 crown

Despite its age, the Ford Ranger was again the top-selling 4x4 vehicle in Australia in the month of May, edging out the Toyota Hilux by 420 units.

This was enough for the Ford ute to jump the Toyota in the sales race to date in 2021 by a mere 15 vehicles. The Hilux remains the best-selling vehicle in Australia when you combine its 4x4 and 4x2 sales.

May was a strong month overall for new vehicle sales with 100,809 sales making it the best month of 2021. May and June are traditionally strong months for business vehicles, like the popular 4x4 utes, as trades get in for the end of financial year purchases.

It will be interesting to see how June pans out with Victorian lockdowns set to have an affect on sales.

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“While we cannot be certain about the future economic impacts of the COVID-19 situation, businesses and households are showing their confidence by purchasing new vehicles,” said Tony Weber, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive.

“I expect this situation will continue to improve in the second half of this calendar year as confidence continues to grow, coupled with incentives such as the extension of the depreciation allowance for business which was announced in the Federal Budget during the month.”

The 4x4 utes may be the sales leaders, but Toyota’s 4x4 wagons continue to buck the trend. With the unveiling of the all-new LandCruiser just weeks away, sales of the LC200 were up in May and the big wagon leap-frogged Mitsubishi’s Triton in the monthly figures. In fact the Prado and LandCruiser both outsold the Triton, as did the Isuzu D-MAX ute.

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The D-MAX is a big mover on the sales charts as stock shortages ease off and more of the popular pickups get out to buyers. The D-MAX’s sibling, Mazda’s BT-50, couldn’t quite muster half the sales of the Isuzu vehicle it is based on. Nissan’s facelifted Navara also outsold the Mazda ute in May.

Supply issues continue to hamper sales on the LandCruiser 79 Series as it slips down the rankings, allowing the Great Wall Cannon to creep into tenth place for the month.

4X4 SALES: MAY 2021

1. Ford Ranger: 3911
2. Toyota Hilux: 3491
3. Toyota LC200: 2795
4. Isuzu D-MAX: 2533
5. Toyota Prado: 2214
6. Mitsubishi Triton: 2074
7. Nissan Navara: 1332
8. Mazda BT-50: 1225
9. Isuzu MU-X: 888
10. GWM Cannon: 747

4X4 SALES: YEAR TO DATE

1. Ford Ranger: 17,697
2. Toyota Hilux:17,682
3. Toyota LC200: 10,439
4. Mitsubishi Triton: 9836
5. Isuzu D-MAX: 8143
6. Toyota Prado: 7561
7. Mazda BT-50: 5522
8. Nissan Navara: 4739
9. Toyota LC79:4418
10. Isuzu MU-X: 4203