VFACTs September 2024: Ranger remains top 4x4, but RAV4 is the best-selling vehicle in Australia

As we enter the last quarter of 2024 the Ford Ranger has built an unassailable lead on the 4x4 sales charts, ending September with a total of 44,559 year-to-date sales.

That’s 8058 more sales than Toyota has been able to muster for its – admittedly, much older – HiLux, which so far has delivered a total of 36,501 4x4 units to customers. Expect this gap to close when the next-gen HiLux arrives. The next best ute is the D-MAX, which has accumulated 18,349 sales so far this year. The monthly 4x4 sales chart for September reveals an identical order, with the Ranger (4187 sales) out-selling the HiLux (3545) and D-MAX (2108).

However, the Ford Ranger (4x4 and 4x2 combined) was pipped by the Toyota RAV4 on the overall sales charts, with the RAV4 selling 5182 units in September compared to 4485 Rangers. In fact, RAV4 numbers continue to surge, with sales up 85.2 per cent in September 2024 compared to September 2023 (and a whopping +93.1 per cent YTD).

It’s an opposite trend for both the Ranger and HiLux 4x4 variants, despite showing improvements on the year-to-date charts (+14.4 per cent and +4.7 per cent respectively). Both vehicles are down in sales compared to the same month last year – the Ranger -18.3 per cent and the HiLux -25.1 per cent.

Reflective of this is the decline in sales last month compared to September 2023 for both the large SUV and PU/CC 4x4 segments, down 16.7 per cent and 11.5 per cent respectively.

However, FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber, said that SUVs and utes still account for a large chunk of the sales. “SUVs and utes remain the vehicle of choice for around 80 per cent of new car buyers. Nine of the top ten vehicles sold during September were in the Medium or Large SUV or Light Commercial segments. By contrast the passenger segment was less than 15 per cent of the market,” he said.

The Ford Everest remains the best-selling SUV in Australia (2902 sales in September, and 18,613 sales YTD), ahead of the MU-X (1317 sales in September and 14,228 sales YTD) and LandCruiser 300 Series (1093 sales in September and 12,274 sales YTD).

The GWM Ute was the best-selling budget option in September, with 696 sales registered, placing it ahead of both the LDV T60 (407) and SsangYong Musso (251). The opposite end of the market saw the Silverado (334 sales) outsell the RAM 1500 (241) and Ford F-150 (191).

Best-selling 4x4s in September 2024

Best-selling 4x4s YTD