Market Insight: Ford Ranger vs Toyota HiLux

BY MATT BROGAN | 16th Sep 2024

TOYOTA’S RAV4 medium SUV may be topping Australia’s sales charts for now, but the Ranger versus HiLux battle is far from over.

Each of the duo’s four-wheel drive utes continue to sell in solid numbers, leading their segment by a significant quota and demonstrating persistent buyer demand for multi-purpose light commercials.

That said, a growing divide appears to be forming between Ranger and HiLux sales numbers, with buyers clearly favouring the more modern Ford (introduced in 2022) over the now nine-year-old Toyota.

Ford’s Ranger has stayed well ahead of the Toyota HiLux across each month of the calendar year to date.

In January, Ford sold 4334 examples of the Ranger 4x4, giving it a solid start to the year – and an 856-unit lead over the Toyota HiLux. The Ranger topped the overall sales charts for the month, ahead of Toyota’s second-placed HiLux and third-placed LandCruiser.

It was a pattern destined to shape the year, and one repeated in February when the numbers saw 884 more Rangers 4x4s sold than the equivalent HiLux, extending the lead by 28 units (or one additional sale per day). Ford’s ute topped the charts again for the month, leading the HiLux and Tesla Model 3.

Ranger 4x4 sales broke the 5000 units in a month barrier in March (with 5135 deliveries), the four-wheel drive line-up clocking its most significant lead over HiLux yet with a 1580-unit advantage. Toyota’s slowing HiLux figure saw it fall to fourth place for the month, leaving the Ranger to top the list ahead of the Toyota RAV4 and Tesla Model Y.

April figures continued at a similar pace with Ranger 4x4 leading HiLux 4x4 by 1060 units. Toyota’s RAV4 knocked the Ranger from its perch in April, the Ford ute placing second ahead of third-placed HiLux.

The HiLux broke the 5000-unit month threshold a month later with 5055 deliveries in May against Ranger’s 5449 (a gap of just 394 units and the closest for all of 2024 to date). The duo placed first and second in May, with Ranger in first place, and third place going to the Toyota RAV4.

As the end of the financial year loomed, June sales saw both Ranger and HiLux sales remain strong, again in Ford’s with a record 5842 units delivered during the last month of FY2023-24, ahead of Toyota HiLux’s with 4976 (a difference of 866 units).

The duo again managed to stave off attempts by the RAV4, taking first and second place respectively in June.

Slower sales in the new financial year meant 4610 Rangers were sold during July against the HiLux’s 4125 deliveries (a difference of 485 units). Both vehicles were pushed down the podium as the RAV4 took first place, selling 5933 units, some 1323 more than four-wheel drive Ranger variants and 1808 more than HiLux 4x4.

With August now behind us, the sales gap between Ranger and HiLux seems to be growing – reaching a 1291-unit divide last month in the 4x4 category. Toyota’s RAV4 has maintained its presence at the top of the podium, outselling Ranger and HiLux by 1310 and 2216 units respectively.

It is a gap that is only expected to broaden as RAV4 supply continues to match demand – and as HiLux sales taper in anticipation of an all-new model.

With that established, it is highly likely four-wheel drive versions of the Ranger will continue to lead HiLux through the end of 2024, before Toyota’s long-time favourite potentially yields to Isuzu’s D-Max in early 2025.

2024 YTD Ford Ranger versus Toyota HiLux 4x4 sales:

Month	Ranger sales	HiLux sales	Ranger share	HiLux share
Jan	4334	3478	27.10%	21.80%
Feb	4771	3887	26.60%	21.60%
Mar	5135	3555	29.10%	20.20%
Apr	5089	4029	31.40%	24.90%
May	5449	5055	28.50%	26.40%
June	5842	4976	27.60%	23.50%
July	4610	4125	28.50%	25.50%
Aug	5142	3851	30.60%	22.90%