Toyota admits HiLux could lose sales crown

TOYOTA Australia has suggested that the HiLux – its biggest-selling model and Australia’s most-popular new vehicle for seven years in a row – could lose its crown to the Ford Ranger in 2023.

A long winning streak at the top of Australia’s sales charts for the 4x2 and 4x4 HiLux ute range is under threat from newer rivals with more extensive model ranges and more powerful engines that could shake the Toyota from the top of the tree in 2023.

The HiLux found a huge 64,391 sales in 2022, which combined with strong supply and a model changeover impacting its closest rival – the Ford Ranger – meant it was well and truly clear at the top of the pack.

Ford is expected to be able to secure better supply of the Ranger in 2023, and its model range is set to expand in the middle of the year to include new variants that should see it push well beyond its 2022 sales tally of 47,479 units.

It could already have begun. Australia’s biggest-selling model in January this year was the Ranger with 4749 deliveries ( up 46.3 per cent on the first month of 2022), outpacing the HiLux by 618 units.

However, the HiLux still notched up a solid 15 per cent sales increase on last year’s January figure.

Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley suggested that the Japanese company will see its biggest challenge for the number one sales spot in 2023 thanks to the Ranger, which he described as a “super competitor”.

“HiLux is facing a big challenge this year. We certainly respect our competitors, it’s a challenging market, and we don’t take our position for granted,” said Mr Hanley at the launch of the Toyota GR Corolla.

Mr Hanley further stated that he expects some serious supply challenges through the early parts of 2023, and that the overall sales champion at the end of the year could well be dictated by how many vehicles the company can get its hands on, rather than how many people have their hands up for a new ute.

“Ultimately I do think the final result will come down to supply, rather than demand,” said Mr Hanley.

“During the past two years we’ve seen customer enquiry in Australia at extraordinary levels – in fact, beyond extraordinary. I can tell you in my 40 years in this industry, I’ve never seen anything quite like what we’ve seen in the last two years, in terms of extraordinary demand.

“The traditional playbook was torn up as consumer demand soared, driven by factors such as the surge in domestic travel and the ability of vehicles to support physical distancing,” he said. 

Mr Hanley went on to say that the current easing of demand is settling to a “pre-COVID” level, despite having been “beyond extraordinary”.

“Now, though, purchase behaviour is moderating. And cost of living pressures are increasing. As a result, we are seeing enquiry levels return to what I call a pre-COVID normal,” said Mr Hanley.

In 2022, HiLux sales soared by 22 per cent, while the changeover from PXIII Ranger to the new-generation RA line-up saw the Blue Oval brand’s ute sales drop by 5.6 per cent year-on-year.

However, Ford will enjoy its first full year on-sale with the current-gen model in 2023, and will also launch a new luxury-focused Platinum model in the coming months. Other special editions may follow throughout 2023, too.

Toyota will also add a new model to its line-up – the HiLux GR Sport – in the third quarter of 2023. The HiLux GR Sport is described as an “off-road hero model”, which scores a 10 per cent power bump but retains the same 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine. 

“Of course, we’re not standing still with our HiLux line-up,” said Mr Hanley. “Last year we launched the (updated) HiLux Rogue, and it has been very warmly received. In the third quarter of this year, we’ll launch HiLux GR Sport – an off-road hero with 10 per cent more power and torque, among other new spec.

“Beyond that, we will have more action on HiLux in the second half of the year,” he said.