Toyota tops Aussie sales charts, again

TOYOTA Australia has marked its twenty-first consecutive year as the country’s best-selling automotive brand, posting record second-half sales in the process.

Toyota sold a record 215,240 new vehicles in Australia in 2023, the 19^th time in the past 20 years that the importer has exceeded 200,000 vehicle sales.

Toyota is the only brand to have achieved that record in a single sales year.

Supply constraints and shipping bottlenecks marred the first-half of Toyota Australia’s sales year, the second-half of the year proving more fortuitous with “greatly improved supply” enabling Toyota dealers to deliver 123,005 new vehicles to customers – an increase of 33.4 per cent compared with the first-half of 2023.

The previous second-half record of 120,124 deliveries was established by Toyota Australia back in 2007.

Of the 215,240 new vehicles sold by Toyota Australia in 2023, an impressive 72,064 units were petrol-electric hybrid vehicles (HEVs), representing a record share of more than one-third (33.5 per cent) of total deliveries and almost three-quarters (73.2 per cent) of all HEVs sold in Australia last year.

According to Toyota Australia data, the hybrid share was above 80 per cent for the Corolla sedan (84.4 per cent), Corolla hatch (85.2 per cent) and RAV4 (86.6 per cent), and above 90 per cent for the strong-selling Camry (92.3 per cent).

The importer says its record high HEV percentages reflect a continuing change in consumer values, noting that it has now sold 387,151 HEVs since the first Prius was introduced in 2001.

Speaking to GoAuto News this week, Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley said the momentum set by the company in the second half of 2023 will continue into the first half of 2024.

“Increasingly, we are seeing people walking into a Toyota dealership knowing they will be able to take delivery of their new vehicle within a reasonable period of four to six months,” he said.

“That trend will accelerate this year with a stronger allocation of global production destined for Australian customers, particularly those seeking to save money on fuel and reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing a Toyota hybrid.

“We are grateful to every customer who has decided to purchase a Toyota from one of our 275 dealership locations around Australia, but we also know the job is not done yet… We assure those who are waiting for delivery that we are doing everything possible to get you into your new Toyota at the earliest opportunity.”

Mr Hanley thanked HiLux customers for their continued support, despite the model losing out to the Ford Ranger as Australia’s most popular new car model in 2023.

“We also want to thank the 61,111 customers who chose HiLux last year. This model has a special legacy with close to 1.3 million sales during its 55-year history in this country – a track record that confirms the ‘unbreakable’ reputation of HiLux and its ongoing appeal in Australia,” he added.

The HiLux was Toyota Australia’s best-selling vehicle in 2023, surpassing 60,000 unit sales for only the second time in its history.

The HiLux has now been the top seller for the past 23 years in the Northern Territory, 17 years straight in Queensland, 16 consecutive years in Western Australia, and for each of the past three years in South Australia.

The RAV4 was Australia’s best-selling mid-sized SUV for the fourth consecutive year and the country’s best-selling hybrid vehicle (25,666 units), while the LandCruiser Prado became Australia’s best-selling large SUV for the ninth year in a row.

In all, eight Toyota vehicles led their individual segments: Camry, Coaster, HiAce Commuter, HiAce van, HiLux 4x2, LandCruiser Prado, LandCruiser wagon, and RAV4.

Looking ahead, Mr Hanley said 2024 will see the arrival of several important new models, including the arrival next month of the company’s first battery-electric vehicle, the bZ4X, the all-hybrid C-HR range arriving in March, and the refreshed Camry medium sedan and all-new LandCruiser Prado in the second half of 2024.