News

HILUX AND TOYOTA LEAD AUTO SALES (572)

Toyota's HiLux is Australia's best-selling new vehicle so far this year, helping to position Toyota for a 14th consecutive year as the country's most popular automotive brand.

Increased demand for HiLux has placed it ahead of a trio of small cars including Toyota stablemate Corolla, which has been Australia's best-selling vehicle for each of the past three years.

Sustained demand for these and other Toyota models has lifted the brand to a market-leading sales total of 80,261 vehicles so far this year, higher than the 80,213 vehicles sold during the first five months of last year.

Toyota now leads the market by more than 30,000 vehicles with no other brand having reached 50,000 sales.

For a second consecutive month, Toyota's overall sales were around eight per cent higher than the corresponding month in 2015. Toyota's May tally of 17,201 sales was 79 per cent higher than its nearest rival.

Toyota's executive director sales and marketing Tony Cramb said the combined impact of economic conditions and market factors were responsible for the strong 2016 sales figures from Toyota and the industry.

"Consumers are in the box seat with economic growth at its highest in four years, interest rates at an all-time low and relatively low unemployment supported by continued vigorous competition across the new-vehicle market," Mr Cramb said.

"As a result, June - traditionally the strongest-selling month with the end of the financial year - could well be the industry's best sales month on record," he said.

Sales of HiLux have grown almost 14.2 per cent this year on the back of an all-new eighth-generation range launched in the latter part of last year.

The five-month tally for Australia's favourite ute is 16,558 sales, including industry-high sales for both 4x4 utes at 12,099 vehicles and 4x2 utes with 4,459 deliveries.

Corolla - with 3,333 sales in May and 16,117 so far this year - is fewer than 450 sales away in what is shaping as a tight contest for individual model sales supremacy in 2016.

Camry, Prado, LandCruiser 200 Series, HiAce van and HiAce bus also achieved sales leadership in their segments.

Read more about Toyota Hilux