The Toyota HiLux is no longer Australia’s best selling car. See the top-selling cars revealed for 2023
The Ford Ranger is Australia’s best selling car of 2023, beating out the beloved Toyota HiLux.
The Ranger sold about 63,000 units last year, usurping the HiLux which sold 61,111 units, according to data released from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: CarExpert’s Paul Maric speaks about the Ford Ranger overtaking the Toyota HiLux in sales for 2023.
Stream the world’s best reality, entertainment and true crime shows for free on 7Bravo on 7plus >>
Appearing on Sunrise on Friday, CarExpert founder Paul Maric said buyers were not turned off by the Ranger’s often hefty $100,000 price tag because of its extensive features.
“You can spend some proper money on the Ford Ranger but they’re loaded with features,” Paul said.
“You have the cabin with a stack of technology. If you want to take it camping you have 360-degree lighting — it really is a vehicle that suits everybody’s needs.”
Paul accused Toyota of possibly “resting on its laurels” as the reason Ford’s model overtook the HiLux.
Despite the rising cost of living hitting the hip pockets of most Australians, car buyers were still obsessed with petrol-guzzling utes and SUVs, according to the data.
The Isuzu Ute D-Max came in as the third most popular model for Australians, with 31,202 sales.
The top 10 most popular cars also included (in order) the Toyota Rav4, MG ZS, Tesla Model Y, Toyota Landcruiser, Mitsubishi Outlander, Mazda CX-5, and Hyundai Tucson.
In a shock twist, sales of new cars are also surging with a record 1.2 million vehicles delivered. This beat the 2017 record, which sat at 1,189,116 vehicles.
Electric vehicles still lagged behind other models, accounting for 7.2 per cent of sales. Hybrid models fared better with 16.2 per cent of new vehicle sales.
In terms of overall brand sales, Toyota, Mazda, Ford, Kia and Hyundai are Australia’s most popular brands.
