The Toyota Hilux Is No Longer The Best-Selling Car In Australia

The cost of living crisis might be hitting hard, but the Australian car market still managed to set a new record in 2023. And for the first time in seven years, the ute that topped the list for Australia’s most popular rides hasn’t been the Toyota HiLux.

This past year, Australia’s best-selling car was the Ford Ranger with 63,356 units sold, narrowly beating the HiLux by just 2,245 units (61,111) — the latter being down from a record 64,391 sold in 2022. The last time Ford topped the list, it was back in 1995.

RELATED: This Unique Holden Torana GTR-X Is Australia’s Homegrown Chevrolet Corvette

All this is according to a report from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (via Drive), which indicated a total of 1,216,780 vehicles were bought in 2023, exceeding the previous record of 1,189,116 set in 2017. Despite the HiLux not taking the crown for most popular car of the year, Toyota remained top of the table for the 21st year in a row, selling no less than 215,240 new cars overall.

2023 may have proved to be a bumper year for dealerships around the country, but it’s worth noting that the bulk of these sales were actually undelivered backorders of cars purchased over the previous three years. With the supply bottlenecks of the last few years mostly in the rearview mirror now, and the cost of living crisis fuelled by rising interest rates, the FCAI is bearish about the 2024 forecast.

RELATED: Flaunt Your Pride & Joy With This $90K State-Of-The-Art Cartainer

“As we celebrate this historic achievement, we recognise that the automotive sector will face challenges in the coming months,” said FCAI boss Tony Weber in a statement.

“Cost-of-living pressures and increased interest rates will impact the market, and we anticipate a challenging 2024.”

Perhaps the most interesting trend of 2023, however, was observed in the ACT. While almost every other state and territory had the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger duelling for the top spot, our nation’s capital had a face-off between the Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3 for first and second place, marking the first time an electric car has ever reigned supreme anywhere in Australia.

The Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In Australia By State (2023)

New South Wales: 374,432 Sold (+10.8%)

1. Toyota HiLux — 17,593
2. Ford Ranger — 17,571
3. Toyota RAV4 — 10,327
4. Tesla Model Y — 9,836
5. MG ZS — 8,441
6. Isuzu D-Max — 8,217
7. Toyota Corolla — 7,156
8. Mitsubishi Outlander — 7,015
9. Mazda CX-5 — 6,853
10. Hyundai i30 — 6,465

Victoria: 327,229 Sold (+13.9%)

1. Ford Ranger — 19,699
2. Toyota HiLux — 11,345
3. MG ZS — 7,730
4. Tesla Model Y — 7,443
5. Toyota RAV4 — 7,095
6. Mazda CX-5 — 7,006
7. Isuzu D-Max — 6,323
8. Hyundai Tucson — 6,095
9. Mitsubishi Outlander — 5,904
10. Ford Everest — 5,542

Queensland: 261,532 Sold (+11%)

1. Toyota HiLux — 15,635
2. Ford Ranger — 12,715
3. Isuzu D-Max — 8,100
4. Tesla Model Y — 6,373
5. MG ZS — 6,168
6. Toyota Prado — 6,016
7. Toyota RAV4 — 5,739
8. Mazda BT-50 — 5,612
9. Mitsubishi Outlander — 5,399
10. Hyundai Tucson — 4,470

Western Australia: 124,630 Sold (+17.7%)

1. Toyota HiLux — 9,065
2. Ford Ranger — 6,693
3. Isuzu D-Max — 4,623
4. MG ZS — 3,849
5. Toyota Prado — 3,260
6. Toyota RAV4 — 2,826
7. Mitsubishi Outlander — 2,778
8. Tesla Model Y — 2,679
9. Hyundai i30 — 2,653
10. Toyota LandCruiser Wagon (300 Series & 70 Series) — 2,417

South Australia: 79,009 Sold (+13.9%)

1. Toyota HiLux — 4,412
2. Ford Ranger — 4,139
3. Isuzu D-Max — 2,708
4. Mitsubishi Outlander — 2,208
5. Toyota RAV4 — 2,188
6. MG ZS — 1,957
7. Mazda CX-5 — 1,815
8. Toyota Corolla — 1,549
9. Hyundai Tucson — 1,365
10. Toyota Prado — 1,341

Tasmania: 21,150 Sold (+10.4%)

1. Ford Ranger — 1,335
2. Toyota HiLux — 1,186
3. MG 3 — 600
4. Isuzu D-Max — 585
5. MG ZS — 541
6. Toyota RAV4 — 531
7. Subaru Outback — 486
8. Subaru Forester — 471
9. Mitsubishi Outlander — 470
10. Isuzu D-Max — 463

Australian Capital Territory: 18,531 Sold (+14.2%)

1. Tesla Model Y — 1,041
2. Tesla Model 3 — 761
3. Ford Ranger — 695
4. Toyota RAV4 — 588
5. Toyota HiLux — 419
6. MG ZS — 356
7. Mazda CX-5 — 336
8. Mitsubishi Outlander — 336
9. Subaru Forester — 323
10. Hyundai i30 — 302

Northern Territory: 10,267 Sold (+4.2%)

1. Toyota HiLux — 1,456
2. Toyota Prado — 593
3. Ford Ranger — 509
4. Isuzu D-Max — 362
5. Toyota RAV4 — 333
6. Toyota LandCruiser Cab-Chassis (70 Series) — 268
7. Toyota LandCruiser Wagon (300 Series & 70 Series) — 258
8. Toyota Corolla — 256
9. MG ZS — 216
10. Mazda BT-50 — 213