Ford Ranger is the most popular Aussie vehicle
According to vehicle marketplace Car Sales, 1,216,780 vehicles were purchased in Australia in 2023, breaking the previous record of 1,189,116, set in 2017.
But what is the most popular?
In ute-loving Australia it’s no surprise that a ute took the top spot for 2023 sales, but it was the Ford Ranger that rose to the top last year. The Ranger knocked the Hilux from number one, after a seven-year run. Car Sales reports more than 63,300 Rangers were sold in 2023.
In second place is the Hilux (61,111 sold) followed the Isuzu D-Max (31,302).
The first SUV to appear in Car Sales Top 20 list is the Toyota Rav4, which sold 29,627 units, with the MG ZS rounding out the top five (29,258 sold).
Tesla’s all-electric Model Y sold 28,769 units in Australia last year, after being named the world’s highest selling vehicle in 2022.
The Mitsubishi Outlander, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tuscon and Toyota Prado all made the top ten.
In order, the top 20 vehicles sold in Australia in 2023 are: Hyundai i30, Toyota Corolla, Mazda BT-50, Tesla Model 3, Mitsubishi Trion, Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-3, Kia Sportage, MG3 and Ford Everest.
Global shortages and delays in manufacturing impacted Toyota’s normally bestselling Landcruiser range, which sold just 15,035 in the 300 and 70 series versions.
It’s not all bad news for Toyota – one in five vehicles sold in Australia last year bore the distinctive Toyota logo.
That does represent a fall from 21 per cent in 2022 to more than 17 per cent in 2023, but the popularity of the brand in this country is evident.
Tesla posted impressive growth in Australia last year with total sales up 135 per cent.
As stated, the Tesla Model Y was Australia’s sixth best-selling car, while the Model 3 increased sales by 59 per cent to become the country’s best-selling medium car, with 50 per cent of the segment.
Australians bought more than one million conventional petrol and diesel-powered new vehicles last year, but there’s no denying the rapid growth of electric cars as range improves.
The number of electrified (full or hybrid) vehicles making their way into Australian driveways and garages last year reached 196,874 units or 16 per cent of all sales.
In order to keep up with demand, electric charging stations are now available in Hay, Balranald, Deniliquin and Jerilderie.
This article appeared in The Riverine Grazier, 24 April 2024.
