Toyota Hilux is Australias Favourite Car

[sleekism]

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Ar...ID=52283&vf=12

Toyota HiLux tops the sales charts in April
Richard Blackburn, drive.com.au, May 5, 2008






The Toyota HiLux has unseated the Holden Commodore and Toyota Corolla as the top selling vehicle in the country. By RICHARD BLACKBURN.


Toyota HiLux
The Toyota HiLux utility was Australia’s top selling vehicle in April, toppling both the Toyota Corolla and the Holden Commodore.

It is the first time a utility vehicle has taken the mantle of Australia’s top seller.

Ute sales have grown strongly in the last couple of years, fuelled by the resource boom, a break in the drought in some rural areas and a trend towards utes being used as recreational, private vehicles.

Toyota’s divisional manager, national sales, Tony Cramb, says the 3814 HiLux sales were a result of improved supply of the vehicle from Thailand.

“The demand has always been there, it was really just a case of freeing up supply from the factory,” he says.

“The mining boom in Western Australia and Queensland has been a factor and we’ve also seen more demand from farmers in areas where the drought has broken,” he says.

There is also a growing demand from private buyers, particularly for diesel four-wheel-drive “double cab” models with five seats.

“A lot of people are customising their trucks like over in the US. The 4WD double cab diesel is really hot at the moment and a lot of that is lifestyle driven,” he says.

Sales of two-wheel-drive utes are up 15.9 per cent, while 4WD sales have grown by 5 per cent.

Overall, the vehicle market bounced back strongly from a slow April, showing no signs of being affected by the recent talk about interest rates hikes.

Sales of four-wheel-drives were up 16.3 per cent in the first four months of the year, while light, small and medium car sales were all stronger than the same month last year.

The only black spot continues to be the large car market.

In a month when the last of the locally built Mistubishi 380s was sold, the large car market was down 20 per cent on the same period last year.

The strong HiLux result continued Toyota’s dominance of the market this year. The Japanese brand outsold second-placed Holden by more than two-to-one, while the Corolla again outsold the Commodore to remain the country’s favourite car this year.

Corolla sales tallied 3722 units in April, while Holden managed only 3324 Commodore sales.

Year-to-date the Corolla has a lead of almost 1000 units over the Holden. Commodore sales continue to be affected by the lack of a wagon in the line up. Holden says the wagon accounts for about 1000 sales a month. A new wagon will go on sale in July.

Meanwhile, Holden sales are struggling, with the brand down 10 per cent in the first four months of the year. By contrast, Toyota sales are up 11 per cent and Ford sales are static, despite weak demand for the ageing BF Falcon. The new Falcon went on sale this month.

The last month of BF Falcon sales was a slow one for Ford, with the car attracting only 1884 buyers, just ahead of Toyota’s Aurion on 1861 sales.

The Toyota Kluger soft-roader also sold strongly, toppling perennial favourite the Ford Territory from the top spot.

Australia is such a stupid country. Car sales seems to be more about marketing than product.