Toyota is dominating Australian car sales, taking the top spots in the ute, four-wheel drive and small car categories but it is struggling in one key area.
The Japanese car giant has been Australia’s top-selling brand uninterrupted since 2003 and that is set to continue in 2021 with the HiLux ute again the bestseller in February.
Last month, Toyota had four cars in the top ten with a whopping 21.9 per cent market share – more than double runner-up Mazda’s 9.9 per cent share, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries data showed.
Toyota is dominating Australian car sales, taking the top spots in the ute, four-wheel drive and small car categories but it is struggling in one key area. The HiLux ute was again the bestseller in February
Toyota produces Australia’s most popular ute, medium SUV, large and extra-large four-wheel drive, small and medium car and van but in the light car category, it is now resoundingly beaten.
Sales of the Yaris hatch plunged by 61 per cent with its sales of 492 in February almost two-thirds below the 1,246 level of a year earlier.
Toyota’s market share in the cheapest market segment halved to 12.4 per cent, from 29.5 per cent a year earlier when it was the clear market leader.
This occurred as sales of the Chinese-made MG3 more than doubled to 1,313, from 620, as its market share doubled to 33 per cent from 14.7 per cent.
In February, for the first time ever, a Chinese car brand entered the top ten with MG the eighth most popular marque, ahead of Subaru and Volkswagen.
Budget-conscious buyers are flocking to the small MG hatch, priced from $16,990 – well below the Yaris starting price of $22,130, with Toyota last year vacating the sub-$20,000 market as it took the small hatch upmarket.
During the mid-1990s, Toyota also took a beating in the light car market as the Korean Hyundai Excel, priced from $13,990 drive away, comfortably outsold the Toyota Starlet.
Now Hyundai has abandoned the light car category altogether, no longer selling the Accent in Australia as it focuses on the Venue, a small SUV.
Toyota shook up the light car class in 1967 when the much-smaller Corolla challenged the British-designed Austins and Fords for market supremacy and continued to dominate this segment.
In February, the Corolla was the bestselling small car with 2,427 leaving showrooms, giving it a 28.2 per cent market share, and putting it slightly ahead of the Hyundai i30’s 25.7 per cent.
Sales of the Yaris hatch plunged by 61 per cent with its sales of 492 in February almost two-thirds below the 1,246 level of a year earlier. Toyota’s market share in the cheapest market segment halved to 12.4 per cent, from 29.5 per cent a year earlier when it was the clear market leader
The perennial favourite was far from the only bestseller to dominate its category.
HiLux sales in February were 40.5 per cent stronger than a year earlier, as the Covid recovery continued, with 4,808 of the Thai-built utes sold compared with 2,900 Ford Rangers.
The RAV4 was Australia’s third most popular car in February, with a 23.4 per cent market share in the medium SUV category as 2,750 left the dealership.
In the extra large off-roader category, the LandCruiser’s popularity soared by 37.1 per cent, with the 2,521 tally including both the larger wagon and the 70 Series ute.
The RAV4 was Australia’s third most popular car in February, with a 23.4 per cent market share in the medium SUV category as 2,750 left the dealership
The large 200-series wagon commanded 80 per cent of the large-four wheel drive market with its monthly sales of 1,326 almost four times that of the Nissan Patrol’s 332 sales.
The Prado was the bestselling large four-wheel drive with 1,407 sales for an 18.1 per cent market share.
In the struggling medium-car category, the Toyota Camry had a very commanding 78.8 per cent market share with 1,001 sales, almost ten times that of its nearest rival the Mazda6.
While Toyota is No.1 in virtually every category, the light car segment isn’t the only category where it is beaten.
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In the extra large off-roader category, the LandCruiser’s popularity soared by 37.1 per cent, with the tally including both the larger wagon and the 70 Series ute. The large 200-series wagon (pictured) commanded 80 per cent of the large-four wheel drive market with its monthly sales of 1,326 almost four times that of the Nissan Patrol’s 332 sales
The Toyota 86 in February came third in the sports car segment with 51 sales, behind the Ford Mustang (221 sales) and the BMW 2-Series coupe (62 sales).
The people mover category, which Toyota long-dominated with the Tarago, is no longer its domain with the Granvia notching up just 15 monthly sales, as the Mercedes-Benz’s V-Class beat it with 28 sales.
The premium Lexus luxury brand trails Mercedes-Benz and BMW in the prestige small SUV, medium SUV, large SUV and large luxury categories.
