VFACTS December 2022: Toyota HiLux sales highest since Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon two decades ago

The Toyota HiLux ute was the top-selling vehicle overall in Australia for the seventh year in a row in 2022.

Not since the Holden Commodore's 15-year winning streak more than a decade ago has one nameplate led the market for so long.

Toyota HiLux sales for 2022 – when counting 4x2 and 4x2 variants combined, as is industry practice – amounted to a record 64,391 deliveries (up 22 per cent), ahead of the second-placed Ford Ranger (47,479, down 5.6 per cent) which stalled during a changeover from old to new models.

The last time any new motor vehicle eclipsed the 60,000 mark in a calendar year in Australia was in 2005 when the Holden Commodore topped the charts; the Ford Falcon last passed this milestone in 2004.

An incredible achievement amid stock shortages, production delays, and shipping bottlenecks, the Toyota HiLux eclipsed its previous annual record by the end of October 2022, with two months of the year remaining.

The Toyota HiLux was also the top-selling vehicle outright in the Northern Territory for the 22nd year in a row, Queensland for the 16th year in a row, and Western Australia for the 15th year in a row.

The Toyota HiLux also set a new Australian record for four-wheel-drive vehicle sales in a calendar year. The tally of 47,329 Toyota HiLux 4x4s eclipsed the previous record set the year prior by the Ford Ranger.

The Ford Ranger lost its grip on 4x4 ute sales last year amid the changeover to a new model.

After 4x4 variants of the Ford Ranger outsold 4x4 variants of the Toyota HiLux in four of the previous five years, the Toyota HiLux reclaimed the title it has held for decades.

Despite the setback, the Ford Ranger ranked second outright in the Australian new-car sales race for the sixth year in a row in 2022.

The Mitsubishi Triton posted an all-time sales high in 2022 – reporting 27,426 examples as sold and overtaking the Isuzu D-Max after making up lost ground due to chronic stock shortages the year prior.

Indeed, the Mitsubishi Triton had eclipsed its previous annual sales record in Australia by the end of November 2022, with one month of the year remaining.

The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series (which has a two-year waiting list and been temporarily withdrawn from sale) reported 11,390 deliveries, a decline of 7.2 per cent amid ongoing production constraints.

Sales of the Nissan Navara hit reverse amid production interruptions – and the rise of utes from China – reporting 10,526 examples as sold in 2022, a decline of 30.4 per cent compared to the prior year and the lowest annual result since records were kept.

The Isuzu D-Max slipped last year (down 3.1 per cent), however restricted supply hit its Mazda BT-50 twin harder (down 17.4 per cent).

After running neck-and-neck in the 2021 ute sales race, Great Wall Motors outsold its Chinese rival LDV for the second year in a row.

Although the pair were separated by fewer than 200 sales in 2021, Great Wall Motors extended its lead over LDV in 2022 (7806 versus 5959 deliveries). The result represented a 13 per cent increase year-on-year for Great Wall Motors and an 11.1 per cent decline for LDV, which struggled with supply.

Demand for US pick-ups remained off the charts, with the Ram 1500 outselling its closest rival, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, by almost three-to-one (5481 versus 1823).

Ram Trucks Australia posted an all-time Australian record of 6149 vehicles in 2022 (up 52.8 per cent), when heavy-duty variants are included, compared to the total Chevrolet pick-up tally of 2399 for the year.

The strong sales results of US pick-ups are likely to be welcomed by Ford and Toyota which are both planning to introduce their full-sized models – the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra – by the end of this year.

The SsangYong Musso ute posted an Australian sales record after three years in a row of growth, despite a question mark over the future of the struggling South Korean car-maker.

However, dealers say their confidence in this under-rated brand has been restored after new owners took it over on the brink of bankruptcy last year.

The Jeep Gladiator posted a surprising sale gain (up 9.7 per cent) despite copping a series of hefty price increases throughout the year.

Volkswagen Amarok sales slowed to their level result since it went on sale in 2011 amid the changeover from the old to the new Ford Ranger-based model due in local showrooms in April 2023.

Here's how each ute stacked-up in last year's sales race – and how they performed over the past decade or so.