VFACTS: Ford Ranger takes 4x4 sales crown for 2021

As expected, the Ford Ranger was again the top-selling 4x4 in Australia for 2021. It outsold the Toyota HiLux in the month of December by to 3747 units to 2600 to take the yearly tally up to 45,986 Ranger 4x4s to 39,587 HiLuxs.

While Toyota might feel the pain of not having the top-selling 4x4 in the country, the HiLux was the top-selling car in Australia overall (when you combine 4x4 and 4x2 sales) for the sixth year running. Out of interest, Toyota sells more than three times as many 4x2 HiLuxs as Ford sells 4x2 Rangers.

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2021 was the 19th year running that Toyota has been Australia’s top-selling vehicle manufacturer and with more 4x4 models in its showrooms than any other manufacturer, it sells more 4x4 vehicles here than anyone else as well.

Despite delays for the LandCruiser 300 Series and shortages of other products, 2021 was the biggest year ever for the LandCruiser brand (including LC200, LC300, LC70 and Prado models) with almost 47,932 including individual records for LandCruiser Prado (21,299) and the LandCruiser 70 Series (13,981) – and strong sales for the LandCruiser wagon including the all-new 300 Series.

Also of note for Toyota in December, the Prado is one of only four serious 4x4 vehicles in the FCAI’s Large SUV segment which is largely made up of light-duty SUVs and people-movers. The other being the Toyota Fortuner, Isuzu MU-X and the Ford Everest. Yet the aging Prado was the only vehicle in the category to sell in the triple figures and with 2204 all-4x4 Prados it smashed the others whose sales are bolstered by both 4x4 and 4x2 variants.

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You can’t argue with Ford’s determination to keep the Ranger brand strong with a plethora of new and limited-run variants throughout 2021 in what will be the current model’s last full year on sale. The new 2022 Ranger is due mid year and promises to again be a market leader.

In a year of stock shortages and virus-addled sales, there were a number of movers in the overall tally. None more so than the Mitsubishi Triton which was decimated by supply issues in the second part of 2021. The ute that was regularly a third place holder behind the HiLux and Ranger has now been leaped by not only the Prado but also the Isuzu D-Max.

Isuzu Ute continues its steady market ride despite being a brand with only two models – the D-Max ute and the MU-X wagon, with both those vehicles making their way in to the Top 10 overall for 2021. This was no doubt helped by a new MU-X hitting the market mid-year and improving supplies of the D-Max.

An indication of how much Australians are flocking to 4x4 utes is that, despite the stock shortages, the Ranger, HiLux, D-Max, Triton, Navara, BT-50 and even the LC79, all sold more units during 2021 than they did in 2020.

Will any of the 4x4 ute brands have anything to challenge the Ranger in 2022? With its new V6-powered Ranger due to arrive in showrooms in June we predict not.