Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Toyota Rav4: Australia’s best-selling new cars for 2022 revealed

The 10 best-selling new cars in Australia for 2022 have been announced, and the list is dominated by diesel-thirsty paraphernalia and all-wheel drive.

Toyota’s HiLux was named top seller in sales data released on Thursday in a double win for the Japanese giant, which was also Australia’s most popular brand.

Sales of its various models accounted for a whopping 21.4 percent of all new car sales.

It was the seventh year in a row that the HiLux-Ute ​​was the best seller, having dethroned the ultra-reliable and once untouchable Toyota Corolla in 2016.

Toyota’s HiLux was named top seller in sales data released on Thursday in a double win for the Japanese giant, which was also Australia’s most popular brand

The American Ford Ranger ute was the second best seller in Australia

For 2022, the HiLux beat Ford’s Ranger ute, the second-biggest seller, with another Toyota third, the mid-size SUV RAV4.

Mitsubishi’s Triton ute was fourth and another mid-size SUV, Mazda’s CX-5, was fifth.

Toyota’s sales in 2022 exceeded those of the next two top-selling brands combined. That was Mazda and Kia.

The numbers show that Australia’s love affair with Utes continues and that it’s also offsetting the growth in electric vehicle sales.

Another Toyota was the third biggest seller, the RAV4 mid-size SUV

The new car sales data confirmed that Australia’s love affair with big vehicles is far from over. Mitsubishi’s Triton was the fourth best seller for 2022

In August, Tesla’s Model 3 sedan outsold Toyota’s LandCruiser as it topped the top five new car list for the month.

However, a familiar picture emerged over the year as a whole.

SUVs and light trucks accounted for 76.8 percent of all sales and made up eight of the top 10 vehicles.

Four Utes are in the top 10, while large family SUVs, Toyota Prado and LandCruiser also make the list.

The remaining top 10 are mostly mid-size SUVs.

Battery electric vehicles accounted for just 3.1 percent of sales.

Tony Weber, chief executive of the Federal Chamber of the Automobile Industry, which published the list, expects that large vehicles will continue to dominate the new car market this year.

“This has been happening in Australia for at least 60 years,” he told news.com.au.

“We’ve always driven big cars by international standards.”

Mr Weber believes our penchant for big cars poses “a real challenge” to government.

Unlike Europe, Australia has no mandated CO2 emission standards for new passenger cars.

Such targets would face resistance from buyers who don’t want to move away from Utes and SUVs.

There is only one electric Ute on offer in Australia, the eT60 Crew Cab from LDV.

It costs more than $90,000 and has limited range and towability.

The other big challenge for U and SUV lovers is the looming ban on petrol and diesel vehicles expected around 2035.

The global push to become carbon neutral by 2050 has led policymakers, research institutes and even insurance companies to call for a ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles before 2035 could see the end of vehicles altogether.

Sales results also showed that Australia’s new car industry has bounced back strongly from a slow start to 2022.

Since August, new car sales have increased by more than 15 percent compared to the same period in 2021.