Toyota Hilux Tops October Sales As Ute Market Shifts
October Sales Results
Hilux Holds Top Spot
The Toyota Hilux was the best-selling new vehicle in Australia for October, outselling the Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton. Those four dual-cab utes occupied the first four positions in the top-ten list, confirming the segment’s continued volume strength even as broader market dynamics shift.
Ute Segment At A Turning Point
Toyota Australia sales and marketing head Sean Hanley stated that the ute market has reached its peak. Although ute sales have risen in 2025 and nearly one in five new vehicles sold remains a ute, growth is now concentrated in 4×4 variants while 4×2 demand slows. Hanley pointed to the RAV4 overtaking the Hilux as Toyota’s top model in 2024 — 58,718 RAV4s versus 53,499 Hiluxes — as evidence that buyer preference is moving toward SUVs.
SUV Momentum Builds
SUV deliveries are up 6.0 per cent year-to-date, with the medium SUV category that includes the RAV4 rising 1.3 per cent. The light-commercial segment, which covers utes, has grown only 0.3 per cent, while the overall market has contracted 1.1 per cent over the same period. Toyota expects the gap to widen when the next-generation RAV4 arrives in the first half of 2026.
New Rivals Enter The Fray
Competition in the dual-cab space is intensifying. The Kia Tasman recorded 610 sales in its first month, and Chinese brands are adding the MG U9, LDV Terron 9, BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid and JAC T9 to the lineup. Hanley said Toyota remains confident the Hilux will hold its position, especially with a new generation due in local showrooms from December 2025 in diesel, battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell variants.
The sales data also shows that the light commercial vehicle segment grew just 0.3 per cent over the first ten months of the year, while the overall market slipped 1.1 per cent, underscoring the divergence between traditional work-focused utes and the broader passenger-car downturn. In contrast, the medium SUV category that includes the RAV4 expanded 1.3 per cent, and total SUV volume climbed 6.0 per cent, reinforcing Hanley’s view that the consumer shift is structural rather than cyclical. The outgoing Hilux continues to benefit from fleet replacement cycles and strong residual values, which help sustain its lead even as the model enters run-out ahead of the December launch of the next generation. That new range will introduce diesel, battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains, giving Toyota a multi-energy strategy that no current rival can match. Meanwhile, the Kia Tasman’s modest October tally of 610 units illustrates the difficulty new entrants face in gaining immediate traction against established nameplates with deep dealer networks. Chinese brands such as MG, LDV, BYD and JAC are also rolling out dual-cab models, but their combined volume remains well below the Hilux-Ranger duopoly. Hanley acknowledged the competitive pressure yet expressed confidence that the Hilux’s reputation for durability and its upcoming powertrain diversity will keep it relevant for both commercial operators and private buyers as the market continues to rebalance toward SUVs.