Australia Full Year 2022: Toyota Hilux breaks all records, Kia above Hyundai for the first time, MG up to #7

The Toyota Hilux is the best-selling vehicle in Australia for the 7th year running.

Discover over 75 years of Australian Historical Data here.

13/01 update: Now with Top 330 all models and Top 40 all BEV

New vehicle sales in Australia grow 1.8% year-on-year in 2022 to 1,081,439 units despite searing stock shortage, delivery delays and rising interest rates. Wait times for delivery of certain models stretch to 18 months. This is the largest annual volume since 2018 (1,153,111). SUVs are up 8.1% to 574,632 units and 53.1% share vs. 50.6% a year ago, light commercials edge up 1.2% to 256,382 units and 23.7% share vs. 24.1% last year and passenger cars drop -8.4% to 203,056 and 18.8% share vs. 21.1% in 2021. Heavy commercials are at 4.4% share with 47,359 sales, up 9.5%. Private sales beat the market once again at +7.7% to 580,495 whereas business fleets are down -4.2% to 362,623. Sales to rental companies increase 5.8% to 63,755 ad government fleets drop -4.6% to 27,197.

As for sales by state and territory, New South Wales gains 3% to 338,012, Victoria is up 5.3% to 287,314, Queensland up 2.5% to 235,591, Western Australia is off -0.2% to 105,905, South Australia up 1.1% to 69,373, Tasmania up 3.2% to 19,157, Australian Capital Territory up 1.4% to 16,228 and Northern Territory up 0.2% to 9,849. Petrol sales remain dominant a 551,556 units ahead of diesel at 361,366, hybrid at 81,786, BEV at 33,410, PHEV at 5,937 and hydrogen FCEV at 15. Looking at the country of origin of cars sold in Australia, Japan comes first with 330,061 sales (-5.9%) followed by Thailand at 245,608 (+6.5%), South Korea at 159,244 (+9.8%), China at 122,845 (+61.1%) and Germany at 41,931 (-2.8%).

Kia outsells sister brand Hyundai for the first time.

Toyota (+3.3%) celebrates 20 consecutive years in the brands pole position and 26th time in total, reaching its largest volume in 14 years (since 2008) at over 231,000 units. It is also its third highest ever annual volume below the 238,983 it hit in 2008 and the 236,647 from 2007. Toyota has been the #1 brand in Australia from 1991 to 1994, in 1998, 2000 and every year since 2003. Mazda (-5.3%) holds onto the second spot but sees its market share thin from 9.5% to 8.9%. Kia (+15.3%) is in outstanding shape, reaching a first ever podium finish and outselling sister brand Hyundai (+0.6% and #5) for the first time. Mitsubishi (+13.7%) also has a great year and gains two spots on 2021 to #4. Ford (-6.7%) is down two ranks to #6 which means the Top 5 brands are 100% Asian for the first time in Australian history.

MG (+27.1%) is the success story of the year, leaping up two ranks on 2021 to a record #7. It even ranked #5 above Mitsubishi and Hyundai in December. MG’s progression in the Australian charts has been nothing short of spectacular, going from 3.007 sales in 2018 (#26) to almost 50,000 sales this year. The rest of the Top 10 is in negative: Subaru (-2.6%), Isuzu Ute (-1.2%) and Mercedes (-5.3%) are in tow. GWM Haval (+36.2%) scores a splendid gain at #13 and even ranked inside the Top 10 for the last three months of the year: #10 in October and November and #9 in December. Tesla (+61.3%) also shines at #16 with Citroen (+69.1%), Ram (+52.8%), Ssangyong (+32.4%), Porsche (+26.6%), Renault (+24.7%), Chevrolet (+23.4%) and Volvo (+18.7%) also outstanding. We welcome BYD at #31 (but #17 in December with 1.4% share), Polestar at #33 and Cupra at #35.

The MG ZS ranked #3 in December.

Model-wise, the Toyota Hilux (+22%) signs a 7th consecutive annual win, the longest streak since the Holden Commodore ranked #1 for 15 straight years up until 2010. The Hilux breaks all records this year: with over 64,000 sales, it smashed its previous high of 52,801 units hit just last year and even surpassed its 2021 high mark as early as end October. This is by far the largest annual volume ever reached by a Toyota nameplate in Australia as well as the highest ever market share at 6%, eclipsing the 5.9% reached by the Toyota Camry in 1993. The Hilux’s annual tally is the largest for any model since the Holden Commodore in 2005 (66,794). It also breaks the annual volume record for 4×4 vehicles at 47,329 units (+19.6%) vs. 43,128 (-6.2%) for the Ford Ranger which held the previous best at 45,986 last year. At #2 for the year, the Ranger (-5.6%) sees the gap with the Toyota Hilux widen from 2,522 to 16,912 as it battled with a difficult generation change. Encouragingly for 2023, the new generation Ranger managed to rank #1 in October and December.

The Toyota RAV4 (-2.6%) is the best-selling SUV in the country for the third year running but drops year-on-year due to availability issues. 76% of its annual total go to the hybrid variants despite a 12- to 18-month wait time. At #4, the Mitsubishi Triton (+42.7%) soars ahead to break its volume, share and ranking records as does the Mazda CX-5 (+8.4%) at #5. The Toyota Corolla (-12.1%) remains the best-selling passenger car in the country #6 and one of only two in the Top 10 alongside the Hyundai i30 (-17.2%) at #9. It’s slight drop from a record 2021 result for the Isuzu D-Max (-3.1%) at #7. The MG ZS (+21.9%) breaks all records also at #8 and even ranked #3 in December! It was the most popular SUV in Australia both in November and December. Other record breaking nameplates include the Mitsubishi Outlander (+34.1%), Kia Sportage (+136.4%), Hyundai Tucson (+25.9%), MG 3 (+17.4%) and Mazda CX-30 (+4.4%).

Previous year: Australia 2021: Toyota Hilux challenged by Ford Ranger, MG and ZS in Top 10, market up 14.5%

Two years ago: Australia 2020: Toyota Hilux #1 for 5th year, RAV4 up to #3, Holden out in weakest market in 17 years (-13.7%)

Full Year 2022 Top 50 all brands and Top 330 all models vs. Full Year 2021 figures below.

Full Year 2022 Top 40 BEV below.

Full December 2022 Top 50 all brands and Top 272 all models below.