TOYOTA has started 2019 where it ended 2018; atop the 4×4 sales charts. The Japanese marque shifted 2993 Hilux 4x4s last month, outselling the Ford Ranger 4×4 by 750 units.

The Hilux 4×4 also bucked the widespread trend seen across the industry to register a sales growth of 3.9 per cent (compared to January 2018). Conversely, Ford dipped in sales by 22.4 per cent month-to-month.

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That widespread trend – a total of 81,994 vehicles were sold last month, 6557 less than in January 2018 (88,551) – can be attributed to low levels of consumer confidence, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) CEO, Tony Weber.

“The current economic environment is a challenging one, with an imminent federal election, a declining real estate market and tighter lending practices,” he said. “However, Australia’s love affair with SUVs continues. January was a solid sales period for these vehicles, with the segment claiming 43.8 per of total market sales.

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Sales in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment dropped by 5.8 per cent when comparing month-to-month, with 15,809 new LCVs selling compared to 16,776 in the same month last year. The PU/CC 4×4 segment also registered a dip in sales, with 11,853 recorded compared to 12,196 last year.

The Hilux (4×4/4×2) was – yet again – the best-selling overall vehicle in the Australian market, with the Mazda3 and Ford Ranger (4×4/4×2) joining it on the podium.