√VFACTS: 4×4 utes dominating model sales

Most popular utes are available with either two- or four-wheel drive, but how much more popular are the 4×4 variants?

The popularity of double-cab utes continues to rise, with the more expensive four-wheel drive variants dominating sales.

In the past decade, sales of 4×4 utes have climbed a staggering 57 per cent in a light commercial-vehicle market that has grown 30 per cent.

Year	Light commercial vehicle sales	Year-on-year change	4×4 ute sales	Percentage of 4×4 ute
2012	198,302	N/A	124,536	62.8%
2013	204,566	up 3.2 per cent	138,084	67.5%
2014	197,956	down 3.2 per cent	133,566	67.5%
2015	199,070	up 0.6 per cent	134,003	67.3%
2016	217,750	up 9.4 per cent	146,820	67.4%
2017	236,609	up 8.7 per cent	165,797	70.1%
2018	237,972	up 0.6 per cent	173,617	73.0%
2019	225,635	down 5.2 per cent	168,869	74.8%
2020	205,597	down 8.9 per cent	152,752	74.3%
2021	253,254	up 23.2 per cent	189,614	74.9%
2022 year-to-date	215,388	N/A	162,927	75.6%
2022 full-year est.	258,466	up 2.1 per cent	195,512	75.6%

The sales-leading off-roaders now make up more than three-quarters of all ute sales. This is despite a significant premium charged for the four-wheel-drive variants over their rear-drive counterparts.

For example, a Nissan Navara ST-X 4×4 automatic costs $7000, or 14 per cent more than an equivalent 4×2 version ($57,695 vs $50,695), and a Mitsubishi Triton GLX 4×4 automatic costs $4250 or 11 per cent more than its rear-drive option ($44,690 vs $40,440).

The popularity of 4×4 pickups also extends over their ute-based wagon siblings, which sell in near-identical numbers to the rear-drive utes, albeit across four rather than six model lines.

A detailed split of the six most popular rear- and four-wheel-drive utes, and wagons, are shown below.

In terms of how each brand performs, Toyota is the clear winner for 2022 year-to-date, with the HiLux 4×4 outselling the entire showroom line-ups from all other new-car brands in Australia except Ford, where the Everest SUV combines with the Ranger ute.

Toyota again leads the rear-wheel-drive market, with Isuzu in second place. Where Isuzu leads the wagon sales race, ahead of Ford and Mitsubishi.

The Toyota Fortuner is in last place here, with many buyers wanting off-road SUV capability with a Toyota badge choosing the larger LandCruiser Prado, which with 19,087 sales year-to-date, almost outsells the Fortuner, Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X combined.

The post VFACTS: 4×4 utes dominating model sales appeared first on Drive.

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