HORSES FOR COURSES

At the start of 2025, Toyota Australia sales and marketing bossman Sean Hanley stated that Australia was set to reach “peak ute sales” on the back of yet another year of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger dominating new-car sales in this country. It looks like business as usual heading into the end of 2025, with the two popular utes again topping the sales charts – and that trend is set to continue into the new year, with the new HiLux coming on line and Ford introducing fresh Ranger variants.

- MATT RAUDONIKIS

Mr Hanley was pointing to a slowing in ute sales driven by the reemergence of midsize all-wheel-drive SUVs such as the RAV4. This category now sits second behind 4x4 utes in overall sales and, for most private buyers, they make far more sense than a 4x4 ute.

While utes are certainly practical and versatile vehicles, they are heavily compromised as daily family cars.

The cabins of midsize utes are a major compromise, particularly in the back seat, where most lack the space needed to carry adults - or adult-sized kids - in comfort over long distances. Yes, some of the newer utes are arriving with larger cabins and sliding rear seats to improve comfort, but they will never match the space or seat-back angle of an equivalent-sized 4x4 wagon.