Market Insight: Ute sales in trouble

According to VFACTS data, ute sales have dropped by a significant percentage in 2025 with the popularity of both two- and four-wheel drive models waning. 

Year-to-date sales at the end of February 2025 show two-wheel drive ute sales of 3232 units, down 29.2 per cent on the same month in 2024, and four-wheel drive ute sales of 30,636 units, a fall of 9.7 per cent YoY. 

Popular two-wheel drive models, including the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, are down 47.8 and 9.3 per cent respectively at the end of February (to 519 and 1025 units respectively). 

Other big-name utes have followed suit in the 4x2 segment; the Isuzu D-Max 4x2 is down 11.5 per cent to 838 units, YTD followed by the Mazda BT-50 (418 units, -24.7 per cent), Mitsubishi Triton (350 units, -48.1 per cent), and Nissan Navara (68 units, -64.6 per cent). 

Sales of four-wheel drive favourites are also slowing with Ford Ranger 4x4 deliveries down 14.6 per cent to 7775 units to the end of February and Toyota HiLux sales falling 20.0 per cent to 5893 units. 

Isuzu D-Max sales fell 27.9 per cent to 3270 over the same time frame, with Nissan Navara (down 18.4 per cent to 1456 units), Toyota LandCruiser (down 33.4 per cent to 1461 units), and Volkswagen Amarok (down 35.0 per cent to 931 units) also slowing. 

Mazda BT-50 and Mitsubishi Triton four-wheel drive utility sales bucked the trend – up 8.7 and 2.1 per cent respectively to 2173 and 2293 units – while newcomer BYD Shark 6 sold an impressive 2026 units in the first two months of the year, indicating that changes in motive power, and not vehicle type, may be a deciding factor (albeit one likely driven by remaining FBT incentives for plug-in hybrids). 

In theory, the news bodes well for the likes of the incoming Ford Ranger PHEV and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, and models with hybridised driveline alternatives, but less so for diesel-only newcomers including the JAC T9, JMC Dadao, much-hyped Kia Tasman, and updated LDV T60. 

Two-wheel drive utility sales hit a new low in the 2020-25 period analysed here, down 29.2 per cent YoY to 3232 units from a high of 5027 units in 2022. Two-wheel drive sales have dropped dramatically over the past decade, with historically strong sellers like the HiLux WorkMate now leading the segment by far lesser margin. 

For the month of February, the Toyota HiLux placed first in the two-wheel drive pick-up/cab-chassis segment with 517 sales and 31.2 per cent market share. It led the Isuzu D-Max (429 units / 25.9 per cent), Ford Ranger (258 units / 15.6 per cent), Mazda BT-50 (236 units / 14.3 per cent), and fifth-place Mitsubishi Triton (178 units / 10.7 per cent). 

Likewise, the HiLux’s command over the four-wheel drive segment has given way to the Ford Ranger in recent years, a trend set to continue with no updated HiLux in sight. 

Across the February charts, the Ford Ranger ahead of the pack with 3782 sales and 22.9 per cent market share. It placed ahead of the HiLux with 3099 sold and 18.7 market share points, third-placed BYD Shark 6 (2026 units / 12.3 per cent albeit January and February sales were combined in BYD’s reporting), fourth-place Isuzu D-Max (1593 units / 9.6 per cent), and fifth-place Mitsubishi Triton (1242 units / 7.5 per cent). 

Light commercial utility sales February markers (2020-25)*:

*Data supplied courtesy of the FCAI.