Toyota Hilux crowned global segment best-seller

The Toyota Hilux has followed the same route as its SUV sibling, the RAV4, by emerging as a 2021 global seller, albeit this time in the so-called “Classic D-segment” bakkie class.

According to the latest statistics compiled from 106 markets by automotive analyst Felipe Munoz, the segment, which saw a 13% overall increase from 2020 driven largely by a 35% uptake in Latin America, saw the Hilux amass sales of 549 000, itself a 22% uptake from the previous year.

It’s perennial rival, the outgoing Ford Ranger, increased its sales by 10% to 364 000, while the third placed Isuzu D-Max recorded a similar improvement of 22% for a total of 288 000 units.

Aside from the top-three remaining unchanged from 2020, fourth and fifth places also failed to swap or drop with the former being occupied by the Nissan Navara with sales of 165 000, up 14%, and the latter by the Mitsubishi Triton, whose global demand spiked 17% to 159 000 units.

Outside of the top five, the GWM Poer, known locally as the P-Series, finished sixth on 119 000 (+29), followed by the D-Max’s South American cousin, the Chevrolet S-10 on 47 000 (+19), the outgoing Volkswagen Amarok on 44 000 (-14%) and two Chinese offerings, the LDV Maxus (40 000) and the Dongfeng Rich 6 (31 000) that uses the same platform as the Navara.

Most surprisingly was the posting of 210 Mercedes-Benz X-Class sales after the three-pointed star pulled the plug on production of its Navara-based Amarok rival in May last year.

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Notable other models available in South Africa that made the 24 derivative listed, which saw the X-Class finishing last, was the Mazda BT-50 in 11th (28 000; +33%), the JAC T8 behind it in 12th (11 000; +39%) and the Peugeot Landtrak in 20^th with combined sales of 2 200 (+152%).

Interestingly, the model that provides the base for the Landtrek, the Kaicheng F70, placed 13^th on 8 400 units, a percentage jump of 117% and ranking of five places from 18^th to 13^th.

Introduced earlier this year, the Jeep Gladiator placed second behind the Hilux’s twin, the Toyota Tacoma, on the list of D-segment large bakkies predominately sold in North America with sales of 104 000 versus 280 000.

The most bizarre classification though is the Toyota Land Cruiser 70-series under the entry-level D-segment in which placed fifth with sales of 16 000 units, an improvement of 21%.

All of the various results can be viewed here.