Toyota Extends Lead

Toyota Australia has extended its lead in new car sales to 50,000 with the month of August passing with immense sales of the HiLux and Corolla.

 Toyota entered spring this week having sold more than 141,000 new cars, SUVs and light-commercial vehicles in 2010. This places Toyota more than 56 per cent ahead of its nearest rival, Holden, which has sold just over 90,000 vehicles.

HiLux remains Toyota’s best-selling vehicle in 2010 with almost 3,000 sales in August, lifting its 2010 total beyond 27,400. Corolla did even better in August, topping 3,500 sales for a year-to-date total in excess of 26,000. Other Toyota vehicles that led their respective segments in August were Camry, LandCruiser 200 Series, HiLux 4×4, HiAce van and HiAce bus.

Toyota is on track for its eighth straight year of market leadership and its seventh year in a row in which it has exceeded 200,000 sales.  The company’s vehicles have headed the sales charts in each of the past 65 months – an unbroken run stretching back to early 2005.

Toyota Australia senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner said the results were due to Toyota’s wide range and high quality of vehicles, a customer-focused dealer network and competitive marketing offers.

“The improving economy, supported by solid business and consumer confidence, was also significant,” he said.