Battle lines! Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux ute sales are neck and neck for 2023, but which one will take the overall sales crown?

A fierce battle is brewing for the overall best-selling model for 2023 with just one month of sales to go.

And the two contenders are the eternally popular Toyota HiLux and the Australian-developed Ford Ranger utes.

Sales figures released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) for the month of November reveal that the Ranger has had its best sales month ever, netting a massive 6301 units, which is 24.2 per cent ahead of the same period in 2023.

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The Ford was the best seller for the month, but the HiLux was nipping at its heels in second place with 5901 units, up 8.5 per cent.

The year-end battle is getting spicy, with Toyota on 55,968 HiLux sales to the end of November, compared with Ford's 55,589 Ranger sales - that's a difference of just 379 units.

So which big one-tonner is going to come out on top when full-year sales are released in early January?

Both manufacturers will be pushing hard to claim that number one crown.

In terms of November sales, the third model on the podium was, you guessed it, another ute. This time it was the strong-selling Isuzu D-Max (3692, +134%). (Image: Tom White)

Ford Australia has confirmed to CarsGuide that Ranger supply is looking good for December, and the Blue Oval is pushing hard to get as many vehicles as possible to customers in the coming weeks.

Of course Toyota won't rest on its laurels. Brand T loves to brag about the number of sales categories it wins each year, so to lose to Ford in such an important segment would be a blow.

In terms of November sales, the third model on the podium was, you guessed it, another ute. This time it was the strong-selling Isuzu D-Max (3692, +134%).

Tesla continued to ship huge amounts of its Model Y SUV (3151, +75%) and landed in fourth as a result, followed by the soon-to-be-replaced Toyota Prado (3090, +196%) in fifth.

The Ford was the best seller for the month, but the HiLux was nipping at its heels in second place with 5901 units, up 8.5 per cent.

Making up the rest of the top 10 best-selling models were a bunch of popular SUVs, including the Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, Mazda CX-5 and MG ZS, as well as the Toyota Corolla small passenger car in 10th spot.

No surprises that Toyota was the top dog in November with 21,002 sales, although it was down by 8.8 per cent year to date. Mazda followed in second with 8707, then Ford (8165), Hyundai (6718) and Mitsubishi (6268).

Kia (5767) was kept out of the top five, but the Korean brand was ahead of MG (5603) and Isuzu Ute (4853).

Big news for Nissan which is finally starting to claw back sales thanks to a slew of new models, after falling out of the top 10 for some time. Qashqai, Patrol and X-Trail sales helped Nissan secure 4268 sales (+53.3%) , enough for ninth place, ahead of a resurgent Volkswagen (4004, +44.2%).

They kept Tesla (3939) and Subaru (3825) out of the top 10, while GWM is not far behind in 13th place with 3680.

Tesla continued to ship huge amounts of its Model Y SUV (3151, +75%) and landed in fourth as a result. (Image: Tom White)

The overall new-vehicle sales figure of 112,141 in November was a record, according to the FCAI, and the market is on track for another record year.

But FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said the cost of living pressures will have an impact on sales in 2024.

"As the challenges of the past year's supply chain disruptions recede, consumers have greater access to a broad range of choices and increased accessibility in the market," he said.

"The automotive sector remains a testament to the resilience and adaptability of both industry players and consumers alike. However, as cost-of-living pressures hit we may see a market cooling in the coming months, and we anticipate a more challenging 2024."

Most popular brands November 2023

Most popular models November 2023