In an environmental victory, a hybrid SUV won the award at News Corp’s 23rd Annual Car of the Year award.
Toyota RAV4. Photo: Thomas Wielecki Source: Supplied
A silent revolution is on our roads.
For years, Australians have flocked to the circle of fuel-hungry family cars.
First the large six-cylinder sedans, then the utes with four-wheel drive.
Now a new favorite is emerging, and that’s good news for the environment.
The Toyota RAV4 surpassed the sales charts in July, bringing down HiLux.
The SUV achieved the feat at the back in a massive call for its hybrid model.
Photo of the Toyota RAV4 at 2019 Car of the Year testing. Photo: Thomas Wielecki.Source:Supplied
According to Toyota, 80% of RAV4 sales in July were hybrid versions, while the hybrid variants of Camry, Corolla and C-HR were also strong.
Toyota now sells more hybrids than the maximum car its competitor sells.
In July, the logo sold 6,200 hybrids, or 40% of its total sales. To put this in perspective, Mitsubishi, third, sold 4684 cars in total.
Hybrid sales nearly doubled in the first seven months of this year, despite the industry’s decline by nearly 20% this year.
Since the beginning of the year, sales of the RAV4, News Corporation’s 2019 Auto of the Year, have increased by more than 40%.
The hybrid version of the Toyota Camry is also popular. Picture: Supplied.Source:Supplied
The rav4 hybrid costs $2,500 more than the rav4’s gasoline edition, however, in the city, where most people drive to the max, consumes about some of the gasoline. If you drive the national average of approximately 15,000 km according to the year, it will save you about $1,100 a year.
Savings are lower in road driving, there is less braking involved. Hybrids recharge their batteries when braking.
Sales of electric vehicles have also increased by about 28% this year, those figures are misleading because they come with plug-in hybrids and don’t come with Tesla because the company refuses to percentage of its sales figures.
Tesla gets top percentage points from its electric vehicle sales. Photo: David McCowen Source: Supplied
There were other places on the market that resisted the COVID-inspired recession.
Sales of Chinese vehicles continue to increase, more than 50% this year, while luxury brands are weathering the typhoon more as wealthy shoppers take advantage of their vacation to buy a new set of wheels.
The good news is that it will last a long time, as next month’s figures are likely to show a sharp drop with Victoria blocked.
The industry is lobbying the Victorian Government to allow car sales to continue but at the moment the advice from government is that only service and repairs work can be done.
Tony Weber, executive director of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, said the industry continues to face “complicated and delicate conditions.”
“The Phase Four restrictions that have now been invoked in the second
the largest market, Victoria, will challenge the industry more in the next
months, ” said Weber.
THE TOP TEN VEHICLES IN JULY
1. Toyota RAV4
2. Ford Ranger
3. Toyota HiLux
4th Toyota Corolla
5. Hyundai i30
6. Mazda CX-5
Seventh Mitsubishi Triton
8. Mazda CX-3
Ninth Toyota Camry
Tenth Mazda3
THE TOP MARKS OF THE TEN YEARS TO DATE
1. Toyota
2. Mazda
3. Hyundai
4. Mitsubishi
5th Ford
Sixth Kia
7. Volkswagen
Eighth Nissan
9. Honda
Tenth Subaru