The Northern Territory’s top selling cars in 2023 revealed

Buyers flocked for utes and 4x4s, but electric vehicles are catching up. Read what the top five selling cars in the Northern Territory were.

The Toyota Hilux 4x4 was the Territory’s favourite vehicle after data revealed the top selling vehicles in 2023.

Statistics from the Motor Trade Association showed a total of 1100 Toyota Hilux 4x4s were purchased, blitzing second place, the Toyota Prado, which registered 593 buys.

Rounding off the top five was the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux 2x4, and Toyota RAV4.

Of note, a total of 10,267 new vehicles were sold in 2023 – a five-year-high.

MTA chief executive Darrell Jacobs hailed the “strong performance”.

“Not since 2017 have we seen such strong performance in the automotive retail sector,” he said.

“Northern Territory new vehicle sales increased by 4.2 per cent when compared to 2022.”

Never in doubt: the Toyota Hilux 4x4 was the top selling vehicle in the Territory in 2023.

Of all new car sales in the Territory in 2023, full battery electric vehicles made up 2.8 per cent, traditional hybrids 8.6 per cent and plug-in hybrids 0.4 per cent.

Mr Jacobs acknowledged the rise of electric vehicles and said a “skilled workforce” was a “top priority” for decarbonisation.

“While the Northern Territory has been slower in the uptake of electric vehicles, we saw a year-on-year increase of 315 per cent,” he said.

“While we know that Territorians love their utes and 4x4s, the transition to zero and low emission vehicles is well underway.

“Vehicle affordability, charging and road infrastructure, and an appropriately-skilled workforce remain top priorities if ambitions for the decarbonisation of transport are to be realised.”

Mr Jacobs stressed the importance to “favour the carrot over stick” in encouraging Territorians toward low emission vehicles.

“The MTA urges governments to favour the carrot over the stick as we transition to zero and low emission vehicles,” he said.

“With the federal government’s proposed fuel efficiency standard looming large, we don’t want to see ordinary Territorians punished if they cannot afford an electric vehicle.”