Does the Toyota HiLux, Holden Commodore or Toyota LandCruiser generate the most interest online? We reveal the most searched make and model from 2021 and the winner may surprise you

Is the most searched for car in Australia one of the many popular utes that top the sales charts each month? Or a practical hatchback with a long-running nameplate?

Guess again.

According to search data from CarsGuide, Gumtree and Autotrader, the most searched for make and model across 2021 is the Toyota LandCruiser.

The model that the big off-roader knocked from its perch is an icon of the Australian automotive landscape – the Holden Commodore.

Now the second-most searched nameplate according to the Autotrader Group sites, the Commodore was scrapped from Holden’s line-up at the end of 2019, just months before General Motors pulled the pin on the Holden brand for good.

There are a few reasons the LandCruiser has topped the search data this year.

COVID-related border closures shut down any hope of an overseas holiday until very recently, so Australians instead opted for domestic travel.

The Holden Commodore might be no more, but it's still popular online.

An increasing number are choosing a holiday that involves a caravan or RV. So much so that the Caravan Industry Association said in June that caravan sales are at a 30-year high.

Models like the LandCruiser and the equally hulking Nissan Patrol – which was the fifth most searched vehicle this year – are ideal for off roading and towing.

Of course, the October launch of the new-generation LandCruiser 300 Series generated huge interest from enthusiasts and car buyers, pushing it to the top of the pack.

Following the Commodore in third is another capable Toyota – the HiLux ute. Given the HiLux has been the top-selling model in Australia since 2017, it’s a bit of a surprise that it didn’t top the list.

The HiLux might be the country's top seller but its LandCruiser stablemate has more search power.

Perhaps it will gain more traction in a couple of years ahead of the next-generation model arriving.

Another fallen Australian icon – the Ford Falcon – was fourth on the most searched list, showing the lasting interest in the locally built sedans.

The Falcon ended production in 2016 when Ford closed its Australian manufacturing operations.

Ford’s top-selling model and the number two car on the Australian sales charts – the locally developed Ranger ute – lands in sixth place behind the Patrol.

Like the LandCruiser, there's a lot of interest in the Nissan Patrol off roader.

The Ranger has swapped places with the seventh-placed Corolla in this year’s data, likely on the back of massive interest in the new-generation Ranger that was finally revealed in November after a lengthy teaser campaign.

The Corolla is in the middle of its current model cycle so hasn’t seen much media interest of late but it remains the country’s best-selling passenger car.

The Nissan Navara ute slipped one place to eighth compared to last year, despite a major update earlier this year and the launch of the new flagship Pro-4X Warrior.

Mitsubishi’s Triton ute jumped one spot to ninth this year, despite no major updates to the model, while the Toyota Camry sedan fell one spot to 10^th.

When it comes to the most searched brands across the network, very little has changed from 2020 to 2021. In fact, there is only one difference. Hyundai and Subaru swapped spots with the Korean brand now in eighth position.

The top five searched brands roughly followed the models. In top spot is Toyota, followed by Holden and Ford, with Nissan and Mitsubishi rounding out the top five.

Mazda landed in sixth, then Volkswagen, Hyundai and Subaru, while BMW was the sole premium marque in 10^th spot.