Ford hits back at Toyota: Blue Oval dismisses Toyota's worry that ute sales will drop, with high hopes for Ford Ranger PHEV and Ranger Super Duty despite rise of the Toyota RAV4

Ford has hit back at Toyota’s suggestions that the ute market is softening, claiming the addition of the all-new Ranger PHEV (plug-in hybrid) and Ranger Super Duty should keep the Blue Oval’s ute on top in 2025.

Back in January, Toyota sales and marketing boss Sean Hanley opened the door to the possibility the RAV4 could knock-off both the HiLux and Ranger to become Australia’s best-selling new vehicle.

“Looking towards the future we already know that the number of models available to Australian buyers will expand rapidly. They’ll all be competing for an overall market that is likely to remain steady, which suggests that the average sales per model will come down,” he said.

This is categorically not an opinion shared by Ford Australia marketing chief, Ambrose Henderson who hit back at the suggestion Ranger sales could stall or decline. Instead he suggested Toyota’s attitude stems from a decline in sales of the aging HiLux, which is reportedly due for replacement in the next 12 months.

“ Yeah, look I'd probably first have a look at the HiLux sales results over the last couple of years and the direction that they've been taking, and so I'll let Toyota explain that however they like, but that's up to them,” Henderson said. “But we're here to run our own race. Our sales increased in that space.”

While Henderson dismissed the idea of a sales decline, he did agree that increased competition, from the likes of BYD, Kia and more, will make the ute segment an even more intense sales fight, but it’s not a fight Ford is backing away from.

“And is the competition going to grow? Absolutely it is,” he said. “Who wouldn't be a competitor looking at this segment in Australia and saying, ‘I want a piece of that’. So of course there's going to be more competitors joining the pick-up segment where we're very strong, but I think this year, the biggest noise is going to be made about some of the new product introductions we're making.”

Henderson pointed to the introduction of the Ranger PHEV and Super Duty as keys to Ford’s sustained success in the ute market, as both expand the appeal of the Ranger as the model gets older.

“So you think about Ranger PHEV it really is the only transitional technology in that segment that has no compromise to capabilities. Full stop,” he said.

He added: “And then later in the year, as you all know, we're very excited to progress towards the launch of Ranger Super Duty. Again, a product that is absolutely white space. There's no one that can deliver the capability, the technology, the safety… So I think we'll have more than our fair share of exciting introductions into the segment that'll help not only those individual products, but I'm sure the whole range of brand as well. And probably the segment as it continues to redefine what a ute is. And that's why the segment's grown. It's because a ute has become not only a ute that can put stuff in the back and tow, but it's also become an amazing family car. Because of the refinement of the technology and the safety that Ford has introduced and pioneered in this segment.

2024 Ford Ranger Platinum.

“So, I don't think I share what Toyota thinks, and we'll let them have their own views. We all have our own views of what the market will do. But I think we've got a very strong plan this year.”