Where's Holden? Ford winds back the clock to 1999 as all-new Ranger tops HiLux and boosts brand to number two sales spot for the first time in more than 20 years!

The all-new Ford Ranger is officially Australia's best-selling vehicle, knocking the Toyota HiLux into number two position in October.

And the storming success of the all-new ute has Ford partying like its 1999, with the brand finishing in the top two most popular brands in Australia last month for the first time in more than 20 years.

The stellar result is largely due to the arrival of the new Ranger, with 5628 examples of the ute finding homes in October. Brand wide, Ford managed 7823 sales, giving you an idea of just how important the Ranger nameplate is.

Read More About Ford Ranger

Ford Ranger Raptor for Baja 1000 Ford Ranger Raptor 2023 review Toyota HiLux 2023 review: Rogue - GVM test

That was enough to lift Ford into second position overall, finishing ahead of a booming Kia in third place (with 6380 sales), then Mitsubishi (5982 sales) and Hyundai (5289 sales).

The last time Ford finished in Australia's top two for a month was September, 1999. 

In first place, though, remains Toyota, which – despite HiLux sales falling  behind the Ranger to finish with 4884 sales – still has an iron grip on Australia's new car market, shifting 18,259 vehicles in October.  

China's rise through Australia's new-car market continued last month, with the MG ZS the fifth best-selling vehicle in the country with 2293 sales, and the MG3 adding another 1823 sales in eighth place.

In fact, aside from Toyota and Mitsubishi, MG was the only other brand to have more than one model in the top 10 best-seller list, helping ensure the Chinese car maker was the sixth best-selling brand in the country last month.

Overall, the Australian new-car market came roaring back to life last month, with 87,299 vehicles sold - up 16.9 per cent on the same month last year -  bringing the year-to-date tally to 898,429, and all but guaranteeing a one-million-car-plus total for 2022.

The MG ZS was the fifth best-selling vehicle in the country.

But in terms of what we're buying, the data is clear. More than 80 per cent of the vehicles sold in Australia last month were either an SUV or a light-commercial vehicle, like a ute or van. Passenger cars - once a force in Australia - made up just 15.3 per cent of sales.

And that, says Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) chief executive, Tony Weber, is an issue as we race towards electrification, with Mr Weber pointing out that affordable electric SUVs are so far proving few and far between.

“Globally, car manufacturers have been heavily impacted by the Covid 19 pandemic. This October figure is a positive sign that supply chains are recovering and consistency is returning to the marketplace, but we still have some way to go before it returns to normal,” says FCAI Chief Executive, Tony Weber.

“It is important to note the continuing, strong preference for SUV and Light Commercial vehicles in Australia. Consumer preference for these vehicles needs to be considered when charting any policy designed to increase the uptake of zero emission vehicles. This is particularly critical given the low availability and high price points of zero and low emission models in these segments."

Most popular brands of October 2022

Most popular models of October 2022