Toyota Hilux ready for battle

Australia's biggest selling ute -- the Toyota Hilux -- is under siege with a motherload of new rivals ready to chip away at its top-selling status this year.

There are at least four new models due from established brands -- Ford, Mazda, Nissan and new player Volkswagen -- as well as new arrivals from budget Chinese maker Great Wall attacking the Hilux and others at the affordable end of the market.

"We sold just under 40,000 Hiluxes last year, that's a very big part of our business, and we need to hang on to it," the executive director of sales and marketing, David Buttner, told the Carsales Network.

"We will have some activity on Hilux later in the year and we very much look forward to that."

The Carsales Network understands that the Hilux will receive a new front-end look in September, but there will be no major mechanical changes.

"We are aware of what the market is doing and what else is out there and Hilux is one of core strengths, so we're not going to remain idle."

According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, in 2010 the Hilux, with almost 39,900 deliveries, was Australia's best-selling ute, best-selling 4WD and best-selling light-commercial vehicle.

The Hilux was also the third best-selling nameplate after the Holden Commodore and Toyota Corolla in 2010 ahead of the Mazda3 -- and the outright best seller in Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

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