Toyota Hilux tops the pops

Toyota's HiLux is Australia's best-selling new vehicle so far this year, helping to make Toyota the country's most popular automotive brand for a 14th consecutive year.

Sustained demand for the HiLux and other Toyota models has lifted the brand to a market-leading sales total of 80,261 vehicles so far this year, higher than the 80,213 vehicles sold during the first five months of last year.

Toyota now leads the market by more than 30,000 vehicles with no other brand having reached 50,000 sales.

Toyota's executive director sales and marketing Tony Cramb said the combined impact of economic conditions and market factors were responsible for the strong 2016 sales figures from Toyota and the industry.

"Consumers are in the box seat with economic growth at its highest in four years, interest rates at an all-time low and relatively low unemployment supported by continued vigorous competition across the new-vehicle market," Cramb said.

"As a result, June - traditionally the strongest-selling month with the end of the financial year - could well be the industry's best sales month on record," he said.

Sales of HiLux have grown almost 14.2 per cent this year on the back of an all-new eighth-generation range launched in the latter part of last year.

The five-month tally for Australia's favourite ute is 16,558 sales, including industry-high sales for both 4x4 utes at 12,099 vehicles and 4x2 utes with 4459 deliveries.

Cramb said that Prado, LandCruiser 200 Series, HiAce van and HiAce bus also achieved sales leadership in their segments.