Toyota Trucks Hit New Sales Milestones in 2017
Tacoma sales set an all-time record while the RAV4 becomes the first best-selling non-pickup truck in history.
The year 2017 wasn’t exactly what most automakers might consider great. After all, the entire industry experienced significant sales declines following a record 2016. In the meantime, however, Toyota wasn’t reeling at all. In fact, the automaker has two significant milestones to celebrate after Toyota trucks proved to be even more popular than ever among consumers.
For starters, Toyota sold a record 198,124 Tacoma pickups last year. That incredible number represents a 3.4% increase over 2016, as well as the best figure in the model’s 20+ year history. December helped cap off that achievement as Tacoma sales rose a significant 6.8% over last year. Also for the first time since 2015, the Tundra experienced a sales increase of just under 1%.
But the Tacoma’s record-setting performance may not even be the best news regarding Toyota trucks in 2017. Because the RAV4 became America’s first-ever best-selling non-pickup that isn’t a passenger car. The compact SUV beat out its rival Honda CR-V in the process, making this one truly satisfying victory. The only bad news? It had to overtake the Camry as America’s fourth best-selling vehicle, a spot it had held for 15 years.
The rise of the SUV has been a long time in the making, of course. Aided by low fuel prices, they’ve surged past passenger cars and joined trucks as America’s preferred method of transportation. But the RAV4’s emergence as the non-truck vehicle of choice is no less stunning a development, even taking that into consideration.
Today, light trucks account for nearly 60 percent of all new vehicle sales. And as every single automaker scrambles to make more of them, Toyota already holds the crown. With the best-selling mid-size pickup and now best-selling non-pickup (period) under its belt, 2018 is looking even better for Toyota trucks across the board.
