Toyota tops January car sales for third year running


Toyota has come out on top of the competitive January passenger car sales period in Ireland for the third year in a row.

According to the latest figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, Toyota sold 4,446 passenger cars last month, over 700 more than the next best seller, giving it a market leading share of 16.25 per cent.

Toyota models accounted for four of the top five best-selling cars for the month with the Yaris Cross, Yaris, Toyota C-HR and Corolla.

Steve Tormey, Toyota Ireland chief executive said the brand’s January market share “gives us confidence that it’s going to be another strong year for hybrid electric sales”.

SIMI figures show that hybrid electric cars made up just under 21 per cent of the entire January market, and Toyota claims it is benefiting from the continued migration away from diesel to more environmentally friendly options.

January sales of hybrids were just 2.4 per cent lower than the historically high selling diesels, which has also fallen significantly over the past few years, dropping from 43.29 per cent in 2020 to 26.77 per cent in 2022, according to SIMI figures.

On the other hand, the figures show that full EVs showed continued growth accounting for 13.46 per cent of the market, while PHEVs were at 6.95 per cent and petrol came in at 33.83 per cent.

“With the widest range of hybrid models on the market, Toyota can fulfil all customers’ needs with a car that suits taste, lifestyle and budget,” Mr Tormey said.

“In addition to the low CO2 and negligible NOx emissions, our hybrids represent a smart environmental choice, with the added convenience of not having to plug them in to charge. And, our PHEVs add to that choice with up to 80km EV range on the RAV4.”

Mr Tormey added that Toyota has long championed sustainable driving, and that it’s “encouraging” to see the move to electrified motoring “steadily gather pace” over the past few years.

“I believe that we have the right offering at the right time for the growing number of sustainability-conscious Irish motorists, and our hybrid strategy is working out well for both motorists and the environment.

“Just four years ago hybrids accounted for seven per cent of January sales, so to now see the market up at 21 per cent strongly indicates a major mindset shift in favour of our planet.

“And, with exciting models like the new 1.8L Corolla Cross coming to Toyota dealerships in the summer there’ll be yet another great reason to switch to hybrid electric,” he concluded.