Toyota RAV4 has surpassed Tesla Model Y to emerge as the best-selling car globally in 2024, taking the world of global automotive industries by surprise. That changes everything in favor of Toyota and brings Tesla to a temporary loss as its electric crossover became the first EV in history to make it into the top-of-the-world sales charts in 2023.
The rise of the Tesla Model Y in 2023 shook the auto industry. What was more impressive is that it sold 1,223,000 units, which is not only about 150,000 units more than the RAV4 but also a milestone as the first electric vehicle to achieve a leading position in the world. But such a rule did not last long. Tesla also paced ahead powerfully at the beginning of 2024 but was slightly beaten by Toyota.
JATO Dynamics analyst Felipe Munoz calculated an estimate of the 1,185,000 Model Ys sold at the end of 2024, only 2,000 below the RAV4, with 1,187,000. The thin margin shows the point of how fierce the rivalry is based on the fact that Model Y registered a drop in year-over-year sales of 3 points.
This reduction was mostly explained by the fact that the company cut production briefly as it introduced the mid-life facelift to its Model Y. even though it was aimed to prevent the model to feel outdated and remain competitive at the same time, the hiatus in the manufacture probably influenced how Tesla was able to secure its position in the close competition race.
Toyota’s Familiar Dominance Returns
Tesla’s share fell a little bit, but Toyota took off. There was an 11% rise in sales globally by the RAV4 model in 2024, compared to the previous year, 2023, which is an especially remarkable performance of a vehicle that is at the later stages of the lifecycle. With a newly redesigned vehicle, this would be understandable, but with a car whose direct successor was on the way, this was not the case. However, Toyota was able to gain momentum, perhaps with reliability, which had a good worldwide brand equity, and which was always declared available.
And interestingly, the next-generation RAV4, unveiled just recently with audacious boxy styling, a complete lineup of hybrids reaching up to 320 horsepower, might further cement the position of the model on top, at least among the buyers who would care more about versatility and environmental safety.
Toyota’s comeback wasn’t limited to just the RAV4. Five of Toyota’s cars went into the top 10 in the global overall score, and this signifies how the Japanese-made carmaker continues to be mass-market friendly in a variety of sectors. The Corolla Cross was ranked third after the RAV4, and the Corolla sedan came in fifth position. It’s hardy Hilux pickup placed sixth with its Camry sedan ranking eighth in the results.
This influence serves to benefit a strategy that aims at increasing the huge number of customers served by Toyota, with city-goers as well as countryside agriculturalists in various regions.
Other Global Best-Sellers
Besides Toyota and Tesla, there are a couple of other automakers who have made it to the top 10. Honda CR-V entered the fourth position, and this was because it made good sales in North America and Asia. The model which used to be one of the most popular cars in the United States sales charts, the Ford F-150, took 7th place in the worldwide sales chart, and Chinese carmaker BYD broke into the top 10 with their model Qin, which was a significant achievement that illustrates the increasing importance of Chinese automakers in the global auto industry.
