The auto industry just saw a big change. For a while, the Tesla Model Y sat at the top, selling more cars than anyone else. It quickly overtook other popular models. But now, that reign is over. The Toyota RAV4 has zoomed past the Model Y. It’s a surprising comeback for Toyota’s popular SUV.
Toyota’s Surprise Win
New numbers confirm the shift at the top. Automotive analyst Felipe Munoz from JATO Dynamics released the figures. The Toyota RAV4 pulled ahead of the Tesla Model Y. The difference in sales was less than 3,000 cars.
The RAV4 sold 1,187,000 units around the world in 2024. That’s an 11% increase from the year before. The Model Y, on the other hand, sold 1,185,000 units. Its sales dropped by 3% in the same period. This flips the script from 2023. Back then, the Model Y was number one with 1,223,000 sales. The RAV4 was second with 1,075,000 units.
What makes the RAV4’s 2024 performance even more interesting? This current generation of the RAV4 is in its final year. Toyota plans to release a new model in 2026. This new version will include a plug-in hybrid option. The RAV4 even beat out an updated Model Y. Tesla pointed to a production break as a reason. They said it impacted sales in 2024 and early 2025. This pause happened between the old and new Model Y versions.
More Brands on the Rise
Beyond the top two, other car makers are making waves. Another Toyota model, the Corolla Cross, jumped into the top sellers. It saw an 18% increase to 859,000 sales. This put it just 5,000 units ahead of the Honda CR-V. Both were well ahead of the fifth-place car. That was the Toyota Corolla, with 697,000 sales. The Toyota HiLux followed, then the Ford F-150.
Chinese automaker BYD made a big splash in the top ten. Its Qin sedan moved up from 12th place in 2023. It landed just behind the Toyota Camry in eighth. It also sat above the Tesla Model 3 in ninth. These sales figures come from data across 153 markets. This covers 99% of new car sales globally. (Source: Felipe Munoz, JATO Dynamics)
This changing of the guard is not entirely unexpected. Tesla’s sales have been slowing. The company is putting fewer vehicles on the road lately. Still, electric vehicles continue their overall upward trend. They are a growing and important part of the auto market. Their presence on these top sales lists is only getting stronger.