Liechtenstein Q1 2013: VW, Audi and Toyota improve

465 new vehicles found a buyer over the first Quarter of 2013, and as in 2012 Volkswagen and Audi are the two most popular brands, both even improving their market share year-on-year. VW sells 87 units for an outstanding 18.7% share vs. 17.3% in 2012 and Audi is at 54 sales and 11.6% vs. 9.9%. But the most impressive progression is without a doubt delivered by Toyota, going from 5.6% share in 2012 to 9% and 42 units over the period.

Other great performers include BMW (8.6%) and Mercedes (7.1%) both improving their shares even though their drop one spot, Suzuki going from 2.1% in 2012 to 4.1% and #8 now, Mitsubishi exactly doubling its share from 1.7% and #20 to 3.4% and #10 and Honda going from 1.3% to 2.2% at #12.

Libya: ZX Auto GrandTiger replaces Toyota Hilux as rebels’ choice

In 2011 the Arab Spring took Tunisia, Egypt and Libya by storm. But aside from overthrown governments, what really interests us car enthusiasts is to know how well Chinese manufacturers are doing in these countries. If you are a regular reader of BSCB you will know that Chery has been selling Speranza-branded, locally produced cars by the bucket in Egypt. The Libyan Civil War is giving us another piece of the puzzle in what could well be a significant event in the history of Chinese car manufacturing.

Lebanon February 2013: Kia Picanto and Cerato dominate

After Jordan, let’s explore another very rare country on TheBestSellingCarsBlog (as far as detailed data is concerned): Lebanon. 3,808 new cars were sold in the country in February, adding up to 7,226 year-to-date. And here too the Koreans have a tight grip on the sales charts. Leader in February with 350 sales and 9.2% share, the Kia Picanto also snaps the pole position year-to-date at 628 units and 8.7%. The Nissan Sunny is up 3 spots to #2 at 7.9% but is only #4 year-to-date, while the Kia Rio is up one to #3 both this month and year-to-date.

Latvia April 2013: Peugeot Bipper lands top spot

New car sales in Latvia are down 9% year-on-year to just under 1,000 registrations (993 to be precise), which brings the year-to-date total to 3,778 units, down 7% on 2012. Big surprise atop the Latvian models ranking this month: the Peugeot Bipper is up 6 spots on March to snap the pole position thanks to 55 sales and 5.5% share, it is now #8 year-to-date at 2.3%. Even though it is down to #5 this month, the Peugeot 3008 however keeps the lead year-to-date at 159 units and 4.2% share.

Two additional models also excel within the Top 10 this month: the Toyota RAV4 boosted by the new generation is also up 6 ranks to #2 at 42 units and the Dacia Duster is up 47 spots to land at a best-ever #4 with 35 sales. Further down, notice the Hyundai i40 remaining extremely solid at #8 with 26 units, the Kia Cee’d up 21 ranks to #11, the Lexus RX up 10 to a world-best #14, the Honda Civic up 18 to #19, Subaru Forester up 25 to #28 and the Dacia Dokker landing directly at #30.

Laos 2012 Update: Chinese models keep spreading

Thanks to Howee I can share with you more recent pictures of the streets of Laos. While the Toyota Hilux should still be leading the models ranking in the country with the Isuzu D-Max, Kia Cerato Forte, Hyundai Elantra and Kia Picanto also successful, the more interesting development in Laos is the steady spreading of Chinese models in the streets of the country.

Kyrgyzstan: Toyota Camry should lead sales

The Kyrgyz market is very similar to neighbour Kazahkstan, and should place the Toyota Camry on top on the sales ranking, ahead of the Toyota Prado and Land Cruiser. Old Ladas are still dominant in rural areas but should not appear in new car sales.

A few UzDaewoo Nexia (as police cars) can also be seen, as well as some new gen Toyota Corolla.

Kuwait February 2013: Toyota Prado at 16%, Nissan Patrol #2

The new car market in Kuwait is up a further 16% year-on-year in February to 12,602 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 25,167 units after two months, up 18% on 2012. Quite a lot of movement atop the models ranking this month in Kuwait. The Toyota Prado keeps its pole position by very far and manages to almost double its market share compared to January to reach a huge 15.8% thanks to 2,000 sales (which sounds like an estimate to me). The Nissan Patrol amazes its world by gaining 10 spots on last month to land in 2nd place at 609 units and 4.8%, ahead of the Toyota Hilux, Nissan D22 and Sunny. The other great performers this month are all American: the Chrysler 300C is up 26 ranks to #6, the Chevrolet Silverado up 21 to #15 and the Ford Edge up 60 to #22.

Kenya December 2012: Toyota Land Cruiser most popular

Thanks to the hard work of Rutger I am able to share with you some very rare data about the Kenyan new vehicle market, up a shy 1% year-on-year in 2012 to 12,798 units. This is the “the slowest growth since 2009 when reduced economic activity due to the post-election and global economic meltdown cut orders by 20%”, says local website Business Daily Africa. General Motors East Africa, mainly distributing Isuzu light and heavy commercial vehicles, maintains its lead over the Kenyan market with sales up a robust 9% to 3,421 units for a 26.7% market share. “We had a lot of orders for our Isuzu buses last year. We could not supply all the units in 2012 and the strong order book is keeping us busy in this first quarter,” says Rita Kavashe, GMEA’s managing director.

The saloon car market has come under serious attack from imported second hand vehicles over the past 5 years, increasing the pressure on Toyota, up just 3% at #2 with 3,099 sales and 24.2%, and CMC Motors, which deals in Land Rover, Volkswagen and Ford models, down to #5. Model-wise, in December the Toyota Land Cruiser takes the lead with 108 sales and almost 10% share, followed by the Mitsubishi Diesel 9-tonne truck and the Toyota Hilux Double Cab.

Kazakhstan Full Year 2012: Lada Priora and Samara on top

The Kazakh new car market is on fire in 2012: up an out-of-this-world 114% on 2011 to a record 95,313 registrations! Its previous best was 60,513 before the financial crisis in 2007, but experts see the market grow by a further 40% in 2013 with a long-term objective of 280,000 annual sales… Lada dominates the charts with 40.6% of the passenger car market vs. 35.4% in 2011 and 2013 should be even better for the Russian carmaker: its share was up to 44% over the last Quarter of 2012. The Lada Priora is king thanks to sales up 3-fold vs. 2011 to 11,994 and 12.6%.

Jordan February 2013: Hyundai Elantra in the lead so far

Jordanian data is very rare so let’s enjoy it this month! 5,113 new vehicles found a buyer in the country in February, bringing the year-to-date total to 9,390 units. As we found last time we had access to Jordanian data, the models ranking is totally dominated by Korean cars, with 9 in the Top 10 and 17 in the Top 20. The Hyundai Elantra is in the lead both in February with 793 sales and 15.5% share and year-to-date at 1,217 units and 13%. The Hyundai Accent takes the 2nd spot in February at 11% share but is #3 year-to-date at 10.1%, below the Kia Frontier at 10.9%. The Hyundai Tucson is up 9 ranks to #4 with 342 sales and 6.7%, ahead of the Kia Cerato at 5.7% and the Hyundai Santa Fe at 5.1%.

Japan Kei cars April 2013: Daihatsu Move makes a move

Sales of new Kei cars are up 1% year-on-year in Japan to 152,000 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 738,153 units, down 1% on 2012. And this month we get the third different #1 model in as many months, with the Daihatsu Move stepping up to pole position for the first time in over 2 years (since February 2011 exactly) thanks to 18,601 sales, up 54% year-on-year. It still however ranks #2 year-to-date at 79,394 units vs. 85,983 for the Honda N-Box, #2 again this month with 16,382 sales, down 3%.

Jamaica 2012: Toyota keeps stranglehold on the market

Thanks to Myk I am able to give you an update on the Jamaican new car market in 2012. The significant event at the start of the year is the arrival in 2nd place behind Toyota of ATL, the Jamaican distributor of Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volkswagen and Honda. Honda is still ATL’s biggest brand with 113 sales over the first 2 months of 2012 but VW is catching up fast with 81 units sold, thanks notably to the Amarok which has received a warm welcome in Jamaica, capturing over 25% of the midsize pick-up truck segment.

Italy April 2013: Citroen C3 Picasso & VW Up! at highest ever

New car sales in Italy endure their 16th consecutive month of year-on-year decline in April, down 11% to 117,625 registrations which brings the year-to-date total to 474,308 units, down 12% on 2012. The top of the models ranking is back to its traditional self this month, with the Top 4 most popular models being identical to the 2013 year-to-date and Full year 2012 rankings: the Fiat Panda (8% share) is followed by the Fiat Punto (5.5%), Lancia Ypsilon (4.5%) and Fiat 500 (3.9%). The Renault Clio is back up 4 spots on March to a shiny 5th place and is now #6 so far in 2013 vs. #12 in 2012.

Israel April 2013: Hyundai i35 edges past Ford Focus

New car sales in Israel are up a very healthy 20% year-on-year in April to 17,274 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total back into positive at 74,525 units, up 1% on 2012. This month the Hyundai i35 (aka Elantra) edges past the Ford Focus to become the most popular model in the country thanks to 953 sales and 5.5% vs. 937 and 5.4% for the Focus which holds onto its 2013 year-to-date pole position at 4,512 units and 6.1%. The Hyundai i30 is also in great shape, up 3 spots on March to land on the third step of the podium with 808 sales and 4.7%.

Ireland April 2013: BMW 5 Series and Dacia Duster impress

First figures for the full month of April are starting to trickle down and for once we start with Ireland. The Irish new car market is down 9% year-on-year to 6,121 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 45,581 units, down 13% on 2012. The VW Golf maintains itself at very high levels thanks to the 7th generation, #1 for the 2nd consecutive month at 358 sales and 5.8% and reinforcing its pole position year-to-date with 2,361 units and 5.2%. The Ford Focus is back up 6 spots on last month to #2 with 229 sales and 3.7% (it is #3 year-to-date) while the Nissan Qashqai rounds up the podium at 205 units and 3.3% but still ranks #2 year-to-date with 2,146 sales and 4.7%.

Iraq 2012: Toyota Hilux and Kia Cerato dominate

Thanks to Jerome who recently visited Erbil in Iraq and was kind enough to share his picture to be published on BestSellingCarsBlog, I can share with you more detail about the Iraqi new car market for 2012. Granted, Erbil is quite a specific region in the country that has enjoyed significant growth recently, with most of the car park being under 7 years old, and it may not reflect the reality of Iraq as a whole but it is as good a starting point into a more detailed view of the Iraqi car market as anything.

Iran April 2013: Chery MVM315 up to 4th place

As is the tradition for Iran only production data is available, however this is a good indication of car sales in the country as high import duties limit sales of imported vehicles. April 2013 roughly corresponds to Farvardin, the first month of the year 1392 in the Persian calendar. Traditionally the weakest month of the year, this year Farvardin production data tests new lows: down a horrendous 60% year-on-year to just 22,513 units, only a few units more than the sales of the Saipa Pride one year ago…now down 53% to just under 10,000 units at 9,998 – the first time the Pride falls below 10,000 monthly units produced since the creation of BestSellingCarsBlog.

Being a very weak month, the models ranking is a lot more volatile: we have the Renault Tondar 90 (aka Dacia Logan) up to a brilliant 2nd place thanks to 2,204 units produced (-57%) followed by the Peugeot 405 at 1,653 (-77%). Exceptional performance of the Chery MVM315 (aka Fulwin 2/Bonus) up to #4 with 1,627 units, while the Chery MVM350 (aka A5) is up to #5 at 1,095 units (+61%). The Saipa Tiba is up 96% year-on-year to #7 and we welcome a new model in the ranking, the Saipa X100 which is a combination of the Saipa 111, 131, 132 and 141 at #11 with 430 sales.

Indonesia April 2013: Suzuki Ertiga #2, Toyota Etios in Top 10

Another month above 100,000 registrations in Indonesia in April at 102,199 units, up a huge 33% year-on-year and bringing the year-to-date total to 398,121, up 22% on 2012. This is the 7th time in the last 11 months the Indonesian market breaks the 100,000 monthly unit-barrier whereas it had never happened before June 2012… No surprise in pole position: the Toyota Avanza still reigns supreme with 19,798 sales and 19.4% share, its highest in the last 12 months! Year-to-date, an astounding 68,362 Avanzas found a buyer in the country after just 4 months…

India April 2013: Maruti DZire threatens Alto for pole position!

Would the Indian new car market have plateaued already? In April it is down for the 5th consecutive month at -8% year-on-year to 199,496 registrations. This brings the year-to-date total to 887,839 units, down 11% on 2012. One year ago the Maruti Swift became only the 4th model since 1950 to snap the monthly pole position. This time it’s the sedan version, the Maruti DZire, that narrowly misses that feat. It sells a magnificent 19,446 units in April for a record 9.7% market share, only 401 units below the Maruti Alto, down below 20,000 monthly sales for the first time since last August. It’s interesting to notice that this the DZire’s 2nd highest volume behind last month’s 19,446 and it’s only the 4th time ever it manages to beat the Swift after last August, September and March…

Iceland mid-May 2013: Toyota RAV4 on podium

With Spring, new car sales flourish again in Iceland: over the first 17 days of May, no less than 739 new vehicles found a buyer in the country which is more than during the entire month of April (634)! No surprise in pole position: the Skoda Octavia reigns supreme with 83 sales and almost 10% market share, reinforcing its year-to-date leadership at 247 units and 9.5%. The Toyota Yaris is also back to its YTD position at #2 with 58 sales and 7.8%, adding up to 154 units and 5.3% in 2013 so far. Another excellent result for the new generation Toyota RAV4, hopping onto the podium at #3 with 48 sales and 6.5% and now #4 year-to-date vs. #24 in 2012.

The Toyota Land Cruiser 150 is up a whopping 30 spots compared to April to #4 at 45 units and 6.1%, the Kia Sportage is up 11 to #5, Toyota Auris up 19 to #6, Kia Rio up 6 to #7 and the Skoda Superb is up a massive 45 ranks to #8 with 23 sales and 3.1%. Other great performers over the period include the Hyundai i10 up 35 spots to #11, Ford Transit Connect up to #17, Toyota Aygo up 57 to #18 and the Nissan Note up 78 to #19.

Hungary 3 months 2013: Octavia #1, Dacia Duster on podium

Over the first 3 months of 2013, the Hungarian new car market is down 10% to 12,559 registrations. Now that sales of the two generations of Opel Astra are separated again, the Skoda Octavia takes the lead of the models ranking in Hungary over the period thanks to 669 sales and 5.3% share, ahead of the Ford Focus at 492 units and 3.9% and the Dacia Duster up two spots on its FY 2012 ranking to land on the podium with 418 sales and 3.3%.

Hong Kong (China) April 2013: Toyota Hiace & Lexus RX shine

3,050 new vehicles found a buyer in Hong Kong in April, bringing the year-to-date total to 15,487 units. Bit of reshuffle atop the models ranking: the Toyota Hiace is back in pole position for the third time in the last 7 months after last October and November thanks to 186 sales and 6.1% share, but this time it is followed by the Lexus RX, brilliantly up 7 spots on March to land in 2nd place at 127 units and 4.6% and the only other vehicle to sell more than 100 units in Hong Kong this month. Leader last month, the VW Golf is down to a still excellent third position with 94 sales and 3.1%.

Guinea: Prado possible leader, Renault 19 rules the streets

In Guinea, new cars are reserved to the elite who seems to prefer big Toyotas like the Prado, Land Cruiser 70 and 200. Most cars are taxis and among them, the most popular models are the 1992 Renault 19 Phase 2 and the 1989 Renault 21 Phase 2. Guinea is indeed one of the countries where European Renault sedans go to die…

Guatemala 2010: Yaris, Hilux and Aveo on top

The Guatemalan car market is a relatively difficult one to approach as it seems to be quite fragmented. However, 3 models should stand out in the rankings: the Toyota Yaris Sedan, Toyota Hilux and Chevrolet Aveo.

Other strong sellers in Guatemala are the Mazda3, VW Polo, Mitsubishi Lancer, Hyundai Santa Fe, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Mazda B-Series and Hyundai Atos (dedicated to taxis). The Mazda 323 sedan must have been #1 in the country a few years back judging by how many of them are still swarming the streets today. There is also an unusually high number of Volvos in the Guatemala City streets!

Greece mid-May 2013: Toyota and VW lead market down 35%

Can the Greek market dive further down? It seems it can: after hiving us a flicker of hope last month with a 21% year-on-year gain, over the first half of May, new car sales are down 35% year-on-year to just 1,082 registrations, however 48% or 519 of these are fleet sales so Greek consumers have actually only bought 563 new cars over the period! Toyota leads the way with 12% share ahead of Volkswagen at 11.6% and Opel at 8.3%. Notice Fiat up to #6 and Suzuki up to #9.

Ghana: Mitsubishi Pajero very popular

Ghana is one of the most dynamic car market in Africa, with 12,000 new car sales in 2011, double that of neighbour Cote d’Ivoire. It is also relatively mature, with a full variety of models available and a very fragmented structure. My dear friend Audrey will visit the country soon so expect a more up-to-date Full Photo Report shortly…

Germany Private Sales April 2013: Opel Mokka in Top 10

As usual, after going through overall German sales for April, let’s now have a look at the private sales (PS) ranking, painting a very different picture once again. The VW Golf and Polo still lead, but they are now followed by the Mercedes B-Class up 2 spots on March while the Mercedes A-Class is stable at an excellent 4th position. The Audi A3′s success in the overall ranking (#4) is reflected here: it is up 14 spots to #6 with 2,317 sales and an ok 35% PS ratio.

Georgia: Toyota Corolla should be on top

Georgian consumers were very fast to shed their Soviet past: there are virtually no Ladas anymore in the streets of the capital city Tbilisi. The Toyota Corolla should take the lead of the sales ranking in 2010, followed by the Hyundai Tucson and the Toyota Camry.

Other successful cars in Georgia include the Nissan Tiida, Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Pajero and Hyundai ix35. There are also a lot of second hand 1991 Opel Astras and various Mercedes in the streets.

Gabon 2011: Toyota and Mitsubishi take up half the market

Thanks to Rutger we now have our first contribution to the Africa Project with more recent sales data for Gabon. After a shaky 2009 (-8%) and 2010 (-7%), 2011 is a record year for new car sales in Gabon, up a massive 29% to 5,925 registrations. Two manufacturers are head and shoulders above the others: Toyota leads the way with 1,945 sales and nearly 33% share, with Mitsubishi #2 at 1,012 units and 17.1%. Hyundai ranks third with 9.2% of the market, an impressive improvement on the 6.5% it held in 2010, ahead of Nissan at 6.1% and Mazda at 5.6%.

We also have a more detailed brands ranking for the first 4 months of 2011 which shows Renault-Dacia at #6, followed by Ford, Suzuki, Isuzu and Peugeot. The Chinese have landed also in Gabon, with Chery at #16 with 20 sales, JAC #17 at 19 units and ZX Auto at #20 with 4 sales. The market is still dominated by 4WD and pick-ups at just above 35% share each and only 10% for passenger cars, which means that like in 2010, the Toyota Hilux and Mitsubishi L200 should top the Gabonese models ranking, with the Toyota Prado and Mitsubishi Pajero also popular.

Finland April 2013: VW Golf shows Qashqai who’s Boss

Once again this month’s year-on-year evolution of the Finnish car market is biased by the fact that at the same time last year the market was artificially slowed down as a result of a car tax raise implemented on April 1, 2012. As a results sales are up a huge 148% in April to a somewhat mundane 9,706 registrations, with the year-to-date total still significantly down at -28% to 37,091 units. If last month the Nissan Qashqai showed the VW Golf who was Boss by leading the market by far, this time the reverse happens: the VW Golf is way ahead with 490 sales and 5% and reclaims the year-to-date leadership at 1,798 units and 4.8% while the Qashqai falls back to #4 this month and #2 year-to-date.

Other great performers in Finland in April include the Toyota Yaris up 5 ranks to #3, the BMW 3 Series up 4 to #6 and now #10 so far in 2013 vs. #20 in 2012, the Hyundai i20 up 7 to #11, the Mercedes A-Class up 5 to #18 and the Skoda Rapid maintaining itself within the Finnish Top 20 for the 2nd month in a row at #19.

Europe April 2013: Audi A3 breaks into Top 10 for the first time!

Whereas recession has now spread across most of Europe, April new car sales in the region are unexpectedly up year-on-year for the first time since… August 2011 (!) at +2% to 1,086,501 registrations. Year-to-date, the market is still down 7% on 2012 at 4,190,447 units. According to Bloomberg, the Euro zone economy is forecast to stagnate in the 3 months through June and return to growth in the third quarter, so this might signal the start of a revival of the car market, especially as governments are starting to implement measures to boost sales. However, Autonews says there is no reason to rejoice as April sales were flattered by two extra days in many European markets after Easter holidays fell in March, with last year’s weak April also helping the year-on-year comparison. So this may not be the end of the tunnel after all.

Estonia April 2013: Honda Civic and Kia Sportage dominate

The Estonian new car market is up a very healthy 10% year-on-year in April to 1,936 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 6,559 units. Honda has definitely struck a chord with car buyers in Estonia: the Honda Civic is the most popular model in the country in April, equal with the Kia Sportage, with 87 sales and 4.5% share, while year-to-date the Honda CR-V maintains itself in pole position thanks 361 units and 5.5% share, ranking third in April with 75 sales.

Egypt March 2013: Geely Emgrand EC7 up to 6th place!

The Egyptian new car market is flat like the country’s desert this month, down 0.5% year-on-year to 17,123 registrations which brings the year-to-date total to 49,606 units, up 17% on 2012. The Top 5 best-sellers are unchanged compared to February which means the Chevrolet TFR, a previous gen Isuzu D-Max, tops the charts for the 4th time in the last 12 months, this time with an extremely solid 1,946 sales and 11.4%. The Hyundai Verna follows at 1,402 units and 8.2% ahead of the Chevrolet Lanos at 4.6%, Mitsubishi Lancer at 4.3% and Chevrolet Aveo at 4.1%.

Ecuador 2010: Chevrolet Aveo Activo & Luv D-Max dominate

A few days ago I called for your help to get more recent official data for some countries – and you heard my call! Thanks to Oscar I am now able to share with you 2010 data for Ecuador. Not the most recent but better than 2009… In 2010 Ecuadorian new car sales take off, up a massive 42% year-on-year to 132,172 registrations. Chevrolet owns the market with a mammoth 40.4% market share thanks to 53,429 sales with Hyundai at #2 with 13% ahead of Kia at 8.2%, Nissan at 7.1%, Toyota at 6.6% and Mazda at 6.5%.

Denmark April 2013: VW Up! sales double any other car

Now this is remarkable. While almost all car markets in Europe are now in recession, Denmark is up a whopping 31% year-on-year to 15,829 registrations, a new record for April and bringing the year-to-date total to 57,779 registrations, here too a new record, up 9% on 2012 and up 7% on 2011 which was the previous best… And the Danish consumers are pretty clear with what car they like: the VW Up! is #1 for the 9th month in a row with 1,451 sales and 9.2% share, adding up to 5,180 and 9% year-to-date. This is more than double the sales of the #2 car in both rankings…

Czech Republic April 2013: Skoda Octavia back in the groove

The Czech new car market slows down its fall in April at -9% year-on-year to 15,061 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 51,514 units, down 14% on 2012. After a couple of weak transition months below 10% share, the Skoda Octavia is back in the groove thanks to the new generation with 1,775 sales and 12.8%, its strongest monthly volume since last June and best share since last January. The Skoda Fabia is also back up to 7% share at 970 units while the Skoda Rapid is down to 4.2% at 574 sales. There is still more room between the Octavia and the Fabia (5.8 percentage points) than between the Fabia and the Rapid (2.8 percentage points)…

Cyprus Full Year 2012: Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris on top

For the first time since 2006 and thanks to a tip from Rutger I can share with you a detailed models ranking for Cyprus today. The Cypriot new car market is down a worrying 22% year-on-year in 2012 to 10,445 registrations, however that doesn’t mean all models take a hit. The Ford Fiesta remains the most popular car in the country thanks to 873 sales and 8.4% share, down 11%. It is now followed by the Toyota Yaris, up a huge 158% and 8 spots on 2011 thanks to the new generation to 613 units and 5.9%. The Hyundai ix35 rounds up the podium with 600 sales and 5.7%, up 37%.

Cuba October 2011: Geely ships second batch of cars

Now that Cuban consumers can purchase a car freely, Chinese manufacturer Geely has shipped a batch of 1,560 cars to the country, composed of 1,310 units of the Geely CK and 250 units of the Emgrand EC7. These cars are destined to be used by the Defence and Tourism Ministries, rental car companies and possibly private buyers.

Croatia April 2013: VW Polo and Golf runaway leaders

After falling horrendously at the start of the year (-48% in January!, -49% in February!), the Croatian new car market is back in positive territory in April at +7% to 2,813 registrations. The year-to-date total now stands at 8,850 units, down 34% on 2012. Volkswagen manages a one-two this month, placing the Polo in pole position at an outstanding 210 sales and 7.5% and the Golf at #2 with 169 units and 6% (but still #1 year-to-date with 497 sales and 5.6%). The Opel Astra rounds up the podium at 146 units and 5.2% followed by the Opel Insignia very impressive again with 94 sales and 3.3%. Notice also the Opel Corsa back up to #5 and the Kia Sportage up to #7.

Costa Rica 2011: Daihatsu BeGo Terios possible leader

Now it’s the turn of Costa Rica to be under the spotlight! The Costa Rican car market differs from its neighbours in the fact that Toyota isn’t completely owning the place. Favoured by end consumers and rental car companies alike, the Daihatsu Terios (called BeGo Terios in Costa Rica) could very well be on top of the sales ranking.

The two other very successful models in Costa Rica are the Suzuki Grand Vitara and the Honda Civic. Other cars worth mentioning are the Toyota Hilux, Corolla and Yaris and the Hyundai Accent which, judging by the amount of previous gen Accents in the streets, may have been best-seller in the past.

Colombia Full Year 2012: Renault Sandero snaps up top spot

After a record year in 2011, the Colombian new car market is down a reasonable 3% year-on-year in 2012 to 315,968 registrations, still the 2nd best-ever annual tally in the country. Big change atop the models ranking: the Renault Sandero/Stepway snaps up the top spot and puts an end to 6 consecutive years of Chevrolet Aveo domination thanks to 14,837 sales and 4.7%, albeit down 13%. The Chevrolet Spark GT gains one spot on 2011 to land at #2 with 13,506 units and 4.3% (-18%) with the Chevrolet Aveo down 39% to #2 because of the arrival of the Chevrolet Sail directly at #10 with 7,197 sales.

China: Return to explosive growth predicted

China became the largest automotive market in the world in 2009 while the US fell into recession. However since then, Chinese sales slowed from the strong double-digit growth of 2009 and 2010. This slowdown is about to be over, according to Ryan Cui, an analyst with LMC Automotive, who told China Daily passenger vehicle sales will rebound to 10.5% growth this year and a stable increase will continue in the next 4 to 5 years. Even more telling, LMC doesn’t foresee any chance of a decline, which is confirmed by Lin Huaibin from IHS Automotive who said that a falling market “is impossible” unless the nation’s economic fundamentals change.

Chile Full Year 2012: Chevrolet Sail dominates for the first time

The Chilean new vehicle market is up 1% year-on-year in 2012 to 338,826 registrations. After two years of Hyundai Accent domination, the Chevrolet Sail, imported from China, takes the lead of the models ranking in Chile in 2012 with 14,760 sales and 4.4%, far above the Accent at 9,769 units and 2.9% while the Kia Rio rounds up the podium with 9,113 sales and 2.7%. The Chevrolet Spark follows, ahead of the Toyota Yaris, Nissan Tiida, Chevrolet Spark GT and Kia Morning. Notice also the Samsung SM3 at #9 – its highest in the world vs. #24 at home in South Korea, if we exclude its #2 spot in Turkey where it is sold as the Renault Fluence.

Chad: Hilux & Corolla most popular new cars

Extremely limited new car market in Chad, with the only recent cars in the streets of capital N’Djamena being the Toyota Hilux and Corolla. Most recent videos on YouTube date back to 2007/2008, so it’s impossible to know whether the new gen Corolla is selling at all in the country.

Canada April 2013: Ford F-Series & Dodge Ram at historical levels

Pick-up trucks are what Canadian consumers want right now! The Ford F-Series is up a whopping 38% year-on-year in April to 12,016 registrations, its 2nd highest ever monthly score below April 2009 (14,458). Year-to-date, the F-Series stands at 37,886 units, up a massive 20% on a record 2012 figure… In 2nd place the Dodge Ram is up 32% to a huge 8,090 sales which could potentially be its strongest monthly volume ever! It is up 19% year-to-date to 26,279 units.

Cameroon: Hilux on top

The car market in Cameroon is still relatively limited with 3,167 new vehicles sold in 2007 (vs. around 75,000 yearly used car sales). Toyota holds close to half the market (40% in 2004 – last official figures) and should place the Hilux ahead of the ranking in the country.

Other successful models in Cameroon include the Toyota Hiace, Nissan Hardbody, Suzuki Grand Vitara and Mitsubishi L200. More than half the cars in circulation are various generations of Toyota Corolla and Starlet (many of them as taxis) but the latest Corolla has not made its mark.

Cambodia: Camry potential best-seller

Based on observation of the streets of Phnom Penh through YouTube videos, the Toyota Camry is in all likeliness the best-selling car in Cambodia, and could have been so for many years given the number of different generations still omnipresent there.

It is possibly followed by the Honda CR-V, Toyota Hilux and Mitsubishi L200. The numerous Lexus models visible in the streets of the country are in fact private US imports, as the brand is not officially present in Cambodia.

Burundi: Corolla leader

Around 50% of the cars in circulation in the capital Bujumbura is a Toyota Corolla, so in all likeliness the model should lead the car sales in Burundi. The Toyota Hilux also seems to be doing very well.

This is a speculation based on the observation of Bujumbura’s streets through recent YouTube videos, so please get in touch if you have more information about car sales in Burundi.

Burkina Faso 2010: Hilux master of the roads

The Burkinabe car market is relatively developed, at least in the capital Ouagadougou, with a respectable amount of new cars in the streets. The Toyota Hilux should lead the sales in Burkina Faso, other successful cars being the Suzuki Grand Vitara, Mitsubishi L200, Toyota Prado, Yaris Sedan and Corolla and Dacia Logan.