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Roewe ei5 taxis After exploring the Shanghai Auto Show , it’s now time to study the car landscape of the city. The first thing that surprises when walking around the center of town is the silence. A lot of the cars are electric and it shows (or rather, it sounds). Buick Velite 6 Chevrolet Menlo As expected, vehicles produced locally dominate. Notably, the fleet of Shanghai taxi is almost exclusively composed of the Roewe ei5 station wagon.
The Dacia Duster breaks into the Icelandic Top 10 for its first month of sales. 1,447 new cars hit Icelandic roads in April, a shy 6.2% improvement. Year-to-date it’s 3,704 vehicles that left dealerships, a 34.8% surge on devastated year-ago volumes. Kia (+83.7%) is back to #1 for the second time this year after last January with a gargantuan 22.6% share, cementing its YTD lead at 18.3% of the market, Toyota (+134.4%) comes second ahead of Dacia (-35.2%) and Hyundai (-45.6%) both falling s
GWM is the third best-selling brand in Ecuador in March, helped by the Poer pickup. The Ecuadorian new car market collapses -32.9% year-on-year in March to just 9,055 units, keeping in mind March 2024 was artificially boosted by pulled forward sales before the introduction of a new 15% tax. The Q1 volume stands at 25,632, off -19.8% year-on-year and the weakest Q1 result since 2020 (24,830).
The Toyota Land Cruiser pickup is equal #1 in Jordan. The Jordanian new vehicle market edges up 2.7% year-on-year over Q1 to 8,865 registrations. Toyota (+5.4%) keeps the lead of the brands charts with 32.6% share, whereas Kia (-21.3%) dives down to 22% of the market vs. 28.
The Jetour T2 climbs to 4th position over Q1 in Kuwait. The Kuwaiti new vehicle market is up 5.5% year-on-year over Q1 to 35,394 units. As is the case in most countries in the region, Toyota (+12.3%) dominates head and shoulders with 28.9% share. Nissan (+0.
The Toyota Land Cruiser Pickup ranks #3 in Oman over Q1. The Omani new vehicle market is very dynamic in this start of the year with Q1 volumes up 23% year-on-year to 18,483. Market leader Toyota (+8%) however trails the market and sees its share drop from 52.7% to a still overbearing 46.3%.
The Jetour T2 is up to 4th place in Bahrain over Q1. Bahrain new vehicle sales increase 12.2% year-on-year over Q1 to 9,142. Toyota (-10%) remains the faraway leader but sees its market share slide from 34.8% last year to 27.9%. Nissan (-5.3%) is also in a bit of trouble at 8.1% share vs. 9.
Kia Sportage sales are up 121.1% year-on-year. Excellent start of the year for the Iraqi new vehicle market with sales up 17.1% over Q1 to 44,621. Kia (+25.9%) reclaims the brands top spot off Toyota (-9.3%) which was #1 over Q1 2024. MG (+68%) advances to #3 ahead of Nissan (+309.9%!
Hyundai H100 The Syrian new car market remains completely annihilated with just 103 sales over Q1. This is better than the 29 sales of Q1 2024 but still a dismal result. Hyundai is the only manufacturer still present in the country and the H100 leads the way with 97.1% share.
The Skoda Octavia is the most popular vehicle in North Macedonia in March. Our local partner CE Auto has the North Macedonian new car market off a devastating -27.4% year-on-year in March to 538 units. This way, the Q1 volume is now down -8.5% to 1,566. The Skoda Octavia (-12.1%) snaps the top spot for the first time since September 2022 and still ranks #2 year-to-date as it did over the Full Year 2024.
The Skoda Kodiaq is the best-selling car in Moldova in March. Data by our Central European partner CE Auto shows a Moldovan market off -6.2% year-on-year to 705 units, leading to a year-to-date tally up 2.9% to 1,951. This month the Skoda Kodiaq (+290.9%) and Kia Sportage (+13.5%) upset the traditional leader, the Dacia Duster (-67.1%) relegated to third place.
Hyundai Tucson sales are up 51.5% year-on-year in March. According to our local partner CE Auto , new car sales in Bosnia & Herzegovina have a bad month in March at -18.4% year-on-year to 848 units, sending the Q1 tally off -11.1% to 2,445. The Skoda Octavia (-6.8%) remains the runaway leader with 8.1% share vs. 5.9% for the Hyundai Tucson, surging at +51.5%.
The Skoda Fabia is the most popular vehicle in Serbia in March. Based on data shared with us by our Central European partner CE Auto , the Serbian new car market edges down -5.3% year-on-year in March to3,042 units. This leads to a Q1 volume off -6% to 6,960. The Skoda Fabia (+39.4%) surges from outside the February Top 10 directly into pole position and advances to #3 year-to-date, a ranking it also held over the Full Year 2024.
The Renault Clio is the best-selling vehicle in Bulgaria in March. Thanks to CE Auto and after one year of absence, Bulgaria is back on BSCB with a Top 10 models. 4,674 new cars found a buyer in March and 12,825 over Q1. The Renault Clio is a distant leader this month with 7.2% share, ahead of the Toyota Corolla at 4.7% – the leader year-to-date.
The BYD Seagull holds 10.9% of the Albanian market over Q1. Thanks to CE Auto , today we can share with you exclusive data for Albania. This is the first time we publish any official data for this country which will be a monthly update from now on. 421 new cars found a buyer in March and 1,301 over Q1. There are many surprises in the models ranking for the month.
We end our coverage of the Shanghai Auto Show with the most impressive Chinese brands. This list is entirely subjective and I take full responsibility for it! Hongqi I always had a thing for the luxury Chinese brand from FAW, arguably the oldest Chinese brand and the one used by Xi Jinping. They didn’t disappoint at the Show. The stand was grandiose and one of the most impressive in the entire Show, with a dedicated area for the ultra premium Golden Sunflower range.
After looking at the notable foreigners at the Shanghai Auto Show, it’s now time for the domestic brands. We’ll look at the 3 most impressive Chinese carmakers in a separate post. What would have been previously considered as secondary brands are now commanding the biggest footprint in the Show. For example, Zeekr had a larger stand than parent company Geely, and Hongqi played with the big boys such as BYD in terms of showroom surface.
As is the case every year BSCB had the opportunity to visit the China Auto Show, in Shanghai for 2025. Thanks to the help of industry superstar Felipe Munoz I was able to visit the Show for the press day. This is the biggest Auto Show in the world, hosted in the largest Exhibition Center in the world, as it should be. For the untrained eye, meaning those not following the Chinese automotive industry closely, the Show can be overwhelming with an array of local brands the general Western public wo
BYD holds 18.8% of the Singaporean market in March. Singaporean new car sales continue to march forward in March at +23.5% year-on-year to 4,333 units. This way, the Q1 tally is up 33.7% to 10.914. BYD (+60%) surges once again to lodge its third consecutive win with 18.8% share. Toyota (+15.8%) trails the market but repeats at #2, a ranking it now also holds year-to-date.
The VinFast VF 5 is the best-selling vehicle in Vietnam in March. Based on data by VAMA and Hyundai, the Vietnamese new vehicle market advances 16.6% year-on-year in March to 37,118 units, leading to a Q1 tally up 22.6% to 83,713. This month we again have access to exclusive data for VinFast. With the local brand, the market adds up to 46,918 in March and 114,313 year-to-date.
Toyota sales almost double year-on-year in March. Data by local association PAMA shows sales of new locally produced light vehicles in Pakistan surging +18.3% year-on-year in March to 11,098. This leads to a Q1 volume up 35.7% to 40,192. Note not all manufacturers present in Pakistan are members of PAMA such as Kia, Changan and MG notably and therefore dont appear in these statistics.
The Chevrolet Aveo ranks #2 in Mexico in March. 127,360 new light vehicles found a buyer in Mexico in March, a small +1.2% year-on-year improvement but still the strongest result for the month since March 2017 (137,021) and the 2nd biggest March volume in Mexican history. Q1 volumes are up 3.4% to 365,104, here too the 2nd highest tally at this stage of the year below the 378,275 of Q1 2017.
Chevrolet Silverado sales are up 13.1% over Q1. According to local consultancy Desrosiers Automotive, the Canadian new car market sports a very decent +11.4% year-on-year lift in March to 185,000 units, the best March result since 2018. The SAAR comes it an 2.02 million vs. 1.74 million in March 2025. Light trucks amounted to 88.1% of the market and passenger cars at 11.9%.
Fiat is the most popular carmaker in Uruguay in March. 5,804 new cars hit Uruguayan roads in March, a splendid 25.2% year-on-year improvement. The Q1 tally is up 14.8% to 15,477 units. Fiat (+44.9%) vastly outpaces the market and lodges a third consecutive month in pole position at 14.8% share. Leader over the Full Year 2024, Chevrolet (+8.1%) is stuck in 2nd place this year.
The Perodua Myvi ranks #2 in Malaysia in February. 66,179 new light vehicles hit Malaysian roads in February, bringing the year-to-date tally to 120,511 after two months. Perodua (+47.4%) tightens its grip on the brands charts further to an outstanding 47.4% share vs. 45.3% so far this year and a record 41.8% over the Full Year 2024. This could well be a new record share for the brand.
The Toyota Hilux Revo is the most popular vehicle in Thailand in February. 48,546 new light vehicles found a buyer in Thailand in February, leading to a year-to-date tally at 112,160. Toyota remains the overwhelming leader with 41.8% share vs. 39% so far this year. Honda overtakes Isuzu to reclaim the #2 spot it held over the Full Year 2024 at 15% share vs. 12.8% for Isuzu this month.
The Toyota Yaris is the best-selling vehicle in Montenegro in February. Data by our local partner CE Auto shows 248 new cars hit Montenegrin roads in February, pushing the year-to-date tally to 458. The models ranking is topped for the second straight month by the Toyota Yaris holding a 4.4% share. The Skoda Fabia climbs to 2nd place, a ranking it now also holds year-to-date vs. #5 over the Full Year 2024.
The Xiaomi SU7 sells over 29,000 units in a single month. According to data by CAAM and CPCA, new Passenger Vehicle wholesales in China shoot up 8.9% year-on-year in March to 2,412,000 units, a record for the month. This includes 1,257,000 SUVs (+9.2%), 1,046,000 cars (+8.7%) and 108,000 MPVs (+7.3%). The Q1 volume is up 11.3% to 6,277,000 sales, including 3,331,000 SUVs (+9.9%), 2,665,000 cars (+11.1%) and 280,000 MPVs (+32.8%).
The Kia Tasman has landed in its home sales charts. The South Korean new car market edges up 2.4% year-on-year in March to 149,120 units. This includes 123,891 sales for local manufacturers (+2.9%) and 25,229 for foreigners (-0.1%). The year-to-date tally is up similarly at +2.8% to 387,702 including 327,045 locals (+1.4%) and 60,657 foreigners (+11.1%).
The Nissan Qashqai is the most popular vehicle in Hungary in March and ranks #4 over Q1 13,199 new cars hit Hungarian roads in March, a +2.4% year-on-year improvement. This leads to a Q1 tally up 3.8% to 32,899. Suzuki dominates the brands ranking with 11.7% share, distancing Toyota at 9.5%. Nissan surges seven spots on last month to #3 and 8.8% of the market, with Skoda and Volkswagen rounding out the Top 5.
The Mahindra Pik up ranks inside the South African Top 10 for the first time 49,493 new vehicles found a buyer in South Africa in March, a fantastic 12.5% year-on-year gain marking a 6th consecutive month in positive. Dealer sales account for 86.8% of sales at 42,953 units, with rental agencies at 7.3% share, corporate fleet sat 2.5% and government at 3.5%.
The Skoda Kylaq shifted 5,327 units in March. New car wholesales in India jump 4.5% year-on-year in March to 385,842 units, a new record for the month. It’s the fifth consecutive year the March record is broken. Q1 volumes are up 2.9% to an all time high 1,168,071. Maruti Suzuki (-1.3%) is stable but sees its market share drop to 39.1% vs. 41.5% so far this year.
The Nissan Qashqai ranks #3 in Poland in March. 51,875 new cars hit Polish roads in March, a 6% year-on-year lift. This brings the YTD total up 2.1% to 139,191. Toyota (-13%) easily remains the most popular carmaker in the country despite a stark fall. In fact the entire Top 5 brands are unchanged on last month. Volkswagen (+25%) closes out the podium ahead of Audi (+27%) and Kia (+13.7%).
Kia sales almost double year-on-year in Luxembourg in March. The Luxembourg new car market progresses 5.6% year-on-year in March to4,840 sales, tilting the Q1 tally into positive at +1.4% to 12,671. Volkswagen (-1.9%) stays in first place with 11.8% share despite a small YoY drop. BMW (+6.6%) also repeats its February ranking at #2. In fact the Top 6 is identical to last month, with Mercedes (+32.1%), Audi (+25.5%) and Renault (+28.3%) in outstanding shape, and a weaker Skoda (+2.9%).
The Toyota RAV4 is the most popular model in Ireland in March. The Irish new car market rallies back up 18.3% year-on-year in March to a splendid 17,328 units. This is much more than in February which is very unusual as sales tend to drop continuously from the high of plate change January. The year-to-date volume tilts back into positive at +3.7% to 64,807.
The Skoda Elroq already outsells fellow BEV the Enyaq. 22,566 new cars found a buyer in Czechia in March, a stellar 19.3% year-on-year improvement, keeping in mind March 2024 was off -15.5% on the year prior. The year-to-date volume after three months is up 3.6% to 59,686. Local behemoth Skoda outpaces its galloping home market with a 38.9% year-on-year surge to 35.5% share, Hyundai (+0.9%) is a lot more fragile but still manages a 2nd place ranking with 8.2% of the market.
The Cupra Formentor is up to an all-time high 5th place in Germany in March. 253,497 new cars hit German roads in March, a -3.7% year-on-year fall. The Q1 volume is off -4.3% to 664,571. 42,521 BEVs found a buyer this month, up 35.5% over March 2024. Over Q1, it’s 112,968 BEVs that left German dealerships, up 38.9%. Leaders Volkswagen (+5.7%) and Mercedes (+1.6%) defy the negative market with year-on-year lifts to 20.1% and 8.7% share respectively, yet this is below their YTD levels of 20.
The Chery Tiggo 2 is the most popular vehicle in Chile in March. 24,000 new light vehicles found a buyer in Chile in March, a light 2% year-on-year improvement. This is still a historically low result as March 2024 was off -37.4% on the year prior. The Q1 volume is down slightly at -0.3% to 70,878. Suzuki (+27.9%) confirms it is the new favourite of Chilean customers with 8.1% share, distancing last year’s leader Toyota (-0.9%).
Daihatsu sales are back up 240.3% in March. The Japanese new vehicle market once again benefits from a low year-ago comparison base as sales were impacted byproduction disruptions. This month sales are up 10.7% to 499,745 units, which is however a relatively soft result as March 2024 was down -21.1%. March is always the strongest month of the year as carmakers rush to register cars before the end of the Financial Year.
The Tesla Model Y is the best-selling vehicle in Iceland in March. The Icelandic new car market is in recovery mode in March at +90.6% year-on-year to 1,012 registrations. Keep in mind March 2024 was down -71% on the year prior, Q1 2025 volumes gain 63% to 2,257. In complete contrast with the brand’s results we have covered elsewhere in Europe so far, Tesla (+372.5%) actually surges to 23.8% share vs. 14.3% year-to-date.
Peugeot delivers the best year-on-year performance in the Top 15 Tough month again for new car sales in Belgium at -10.2% year-on-year in March to 40,184 units. The year-to-date tally is down by a similar -10.5% to 120,939. BMW (+4.1%) defies the surrounding gloom with a small uptick leading to a 11.5% market share vs. 12.3% so far this year. Volkswagen (-8.1%) and Mercedes (-8.7%) keep their fall below the market rate but Audi (-20.5%) struggles.
The BYD Shark 6 is the third best-selling pickup in Australia again. For the first time this year, the Australian new vehicle market is in positive, delivering a new March record at 111,617 units (+1.8%). Q1 sales are off -2.8% to 295,952. The most interesting set of stats this month is sales by alimentation that show petrol off -8.3% to 43,785, diesel down -1.2% to 31,548, HEVs up 22.8% to 16,830 but BEVs sinking -19.9% to just 8,385 and 7.5% share vs. 9.5% a year ago.
The Volvo XC60 is the most popular vehicle at home. New car sales in Sweden edge up 1.3% year-on-year in March to 24,204 units, leading to a year-to-date tally up 6.1% to 63,444. Rechargeable cars gain 5.8% to14,702 sales and 60.7% share vs. 58.1% a year ago. This is split between 8,386 BEVs (+0.6%) at 34.6% share vs. 34.9% in March 2024 and 6,316 PHEVs (+13.8%) at 26.1% share vs. 23.2% last year.
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