Slovakia Passenger Car Sales : 2026 (Jan-Jun)

June registrations were up 6% in June but down 4% YTD. Škoda sells one in five cars here, twice as good as Volkswagen's one in ten. Between them one in three and they both improved market share, albeit slightly. 

Hyundai and Kia have 15% of the market between them but that is down a sizable two percentage points on 2025. Suzuki had a 37% jump in its share but Mercedes-Benz and BMW are having a subdued YTD. I'm surprised Tesla has only just arrived. 

Four Škoda models sell in strong numbers. The Octavia (1,949), Fabia (1,294), Kamiq (1,207) and Karoq (1,201). The Totota Corolla (1,205) also sells well. 

Data source: ZAP. Photos: Suzuki Swift & Tesla Model Y. 

Kia Deliveries : 2022-26 (H1)

Kia is the smaller volume brand compared to Hyundai but it still sells in large numbers. An excessively protected home market helps. So how have recent years gone, when broken into quarters?

2022: It was up 5% to 2.9 million. The EV6 crossover arrived, the fifth generation Sportage SUV and Niro small SUV.  Plenty of activity there. 

2023: Volume was up 6% to nearly 3.1 million units. 

The EV9 debuted as an electric seven seat SUV. 

2024: Global sales were the same as last year. The EV5 electric medium sized SUV was introduced. The Seltos comapct SUV had a major mid life update.

2025: A modest 2% increase to 3.135 million deliveries. The new K4 passenger car arrived, the Tasman pick up truck and EV3 compact crossover likewise. 

2026: The PV5 passenger and commercial van was introduced. Sales so far are up 3% YOY. 

Summary: Kia is a very consistent performer. It seems to be riding the increased competition well. The question is can it continue to do so? 

Data source: Kia. Photos: Sportage & K4.

Australia China PC/LCV Brands: 2025-26 (H1)

In 2026, Chinese brand penetration was 20.4% and for H1 2026 27.3%. The majority of cars arriving in Australia are manufactured in China, some for legacy brands. 

The big brand in Australia is Toyota and has been number one for 23 consecutive years, since 2003.  It has had supply issues but extra shipments are being arranged to minimize wait times. This has allowed rival brands like BYD to gain significant gains in the meantime. 

BYD is making sure supply isn't an issue for them and is closing in on a brand that looked to have a permanent seat at the top of the charts. It's currently in second place. GWM (Haval, Tank, Ora & GWM Ute), Chery and MG are all strong brands here with others ready to join them. 

Data source: FCAI, Car Expert.
Photo sources: Zeekr Australia (X) & BYD Australia (Denza B8).