Iceland Top 25 Passenger Car Models : 2008-10

In a small island nation with a harsh environment, there are unique features of the car market here. The numbers are not large but I'm sure we all appreciate the openness that allows this insight. 

In 2005, 18,000 passenger cars were sold here. That was reduced to 17,100 the following year, then 16,000. How was 2008 in comparison as the global recession bit? Very badly as we will see.

By late 2008, the economy was in a mess. Passenger car registrations took quite a tumble as one would expect, by 43% no less to 9,000 registrations. Toyota was still king, with 26% of the total sales and 2,300 units. Next was Hyundai with 670 units delivered. 

It's also of note that the Land Cruiser 150/200 was the best selling vehicle. In fact, Toyota took four of the top five placings for model sales. Japanese models took sixteen spots of the top twenty five. Hyundai took another five making it an Asian dominated chart. 

Because the economic disaster that hit Iceland was only starting 2009 was going to be a tough one for car sales and it delivered on that in spades. 

The full impact of the excessive years leading up to this were now being felt. Registrations dropped another 76% from 2008 and 86% down on 2007!

In a year, Toyota sales slumped by 81% although others fared better. Suzuki numbers were only off by 15% and as a consequence, it jumped from ninth to second. It now had the best selling model too.

Asian models were now holding all the top positions although the numbers were such that no one was crowing. From 2007, Volkswagen fell from second to eighth and Škoda from fourth to seventeenth. 

At least now the worst had passed and more stable and restrained conditions were to come. 

Registration rebounded by 40% but only back to 3,100. It was going to take time to repair the severely damaged economy. 

Toyota sales were up 49%, Suzuki 29% and Volkswagen 435% from a paltry 69 registrations in 2009 to 373. They were the top three for the year.

Volkswagen had the top model with the Polo, ahead of the Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Yaris. The Land Cruiser 150/200 was still selling well but not the best selling. 

Chevrolet did well with its range of mainly Korean sourced offerings. There was certainly a fluid state in the market as things started to recover. 

Data source: Samgongustofa. 

Photograph: Netcarshow