08 August 2025

Hong Kong Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Updated & improved)











It's been a while since Hong Kong has graced these blog pages. My first attempt included used imports which have now been weeded out. That reduced the total by 6,000 and hit mainly Japanese brands as they drive on the same side of the road and is presumably the source of most used imports. So let's see how things went in 2024. 

First up, some background. HK doesn't limit car ownership like Singapore, with its certificate system that caps the number of cars on the road. Instead, high registration taxes, parking fees and tolls are used to discourage both car ownership and their use. This is backed up with a quality public transportation system that offers an affordable alternative.  

As for vehicle type, electric cars have become very popular. This has given Chinese brand sales real impetus, as we can see below. Tesla is on top despite sales volume remaining the same. Holding a over 20% share is impressive but with so many electric brands arriving, surely that is an untenable level of success.

Premium marques certainly didn't have a good year. Maxus has seemingly come out of nowhere and smart (picture above) came from years of obscurity to a top ten position with its new electric car range. Brands that sell fossil fuel cars will increasingly be marginalised. 

Data source: HK Transport Department.

03 August 2025

The Jaguar Disaster

Whenever we leave a job, it will be defined by the legacy we left. Hindsight is a fine thing and is the clearest view we can get on a direction that we took. Below are a few points I'd like to share regarding directions mistakenly taken by JLR regarding the Jaguar marque.

1) Trying to go it alone. Alfa Romeo is a brand that struggles but is surviving because the cost of developing models is shared within the Stellantis Group. Jaguar didn't have that luxury and the volumes weren't high enough to carry that burden alone. 

The solution was to push volume up but anyone with a knowledge of traditional, conservative premium car buyers would know that they were never going to do that en masse. A totally flawed approach.

The only one that made sense was collaboration and the compromises that come with it. JLR didn't want to dilute Jaguar's DNA and I get that. But beggars can't be choosers.

2) Dumping the Electric XJ. The development cost had already been paid and if that was to be written off, then surely from that point on it would be profitable to produce. It would also be a positive flagship model for the marque.  

Had it been an entry level model, then that wouldn't help its image going forward, as Jaguar made it move up market. However, this was a top of the range BEV Jaguar, an ideal model to take the marque where it was heading.

There were issues about the platform it was built on and where to build it but the reason given was it didn't fit the direction the band was heading. At a cost of nearly £500 million to develop, I would have found a way to make it happen. 

3) A jump upmarket. I can see JLR was trying to put a distance between where Jaguar was and where it is going to be in the future. However, the best way to go upmarket is to do it incrementally. How could they do it in one step? By stopping production and then taking the giant leap into luxury after a sales hiatus.

What a flawed premise. The risks associated with this move were certainly not worth taking. A more measured and gradual approach was the only way to do this, but somehow JLR would pull it off.  

4) Going fully electric. There is a saying about never putting all your eggs in one basket. JLR did just that and it's going to leave egg on some people's faces. It has been announced that low demand for luxury electric vehicles will now mean a delayed introduction of the two planned Jaguar EVs. 

Will a delay achieve anything? Is there a sudden upturn expected soon? This high risk move upmarket into full electric has disaster written all over it. JLR has painted itself into a corner because the initial concept was risky and has no plan B. Failure was always the most likely outcome. 

Summary:  Jaguar is a marque that could have been managed so much better but those entrusted with its care have failed in their duty. The first rule of any undertaking is to do no harm. Then build on that. Bold moves have to succeed or else you end up failing big time. To me, where Jaguar has ended up is a disaster. 

01 August 2025

Albania Passenger Car Sales : 2025 (Jan-Jun)






Registrations in Albania amounted to 4,811, but the amazing thing is that it took 67 brands to achieve that. 31 of them sold five cars or less.  


BYD is the leading brand so far this year. In 2023 it arrived in the country and reached 13th; in 2024 5th. 

Volkswagen was the top brand for the previous three years but it now resides in second place. 

Hyundai was the leader before that but is now 5th, so nothing can be taken for granted. Škoda has slipped one place to 3rd and likewise Fiat down one to 4th. 


The aforementioned proliferation of  brands has been driven by all the new Chinese entrants. Consumers can't complain about a lack of choice. 


Data source: DPSHTRR.

Photograph: BYD Europe.

31 July 2025

Leapmotor Global Sales : 2019-2025 (H1)


Zhejiang Leapmotor started delivering its first electric car (BEV) in mid 2019. This progressed steadily with sales confined to China. However, things are starting to accelerate in China. Also in late 2023, the Stellantis car company bought a share of Leapmotor and will assist in the expansion of the brand globally. That is starting to happen now. 

To the right is a chart of deliveries initially by years, but then by both quarters and years. Virtually all of what is there reflects domestic deliveries. 

The first model was the S01, a reasonably stylish coupe. Numbers were limited and it was soon discontinued. 

The following year the T03 became the next model, a tiny electric city car. It was also manufactured in a Stellantis plant in Poland from mid 2024 but that ceased in early 2025. I would imagine the volume was limited. 

The C11 medium sized crossover was released in 2021 as either a BEV or with a range extender engine (EREV) and in 2022 the BEV C1 executive saloon car was released.

Late 2023 arrived with the C10 midsized wagonlike EREV crossover and in early 2024 a large version of the former named the C16. In early 2025 a compact BEV (B10) was introduced. 

This flurry of models is going to keep driving deliveries upward. The tie up with Stellantis will be an important part of the export drive.

Data source: Leapmotor. Picture source: Leapmotor NZ.

30 July 2025

RSA Passenger Car Sales : 2024










Sales in South Africa were about the same as the previous year. One notable difference is that premium marques didn't do so well. Another point of interest is Chinese brands moving in with two of them looking settled in the top ten. 

Toyota achieved its highest market share since 2003 and has been the best passenger car brand for the last three years. Adding light commercial vehicles would paint a very different picture, with Toyota well on top. 

VW has been the leading passenger or second best car brand going back into last century. This is the lowest market share I can find for the brand. The arrival of more brands has upped the competition so maintaining one's share of the pie is a challenge. Suzuki is also on a roll.  

The fact that Toyota has thus far been able to succeed is in its model range. VW relies heavily on the Polo Vivo, an previous generation model as a value proposition. Toyota has worked with Suzuki in securing fresh metal and it's working (see above the Urban Cruiser).  

To clarify regarding the Great Wall listing below, the two brands under it are Tank and Ora. The Haval brand that is also from GWM is listed separately. 

Picture source: Toyota SA & Suzuki SA. 














































24 July 2025

Vinfast Sales : 2025 Q1









Vinfast isn't quick in reporting sales figures. The Q1 result was 36,330 units deliveries, which was up an impressive 296%. That was below the 2024 Q4 figure but volumes go up through the year, although how that will pan out for the rest of 2025 we will have to wait and see. 

Vinfast lost $712.4 million in Q1 2025. Dividing that figure by sales brings it to -$19,600 per unit. 

It is backed by Vingroup, which gives Vinfast the ability to continue even in the loss making situation it currently sits in. Obviously it needs to remedy this as soon as possible. 

















At present there are six models in the range which collectively need to be selling in much larger numbers. 

Most sales are domestic although the company doesn't seem to release global regional data.

The range kicks off with the VF 3 (photo above - tiny SUV) which starting reaching customers in the second half of 2024. 

The VF 5 city car (photo left) came out in 2023. It was initially known as the VF e32. 


The VF 6 also was released in 2024. It's a small crossover SUV being just over 4.2 metres in length or 167 inches. 



The VF 7 (picture below) was another car released in early 2024. It's a compact crossover which in my eyes has a wagon look about it. The red car (second from top) is the VF 8 medium large crossover SUV and the first deliveries commenced in late 2022. Lastly, at the top of the page is the VF 9 large crossover SUV. Deliveries were from early 2022.

As the Vietnamese market isn't large enough to support the brand, exports are essential. I would imagine the company would like that to progress more quickly than it is but reputations take time to be established. Some customers have complained about quality issues while others seem happy with their purchase. 

The US was seen as an important market to enter but that could be problematic with recent tariffs potentially limiting that opportunity. Overall, it comes across to me as a company in too much of a hurry...unless it's sales figures.  

Xiaomi Deliveries : 2024-25 (H1)










Xiaomi make all sorts of things and in the second quarter of 2024 started delivering cars. It was a large four door fastback named the SU7 (photo above). The SU stands for Speed Ultra and looks like it was heavily influenced by Tesla. Mind you, that could be said of many Chinese cars of this ilk 

Deliveries started in Q2 2004, with the company giving definite figures for the first two months, then a general number for the third month. So by using that information, I came up with 25,700 units delivered. Then based on the Q4 and full year figures provided by Xiaomi, I came up with the Q3 number of 41,457. Elementary, my dear Watson. Why make it so hard?

In 2025, 75,869 units found owners in Q1 and Q2 is based on monthly rounded figures. Xiaomi goes from definite to indefinite figures in what seems a random manner. Anyway, the 2025 figure of 157,000 deliveries is already 15% up on the three quarters of 2024. 

So where will 2025 end up? With the imminent arrival of the YU7 SUV (photo below), deliveries for the year are expected to be 380,000 plus. That would be divided as 280,000 and 100,000 for the SU7 and YU7 respectively. 

For now, the emphasis has been on the Chinese market but exporting will surely follow sooner rather than later. In Q1 2025, the company has reportedly lost US$900 on each car delivered. That isn't a surprise for a new venture though. Starting out in the car industry is an especially expensive exercise. 

Data & picture source: Xiaomi.

23 July 2025

Colombia Top 50 Passenger Car Model Sales : 2024











Kia leads the way here with the tiny Picanto model, which is shown above carrying a generous load of goods. Mazda comes in next with the CX-30 with the Toyota Corolla Cross breathing down its neck. The Chevrolet Tracker fell nine places so it needs some love, hence the picture at the bottom of the article. 

Data source: ANDEMOS. Picture sources: Kia Colombia & Chevrolet Colombia.


Colombia Passenger Car/Taxi Sales : 2024










Total sales were 165,000 for 2024, a 14% increase. That is some way down on recent averages but at least it was a healthy rise in volume. The average for the last ten years (including 2024) is 197,000)

It may seem odd to include taxis in the title but they are counted as a segment, with 5,300 new cars added to the taxi fleet around the country. Kia accounted for just over half of them. 

Taxis enabled Kia to become number one for the year, ending Renault's seven year reign at the top. BYD is yet again moving up the rankings. Chinese brands have been here for some time and are yet to crack the top ten but that may be about to change. 

Data source: ANDEMOS. Picture source: Renault Colombia.

21 July 2025

Albania Passenger Car Sales : 2024

Registrations are booming in Albania. It seems most of the sales are not through official channels, although they are new cars according to the source. The data was time consuming to assemble and I believe accurate. It's a unique opportunity to see what's happening in a market that is rapidly emerging. 

Registrations were up 74% in 2023 and 47% in 2024. The 'Diff' column shows the change in market share so they virtually all enjoyed an increase in volume. Those shaded green had extra ordinary increases.

Hyundai was the leading brand in 2021 but VW put an end to that in 2022 while Škoda and Fiat have also since pushed past. As usual, BYD has come from nowhere to be a serious threat to those above. Citroën too enjoyed a good twelve months. MG roared up the chart but then slipped back. 

Data source: DPSHTRR. Photograph: VW Albania.

17 July 2025

Latvia Top 30 Car Model Sales : 2024










Toyota as the leading brand has three of the top seven places. Škoda as the number two marque in the overall standings is likewise well represented. The Dacia Duster (picture above) is the sixth most popular model. Below is the Nissan Qashqai in tenth place. 

As this is passenger cars only, it is unusual to have models like the Renault Trafic on the list but it also has more vehicles not shown here but counted as light commercials. That's not usual so perhaps they are vans with seats and sold as an MPV. 

Data source: Auto Asociacija. 

16 July 2025

Latvia Car/LCV Sales : 2024










Latvia car and light commercial sales are as below. Toyota has led since 2020 and is still well clear although it did suffer slightly in 2024. Škoda has moved into second but parent company VW is coming back. It was the leader until 2019. Renault had a strong increase but has some distance to make up on third place. 

Data source: Auto Asociacija. 

12 July 2025

México Car Sales : 2025 (Jan-Jun)


México Sales were down 6% in June but even YTD. The sales data is excellent in both scope and detail. It speaks well of the country to be well organised like this. Canada take note.

Nissan took the lead off Chevrolet in 2005 and has not handed it back. The gap between them suggests things won't be changing anytime soon.

In 2025, MG has lost a couple of places in the ranking while Ford has gone up by the same amount, swapping places. Chinese brands are proliferating with mixed results. Omoda and Jetour are both well down on 2024 but Changan has doubled its market share and GWM Poer is up six places.


The top selling models were:


Nissan Versa - 43,166
Chevrolet Aveo - 29,162
Nissan NP300 - 28,309
Kia K3 - 27,117
(Bottom picture)
Nissan March - 15,441
(Top picture)
Nissan Kicks - 12,928
Mazda CX-30 12,910
Mazda 2 - 12,673
MG 5 / GT - 12,451
Hyundai i10 - 11,116
Mazda 3 - 10,895
VW Virtus - 10,699
Nissan Sentra - 10,378
Toyota RAV4 - 9,761
VW Tiguan - 9,665
Toyota Hilux - 9,652


For the 2024 articles, simply click on the links below:


Data source: AMDA & Inegi.
Picture sources: Nissan & Kia México.

11 July 2025

US Car Sales : 2025 (Jan-Jun)









Sales were down about 6% in June but up about 3% YTD. I say 'about' as there isn't an official source for data and each source you do find differs slightly.

Most manufacturers release total sales figures as well as a breakdown by model which is really helpful. Those that don't are estimated and rounded figures indicate that. Thankfully the major brands are obliging.

In larger market, movements in ranking are less likely. So are there any notable shifts in this regard? With issues around tariffs, this may increase fluidity.

For now, Ford has edged Toyota out of top spot, a position it has held since 2021. Stellantis brands are generally going downward. An extreme example is Dodge which has fallen from 21st to 27th.

Tesla's US figures are always estimates but based on them, its ranking has dropped from 9th to 11th. If Mr Musk or one of his associates wants to improve accuracy - if that is needed - my virtual door is always open.

The top selling models were:

Ford F-Series - 412,848 
(Top picture)
Chevrolet Silverado - 289,251
Toyota RAV4 - 239,451
Honda CR-V - 212,561
RAM PU - 174,320
GMC Sierra - 166,409
(Bottom picture)
Chevrolet Equinox - 157,638
Toyota Camry - 155,330
Toyota Tacoma - 130,873
Honda Civic - 128,236
Chevrolet Trax - 119,593
Hyundai Tucson - 113,310
Ford Explorer - 104,929

For the 2024 articles, simply click on the links below:


Data source: Manufacturers & estimates.
Picture sources: Ford & GM.

10 July 2025

Denmark Car Sales : 2025 (Jan-Jun)











Registrations were down 2.4% in June but up 5.3% YTD. VW is on top as was the case in 2024. In fact, they have been there since 2011 apart from 2023 when Tesla made a cameo appearance there. 

Škoda moved from 7th in 2024 to 2nd this year, the Elroq helping as the best selling model. Cupra is up from 15th to 7th but Tesla has dropped from 2nd to 9th. 

I was intrigued by the Navor brand, one I have not heard of before. It is a DongFeng, the E5 plug in hybrid SUV (picture above) which offers relatively reasonable value in a market known for expensive cars due to steep import duty imposed.


The top selling models were:

Škoda Elroq - 4,782
VW ID.4/ ID.5- 4,722
Tesla Model Y - 3,100
Škoda Enyaq - 2,303
BMW iX1/X1 2,308
VW T-Roc - 2,296
Toyota bZ4X - 2,194
VW ID.Buzz - 2,083
Audi Q4 e-Tron - 2,026
Mercedes-Benz EQA/GLA 1,811
Kia EV3 - 1,709
Cupra Formentor - 1,670
Mercedes-Benz ECB/GLB 1,508


For the 2024 articles, simply click on the links below:




Data source: Mobility Denmark.

Photo: Navor.

Data source: Mobility Denmark.

Korea Car/LCV Sales : 2025 (Jan-Jun)









830,500 vehicles were registered in the first half of 2025. The Hyundai Group secured 76.5% of the total! That's what protecting your market can achieve, not that it needs it. Adding Renault Korea, KGM and Chevrolet Korea takes the total over the 80% mark. 


The top selling models were:

Kia Sorento - 51,129
Kia Carnival - 42,469
Hyundai Avante - 39,610
Kia Sportage - 38,093
Hyundai Grandeur - 33,659
Hyundai Santa Fe - 32,254
Hyundai Palisade - 30,798
Kia Seltos - 28,915
Hyundai Porter - 28,379 
Hyundai Tuscon - 26,671
Hyundai Sonata - 25,845
Kia Ray - 25,269


If it were just passenger cars that were being counted, then Kia would be the leader but Hyundai's stronger range of light commercials means the latter takes the lead here.


Genesis comes in a clear third with BMW and Mercedes-Benz well advised not to get any closer. Then comes Reanult  (formerly Samsung), KG Mobility (formerly Ssangyong) and Tesla. After that the list falls away quite quickly. Nearly all Chevrolet sales are locally produced. Tariffs make it all but impossible to import unless premium or luxury. 

Locally made are up 5.1% YTD and in June 2.6%. For imports it's nearly +10% for YTD and June. BYD has arrived and it seems to be turning up everywhere. Ferrari joins the chart in 2025 but has been here some time. Unfortunately, no historical data comes with it. There are other smaller marques that are yet to come in from the cold as well. 

For 2024 articles, simply click on the links below:


Data source: KAMA, KAIDA. 

09 July 2025

Czechia Car Sales : 2025 (Jan-Jun)






Registrations were down 0.06% in April but up 2.9% YTD. Steady as she goes then. 


Škoda shocked everyone taking top spot in its home market. OK, just kidding. Market share of 34.3% when there is no tariff protection is almost unheard of. 

I have records going back to 1993, when the Czech Rep and Slovakia went through the Velvet Divorce and it's been number all since then and no doubt well before that. It's also been top in Slovakia over the same period.


Škoda has secured 42,000 YTD, then after daylight comes Hyundai with 10,400 units. VW on 8,400 and Toyota a few behind are battling it out for third spot.


The top selling models were:

Škoda Octavia - 9,534
Škoda Kamiq - 5,810
Škoda Karoq - 5,629
Škoda Kodiaq - 5,457
Škoda Fabia - 5,165
Škoda Scala - 4,596
Hyundai i30 - 3,867
Škoda Superb - 3,432
Hyundai Tucson - 3,239
Kia Ceed - 3,193
(Picture below)
Toyota Corolla - 2,496
Dacia Duster - 2,178
VW Golf 2,021
MG ZS - 1,996
Škoda Elroq - 1,470
(Picture above)


For the 2024 article, simply click on the link below:



Data source: SDA.

Photos: Škoda Czechia & Kia Chechia.

Chile Car Sales : 2025 (Jan-Jun)





Registrations were up 5% in April and up 5% YTD. So things are ticking along nicely but steadily. 

Suzuki took the top spot last year from Hyundai and has consolidated its place there in 2025. It has been a popular brand here for many years but not usually number one. 

Chevrolet was the best selling brand in 2022 but is now fifth and has lost market share in 2025 while still retaining its ranking. 

Chinese brands are well established here with three in the top ten (if including the historically British MG brand) and others not too far away from possibly joining them. 


The top selling models were:

Suzuki Baleno - HB 3,333
Chery Tiggo 2 - 3,097
(Photo below)
Kia Soluto - 2,770
Chevrolet Groove - 2,480
Omoda C5 - 2,240
GWM Jolion - 2,209
Hyundai i-10 HB - 1,962
Ford Territory - 1,817
Suzuki Fronx - 1,783
(Photo above)
Chevrolet Sail - 1,665
Toyota RAV4 - 1,554
Hyundai Tucson - 1,550
Suzuki Swift - 1,548
Hyundai Creta - 1,546


For the 2024 article, simply click on the link below:



Data source: ANAC.

Photos: Suzuki Chile & Chery Chile.