Slovenia Passenger Car Sales : 2025

Formerly part of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Slovenia is known for its beautiful scenery, the architecture in the capital Ljubljana and for wine production. I've not been there but I'd like to visit. 

For 2025 passenger car sales were up 8% and compared to the average over the previous five years, up 12%. I usually do a previous ten year comparison, but I believe the source's counting system changed in 2019.  

Volkswagen overtook Renault in 2014 and remained at the top ever since. In recent times, Škoda has been swapping second spot with Renault and in 2025 is won that duel for now.

For 2024 articles, simply click on the links below:

By brand. 

Top 50 Models.

 

Data source: ADS. Photos Škoda above (Fabia) & Dacia models below. 

Mercedes-Benz Vans Global Deliveries : 2023-2025

It seems an odd fit for the premium marque M-B to also have a van range but they do and it is successful. Their brief foray into pick up trucks was a spectacular flop so they retreated back to what does work for them. 

M-B actually made the first working van in 1896. The modern day van range started with the L 319 in 1956. So vans are part of M-B's DNA.

On to recent history. In 2023, wholesale deliveries were up 10 to 447,790. 2024 reached 405,610 units but that represented a drop of 9%. 2025 recorded an 11% reduction in deliveries. 

Regions: Europe (without Germany) is down 13% and Asia (without China) is up 12%. North America (-28%) and China (-25%) have pulled things down. When combined, 70% of sales are Europe/Germany.  

Van classed as commercial vehicles account for 83% of the volume and passenger vans 17%. The Sprinter contributed 189,000 sales to the total, the Vito/V-Class 140,600 and the Titan/T-Class 29,700.  M-B is to end the Titan/T-Class range in 2026 and focus on the more profitable larger vans. 

Electric van sales came to 27,488 units in 2025, up 46%. That is still just 7.7% of total van deliveries but at least they are improving. 

Conclusion: M-B has a strong brand image and the van range does that no harm at all. Moving away from small vans is a smart move, something the company is also doing with its car range.  

Data & photos: M-B. For passenger cars, simply click here.

Mercedes-Benz PC Global Deliveries : 2023-25

M-B has two divisions, Car and Van. Here we consider the former and the van article comes next. How is M-B managing in a somewhat volatile environment?

To the right, there is a chart showing quarterly wholesale delivery figures. Quarterly volumes don't vary much at all. 

In 2023, it was the same as 2022 with slowish start and moderately successful second half. In 2024, a similar pattern but this time a -3% total.

For 2025, a different trend, one reflected in many car companies. That is an acceleration of fewer deliveries. This led to a -9% end of year result. Time to break it down further.

M-B divides model deliveries into three main categories, Entry, The Top End is holding up best and it's the most profitable segment, therefore not so bad.

The Entry and Core models were both down 10%. Mercedes is moving away from lower priced models to focus on its higher margin cars to increase profitability. I never understood why they ever went to the lower end of the premium market.

Region: Only the 'Rest' is up, 17%. Germany is too but still registered a zero. Europe (less Germany) is down ever so slightly at -2%,. 

Asia (less China) -6%. North America is down 12% but the real negative is China (-19%). No surprise with the latter and maybe a good thing too.

Moving on to electric and hybrid cars. The chart to the right shows the last thee years. They were up 9% in 2023, down 9% in 2024 and the same in 2025.  

Planning ahead for this area of the market has not been easy. Their adoption hasn't been as great as expected and incentives come and go.

For 2025, hybrids were up 9% to 199,877 but cars that are fully electric are down 9% to 168,823. 

Many car companies have pulled back on how much they commit to this area, both in model development and production levels. Financial returns are not good enough in this area to justify it. 

In conclusion, M-B is in the same situation as many other car makers. Volumes are down and there is a trend to move more up market. Chinese competition has arrived and even premium car makers are cautiously watching developments. 

Data & photos: Mercedes-Benz. 

Moldova Car Sales : 2025

Registrations were up a most impressive 27% in 2025. Comparing that with the average over the previous ten years and 2025 was up 100%! 

The list below has a 'Share +/-' column that rates market share variance. Many brands in the yellow did have sales increases but the 27% increase meant they didn't quite keep pace. 

Dacia overtook Lada in 2010 and held the lead until 2021, when Toyota intervened. It held top spot for three years. Dacia came back for a cameo appearance in 2024 returned to #1 Toyota and decisively so.

BYD did little for a few years but suddenly surged to third place. Jetour is a newer entrant but is already up to eighth. Dacia fell back to fourth and BMW went from fifth to tenth. 

Pictures: Jetour Dashing (above) & BAIC X55 (below). 

Lexus Regional Sales : 2024-25

I last did Lexus' regional sales for 2021-23 and it can be viewed by clicking here. I thought it time to update for the most recent two years.

The cars are designed with North America in mind and it is the largest region for the marque. If Asia was combined, it would be 36.9% compared to the 46.3% of NA. The gap between the two widened in 2025.

Europe continues to be a work in progress for Lexus, with limited penetration for what is a large premium market. For its size, the Middle East is a successful region. 

Summary: A 4% increase is a strong result with increased competition and a segment that was overall up just 2%. 

Data source: Lexus. Pics: RX (above) & LBX (below).

Toyota Group Global Sales : 2024-25

With all the pressures on car manufacturers - especially with increasing competition - Toyota still managed a +3.7% result. We can break it down regionally.

Asia: 45.4% of the company's sales come from here. It had a 2.8% increase after a 6.7% drop in 2024. 37.2% of the sales in Asia are in China and Japan 31.4%. India is increasingly becoming an important market, with sales up 17%.

North America: 27.8% of Toyota's global deliveries were here in 2025. It was also up 7.3%. 86% of the region's total went to the USA.

Europe: It lost ground to most other regions with an almost flat 1.4% upturn. Spain did well, but the largest market (Germany) continued to underachieve for Toyota.

Oc / ME / Af: The region's deliveries were up 4.2%, the Gulf States accounting for 41.4% of that total. South Africa (RSA) was up 15.5%.

Latin America: Just 4.5% of the company's total was here.It was also the only region that was down in sales (-3.2%). Brazil's -13.7% was the reason for the poorer showing.

Summary: A good result, all things considered.

Data source: Toyota. 

Pics: Toyota Fortuner above & Lexus TX (a North American only model) below.

Rolls Royce Global Deliveries : 2023-25

The name Rolls Royce is synonymous or often attached to something else that is considered the best quality you can obtain. They are known for exceptional craftsmanship, prestige and engineering. 

Deliveries were often around the thousand mark until 2010, when they took an upward turn. They peaked in 2022 and 2023 at 6,000 and slipped back to 5,700 in 2024. 

2025 nearly reached that figure but fell short by 1%. Not that volume is something that RR chases. Customer demand will dictate the number made. 

Regional sales are not provided by the owner BMW. I'm assuming China is down and was the reason for 2025's slightly lower figure and for the year before. 

BMW MINI Global Deliveries : 2023-25

Retro models rarely last too long. An initial flurry and then it's over. The MINI has lasted very well and still sells strongly. In an industry where models grow with each new generation MINI has also fallen victim. 

MINI hit 300,000 deliveries in 2012 and stayed above that until 2022 when it slipped just below. 2023 did likewise and then a drop in 2024, one that you have to go back to 2010 to see it lower. 

Was the grim reaper sharpening his scythe? No. The fourth generation has arrived and sales went back up, but not to the heights it has achieved in the past. It is still a popular car that's fun to drive. 288,300 deliveries and an 18% increase confirm that. 

BMW doesn't post regional sales for MINI. Europe and North America are major destinations for shipments. I don't know how the US's tariffs are going to affect sales there. For now, at least, 2025 was a success. 

BMW Brand Global Deliveries : 2023-25

BMW is a marque that puts emphasis on performance. A BMW advertiseing executive even coined the phrase "The ultimate driving machine". I've never driven one to prove that, but at least I can check out the sales performance.

BMW currently delivers about 2.2 million cars each year. The last time the figure was below 2 million was 2015. 

2025 again passed that mark and comfortably so. In the end it was 2.17 million units. Two consecutive years of reduced deliveries but only fractionally.

Regions: These figures include MINI and RR as BMW release them that way. That explains why the total figures are different. 

Europe is the largest region and is up 7%. Asia has been the leading are for deliveries since 2020 but now for a second year the runner up. Asia is still prominent but the only region down (-9%),  China within that region a drag on sales. The Americas is up 6% and 'Others' up 10%.

Hong Kong Passenger Car Sales : 2025

There were 43,300 passenger car registrations, which were up 6% for the year. The first four months were down substantially, but the next eight more than compensated. 

For an open market without any import duty, to have two brand taking 44% of the total registrations is exceptional. Nearly one in four cars in 2025 were BYD models and for Tesla just over one in five. BYD's market share is up 58% and Tesla's down 10%. 

Zeekr, GAC Aion and Xpeng only arrived during 2024 but already are third to fifth! That sort of upheaval is unheard of. Toyota lost 39% of its share and that is something you won't see very often. 

Have the premium marques been spared the influx of the Chinese equivalents? BMW and Lexus have both lost half of their market share, Mercedes-Benz has lost 64% and Audi was down a huge 83%. 

There has to be a reason for this to be so pronounced. Hong Kong is offering incentives for electric cars (BEVs). Chinese brands are well placed to take advantage of that, hence a major reason for the surge we are seeing from them. 

Above the photographs are of the Denza 09, and below is the Deepal S07, which has just arrived during the year.

Data source: HK Transport Department.

Brands From China In Singapore : 2025

The chart to the right shows sales of brands that are based in China. 'Rk' is where they rank compared to all other brands, 'MS' is market share and +/- shows increase or decrease compared to 2024. 

BYD has raced to the top of the market, In 2021 it was the 31st most popular brand and now well ahead of the others and has 21% of the market. It has left Toyota/Lexus in its wake, which is not something that happens.  

No other brand is in the top 10 but those increases in the +/- column indicate that could soon change. The 'n/a' means they are new in 2025. 

With 32% of total sales now taken and done so quickly shows that the sky is the limit. It's like a swarm of locusts. Looking at the other brands, they all seem to have been affected. 

Data source: LTA Singapore. Photos: BYD (Seal) & GAC (Aion V). 

Brands From China In NZ : 2025

New Zealand has an open car market so any brand can set up shop here. Chinese brands have been arriving, with local car magazine NZ Autocar having many articles about all these new models that are coming in. This article here covers passenger cars only - not light commercial vehicles - and that would have added a few more brands. 

The question is just how successful will this new wave of Chinese entrants be? 

Apart from a few brand names, they are unfamiliar sounding. That doesn't appear to be an issue for some punters. One thing they offer is value for money and that will be enough for them to take the plunge. Long warranties help too.

Others with a more cautious approach will stick to the brands they already know and trust. I am of this persuasion. It's a lot of money to take any risk on but time can allay that fear. 

The chart shows what the current situation is. Those listed come to 12,800 registrations and 17.5% of the total sales YTD. The 'Rk' number is where they are on the chart with all brands included.

The top ranked brand is MG, which started selling in reasonable numbers back in 2019 and is currently sitting in 7th place. Its sales are up 35% on 2024.

Haval's break out year was 2018 and it holds 10th spot with a 24% sales gain and 2.8% market share. Ora arrived in 2023 but the rest were either 2024 or this year, 'n/a' shows the 2025 arrivals.

For now, it seems that Chinese brands will not be knocking off the top brands. They will take some sales from them, but will also take many sales from each other. Dealerships selling these new brands will spread further across the country, an important part of maximising sales, improving brand visibility and a more comprehensive customer support network. All that helps a brand's image.

Several more brands will soon be here, creating a congested market place for what is overall a modestly sized market. Some suggest there will be casualties, be that the new Chinese brands or some existing ones. 

Who survives would depend largely on whether importers can make a profit and feel the effort is worth it. What is certain is that Kiwis are spoiled for choice when contemplating buying a new car.

Data source: NZTA. Photo source: BYD (Sealion 6) top & Chery (Tiggo 8) below.

Brands From China In Australia : 2025

There has been an upsurge of cars made in China coming to Australia with one is five from there in 2025. Even a couple of years ago, that would have seemed far fetched. Now, no one would doubt that it will continue to grow. 

The chart to the right shows sales of brands that are based in China. It includes passenger cars and light commercials. 

Rk is where they rank compared to all brands, MS is market share and +/- shows increase over 12 months of 2024. There have been impressive gains plus a host of newbies.

BYD is in its third full year and already has 4.3% market penetration. MG and Haval are both in their 8th full year and while Haval did well in 2025, MG lost some ground. Xpeng is a close to exact as they don't report regularly.

New arrivals for the year have a 'n/a' in the +/- column to indicate that. 2026 will herald in yet more brands, which will be making it a crowded market place. There is such a thing as too much choice. 

Data source: FCAI. 

Photo source: GWM (Tank 300 model - above) & Deepal (E07- below) Australia. 

Vinfast Sales : 2024-25

Vinfast has delivered 197,000 cars for the year, up 102%. The company makes other forms of transport. The e-scooter and e-bike sales were 406,498 (+473%). For those who don't want or cannot afford a car, they have options. 

As an aside, e-scooter and e-bike deliveries will have benefitted from the announced plan to ban petrol powered motorbikes in the Hanoi city center starting in mid-2026. 

Vinfast had a net loss os $2.4 billion in Q1-Q3 2025, with Q3 being the worst. Dividing that figure by sales brings it to -$12,000 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. Expansion is expensive so the financial situation is not totally unexpected. Maybe they could slow that down. 

Most sales are no doubt domestic although the company doesn't release any export data that I was able to find. 

We do know that Vinfast has just recently opened a plant in India and others are planned.  

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.

For H1 2025, Vinfast did release domestic model sales for three of its models, 23,083 VF3 units were delivered, 21,812 VF5 and 8,552 VF6. They were described as "Topping the best seller charts in H12025 in Vietnam." I presume that means the segments they were selling in. 

Summary: 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 although 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, as well as reliability concerns. Overall, it comes across to me as a company in too much of a hurry.