Main points
- In January, demand for new cars in Ukraine decreased significantly.
- 4,789 new passenger cars were registered, with imports of new cars falling by 57.8% compared to December, but overall growth of 11.6% compared to January 2025.
Demand for new cars has fallen in Ukraine / censor.net
There was a car rush in December as buyers tried to beat the VAT refund on electric vehicles, but demand dropped significantly in January. In addition, one brand overtook the Chinese market leader.
What has changed in the new car market in Ukraine?
The market naturally cooled in January, but demonstrated healthy optimism compared to last year, writes the Institute for Auto Market Research.
This month always sees a seasonal lull, exacerbated this year by changes in tax rules:
- 4,789 new passenger cars were registered.
- Ukrainian production provided only 119 units.
- New car imports fell 57.8% from a record December. This is a classic effect of “empty warehouses” and pent-up demand.
- There is an increase of 11.6% compared to January 2025. This indicates that the overall trend towards fleet renewal remains positive.
What car brands are the most popular?
The brand ranking recorded an interesting shift in power: in January, Toyota overtook Chinese BYD cars in popularity.
Renault and Skoda round out the top four, targeting corporate fleets and European pragmatists. BMW, at eighth place, shows that the premium segment felt quite confident in January.
Top 10 manufacturers of new passenger cars / IDA infographics
By the way, last year, the Ukrainian car fleet was replenished with 81.3 thousand new passenger cars, which is 17% more than in 2024, writes Ukravtoprom.
At the end of the year, the leader in the new passenger car market was the Chinese brand BYD with 10,352 cars sold, which is five times more than in 2024. In total, the TOP-10 included:
- BYD – 10,352 units (+401%);
- TOYOTA – 10,181 units (-5%);
- VOLKSWAGEN – 7,380 units (+51%);
- RENAULT – 6,281 units (-14%);
- ŠKODA – 6,153 units (+22%);
- BMW – 3,757 units (-22%);
- HYUNDAI – 3,633 units (+39%);
- ZEEKR – 2,984 units (+264%);
- AUDI – 2,864 units (+42%);
- HONDA – 2,655 units (+31%).
Automotive company news
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