Nigeria 2011: Toyota Corolla king of the roads UPDATED

Toyota Corolla in Lagos, Nigeria May 2010

* Now updated with 2011 info – many thanks to nami for your insights! *

Even though Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with 155 million inhabitants, only 45,000 new cars were sold in the country in 2010. That’s 1 new car per year per 3,400 inhabitants, compared to 1 for 75 in China and 1 for 22 in Australia!

Toyota holds one third of the Nigerian new car market, with Hyundai, Kia and Honda following in the brands ranking. The best-selling car in the country is the Toyota Corolla and it has been so since 2005. Based on observation of the country’s streets through recent YouTube videos, the model should secure a market share of at least 12% in Nigeria.

Toyota Camry

The podium should be 100% Toyota with the Hilux in 2nd place and the Camry at #3. Note the Hilux was the best-selling vehicle in Nigeria ahead of the Honda Civic, before the Corolla snapped that title away 6 years ago.

Kia Rio

The rest of the Top 10 could be composed of the Toyota Hiace, Kia Rio & Cerato, Hyundai Accent & Elantra and Honda Civic & Accord.
Other successful models in Nigeria include the Mitsubishi Pajero, VW Passat, Toyota Prado (with a nice career ahead judging by the number of old gens on the roads), Yaris Sedan, RAV4, Sienna and 4Runner.

This speculation is based on the insights of nami from Nigeria and the observation of the streets of the main cities in the country through recent YouTube videos. If you have more information about the Nigerian market please make sure to get in touch!

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