Laos Full Year 2014: Chery QQ best-seller, Chinese above 30% share

The Chery QQ is the best-selling vehicle in Laos. Picture: Flickr

* See the Top 25 brands and Top 20 models by clicking on the title *

Thanks to Proliance, for the first time on BSCB we can share with you official new car sales data for Laos. In 2014 15.636 new light vehicles found a buyer in this country of 6.8 million inhabitants, or 2.3 new vehicles per thousand inhabitants which places it at roughly the same level as India. This landlocked country’s geographic situation goes a long way into explaining its new car market structure: it shares borders with China, Vietnam and Thailand among others and as a result has become the country in the world where Chinese carmakers hold the highest market share at 30.5%, beating the previous official records held by Bolivia (27.9% in 2012) and Uruguay (23.1% in 2013).

The Hyundai Eon, imported from India, is #2 in Laos in 2014.

Brand-wise, Toyota (11.9%) and Hyundai (11.6%) are in a close grip, followed in third place by Chery (10.5%) with Chevrolet and Kia rounding up the Top 5. Chery is one of 6 Chinese manufacturers in the Top 15 and 11 in the Top 25, with the most popular in 2014 being BYD (#7), Geely (#9), Great Wall (#12), Gonow (#13), Dongfeng (#15), JAC (#16), ZX Auto (#19) and MG (#20). The Chery QQ is the best-selling nameplate in Laos in 2014, making it two countries in the world to officially crown a Chinese model along with Venezuela and the Dongfeng Rich. The other two are unofficial: the Geely CK in Cuba and the Hawtai Lusheng E70 in North Korea.

The Chery Riich is inside the Top 15 in Laos. Picture Christian & Patricia Gasnier.

The Laotian models ranking is a fascinating testimony to the commercial links the country has established with some of its neighbours: the Hyundai Eon is #2 overall and comes from India, the Chevrolet Sail at #3 comes from China while the Isuzu D-Max at #4, Toyota Fortuner at #6, Toyota Hilux at #9 and Mitsubishi L200 at #12 are all imported from Thailand where they are manufactured. As far as Chinese nameplates are concerned, there are 5 in the Top 15:  the Chery QQ, Chery A1, Geely Panda, BYD F0 and Chery Riich.

Previous post: Laos 2012 update: Chinese models keep spreading

Full Year 2014 Top 25 brands and Top 20 models Ranking Tables below.