Kazakhstan Full Year 2015: Hyundai Accent ends Lada Priora reign

The Hyundai Accent is the best-selling model in Kazakhstan in 2015. 

* See the Top 50 All-brands and Top 340 All-models by clicking on the title *

The economic recession in neighbouring Russia has triggered a massive influx of grey near-new imports into Kazakhstan and the crumbling apart of the local new car market, down 40% in 2015 to just 97.399 units. Adding an estimated 60.000 grey imports shows a relatively stable market otherwise. Lada remains by far the market leader over the full year at 25.2% and despite sales down 46%, but fell well below 20% towards the end of the year when it was under intense pressure from UZ-Daewoo and Renault. Keeping the pole position in 2016 may prove much harder than expected for Lada.

The Granta becomes the best-selling Lada in Kazakhstan this year.

Hyundai (-21%) improves its market share by 3 percentage points over a year ago to 11.5% in 2nd place, overtaking sister brand Kia (-47%) at 9.6%. Renault is up 4% and goes from 5% in 2014 to 8.7% of the market in 2015, landing in 4th position. Notice also Volkswagen up 11%, Geely down just 11% to improve to #12 and 2% share, Ford up 8%, MG up 21%, Audi up 23% and Mazda up 49%. Chinese carmaker JAC at #36 but #12 in December, and Datsun – launched in December when it sold 38 units – make their first appearance in the Kazakh brands ranking.

VW Polo sales are up 7% year-on-year in Kazakhstan: it ranked #1 in December. 

In the models ranking, the Hyundai Accent manages to end four consecutive years of Lada reign by dropping ‘just’ 27% to 7.396 sales and edging past the Lada Granta (-39% to 7.285) by end-November. Leader from 2011 to 2014, the Lada Priora falls 61% to third place while the Largus (-15%) makes it three Ladas in the Top 4 and the Kalina (#9) and 4×4 (#10) make it five in the Top 10. The GAZ Gazelle gains one percentage point of market share thanks to sales down only 24% at #6 while the Renault Duster (-20%) and VW Polo (+7%) do even better just below. The Renault Sandero (+28%) is up 11 ranks to #12, the Hyundai Elantra (+22%) up 9 to #13 and the Renault Logan (+26%) up 10 to #14.

Previous month: Kazakhstan November 2015: Hyundai Accent now #1 year-to-date

Previous year: Kazakhstan Full Year 2014: Lada Granta catches up on Priora

Two years ago: Kazakhstan Full Year 2013: Lada Priora tops world’s fastest growing market

Full Year 2015 Top 50 All-brands and Top 340 All-models vs. Full 2014 figures below.

Full December 2015 Top 44 All-brands and Top 186 All-models below.