Gulf Cooperation Council Full Year 2016: Toyota Hilux reigns supreme

The Toyota Hilux remains the most popular vehicle in the Gulf region.

* See the Top 50 All-brands and Top 150 models by clicking on the title *

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The Gulf Cooperation Council region is an economic union that includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. New car sales in the region are down a harsh 21% year-on-year in 2016, going from just under 1.8 million units to 1.404.638. Market leader Toyota tops every single country in the region but fares worse than the overall market with a 28% drop and sees its still ultra-dominant share go from 36.8% in 2015 to 33.7% now. Its two followers improve greatly though, thanks to sales down just 12%: Hyundai goes from 13.4% to 14.9% share and Nissan from 9.5% to 10.7%. Kia (-16%) steps up to 5.5% vs. 5.2% a year ago. Below, Ford (-27%), Mitsubishi (-38%) and Isuzu (-39%) suffer.

The Hyundai Accent is up 3 spots to #2 thanks to a stunning first place in Saudi Arabia.

Mazda (-4%), Honda (-7%), BMW (-7%) and Renault (-1%) all post very modest declines but we have to go down to #22 and Cadillac to find the first brand actually gaining volume year-on-year at +28% to 6.255 sales. Bentley (+99%), Jaguar (+3%), SAIC (+15%), Ram (+5%) and Volvo (+14%), Aston Martin (+409%), Ferrari (+31%), Acura a(+100%) and McLaren (+37%) also improve. Geely, the best-selling Chinese carmaker in the region, follows the market at -21% and breaks into the Top 20 at #19. Opel (249 sales) and Datsun (3 sales in the UAE) make their appearance in the brands charts.

The Toyota Land Cruiser ranks #3 thanks to wins in Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE.

Model-wise, even though it falls down a heavy 30% year-on-year and only ranks 1st in mid-size market Oman, the Toyota Hilux remains by far the most popular nameplate in the GCC region with 87.516 sales. The Hilux is on the 2016 podium of each and every nation in the GCC and its consistency at the highest level is rewarded: #1 in Oman, it ranks #2 in Saudi Arabia and Qatar and #3 in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain. In the GCC 2nd place mainly due to its outstanding score in Saudi Arabia (#1 with 53.096 sales), the Hyundai Accent jumps 3 spots thanks to deliveries down just 7%. The Toyota Land Cruiser is up one spot to #3 in the region with 57.440 sales (-19%), snapping three pole positions (Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE), the most of any nameplates. The Toyota Corolla (-34%) loses the title of best-selling sedan to the Hyundai Accent and is followed by the Toyota Camry (-11%), Hyundai Elantra (-26%) and Toyota Prado (-23%), #1 in Kuwait.

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Full Year 2016 Top 50 All-brands and Top 150 models vs. Full Year 2015 figures below.