Turkmenistan Full Year 2017: Mercedes #1 brand at 45.2% share

Toyota Corolla taxis in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Picture tdh.gov.tm

* See the Top 5 All-brands and Top 10 models by clicking on the title *

Extremely rare data is available today for the very secretive nation of Turkmenistan, and this for only the second time in BSCB history. Two years ago, Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov banned the import of black cars, and just last month he banned black and dark-coloured vehicles from the country’s capital Ashgabat, with the culprit cars being seized by police and their owners told they must pay up to the equivalent of one year salary to have them repainted silver or white.

Toyota Corolla taxis in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Pictures hronikatm.com, turkmenistan.gov.tm

Ashgabat is known as the ‘City of White Marble’ and the President is a lover of white, travelling in white limousines, because he believes white brings good fortune. Simultaneously, it is reported that women have been banned from driving in the country because they have been accused of causing most car accidents, meaning Turkmenistan replaces Saudi Arabia as the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive, this information according to the Daily Mail UK.

Nissan Sunny taxi near Berkarar shopping centre. Picture Alamy.com

Over the Full Year 2017, 755 new cars officially found a buyer in the country – that excludes grey imports (not the colour, the unofficial mode of importation into the country). Just three carmakers hold a mammoth 96.5% of the market. If for our last update the Mercedes C-Class was the best-selling nameplate in Turkmenistan, this time it’s Mercedes that stuns with a brands victory and a gargantuan 45.2% market share. Toyota follows with 38.5% of sales while Volkswagen takes the third step of the podium at 12.8%. Hyundai and Skoda are the only two other active brands in the country for 2017.

Opel Vectra in Turkmenistan desert. Picture © FarewellFire

In the models ranking, thanks to a taxi fleets delivered in August and pictured above, the Toyota Corolla is the best-seller nationally with 26.5% share, distancing the Mercedes E-Class at 22.4% and the VW Touareg at 11.9%. Four additional Mercedes find their way in the Top 10 (the Sprinter, S-Class, GLE and GLS), vs. one Hyundai (the Elantra) and four more Toyotas in the Top 12 (Hiace, Camry, Hilux and Prado).

Previous post: Turkmenistan September 2015: Mercedes C-Class and Hyundai Elantra dominate

Full Year 2017 Top 5 All-brands and Top 10 models below.