Ukraine May 2018: U.S. imported Audi A3 takes control

The U.S. imported Audi A3 is the best-selling vehicle in Ukraine in May.

* See the Top 45 All-brands and Top 255 All-models by clicking on the title *

New car sales in Ukraine have frozen in place just above 6.800 units for the past three months. May is up 3.7% year-on-year to 6.838, lifting the year-to-date volume up a round 10% to 32.979, up 138% on the low of 13.831 units at the same stage of the year in 2015 but still down 63% on the 89.351 deliveries of the first 5 months of 2013. Toyota continues to lead the brands ranking but drops again at -4% to 12.4% share whereas Renault outpaces the market at +6% to 11%. Audi (+110%), Hyundai (+52%), Mazda (+33%) and Ford (+30%) post brilliant gains in the Top 10 while below, Honda (+277%), Lexus (+88%), Chery (+60%), Subaru (+52%) and Mitsubishi (+50%) also shine. Among smaller brands, Chinese Geely (+380%), JAC (+156%) and Great Wall (+79%) as well as Tesla (+217%) lodge spectacular gains.

Over in the models ranking, after placing #2 last October and each month since February, the Audi A3 steps up to the pole position with sales up 53-fold on May 2017. Just as the U.S. stock of stop-sale VW Golf seems to have run out (it is down to #51 this month), the similarly polluting A3 is still running strong. Both the Golf and A3 successful in Ukraine actually come from the US: they are unsold new vehicles produced in 2015 or 2016 and affected by the diesel emissions scandal,  and therefore banned for sale there. They are sold at cut-throat prices in Ukraine. The Renault Duster, #1 in April, is down to #2 but still up 19%, ahead of the Renault Logan (-15%), Toyota RAV4 (-19%) and Hyundai Tucson (+49%). Below, the Suzuki Vitara (+196%), VW Polo (+72%), Mazda CX-5 (+60%) and Toyota Camry (+53%) post solid gains while the Skoda Karoq tops all recent launches at #45.

Previous month: Ukraine April 2018: New gen propels Renault Duster to pole position

Previous year: Ukraine Full Year 2017: Sportage and Duster top market up 25%

Full May 2018 Top 45 All-brands and Top 255 All-models below.