Ukraine October 2018: Nissan Qashqai and Audi Q8 impress, 5th market decline in past 12 months

It’s in Ukraine that the Audi Q8 scores its first Top 50 finish in the world.

New car sales in Ukraine worryingly post a second straight year-on-year decline in October at -5.7% to 7.214 registrations, this is the 5th drop in the past 12 months in a trend that seems to indicate the market is already plateauing. The year-to-date volume is now up a slim 3.2% to 67.505 units, that’s just 37% of the pre-Crimea crisis level in 2013 (180.831). Toyota (-8%) holds onto the top spot at 12.4% share but Renault (+21%) is catching up at 11.1% while Nissan (+78%) posts the largest gain in the Top 30 to round up the podium. Jeep (+77%), Porsche (+76%), Fiat (+58%), Land Rover (+43%), Kia (+41%), Mitsubishi (+25%), Chery (+21%) and Great Wall (+12%) also impress. The models podium is once again 100% SUV as it is YTD but with different actors in a different order: the Kia Sportage (+98%) is on top, followed by the Renault Duster (+48%) and Nissan Qashqai (+187%). The Skoda Octavia (+5%) and Renault Logan (+12%) make the Top 5 entirely in positive, at odds with the market. The SUV wave is applied to the Ukrainian market with full force this month with the Toyota Prado (+136%), Nissan X-Trail (+53%) and Hyundai Tucson (+38%) also posting strong gains in the Top 12, while the Audi Q8 is up 70 spots on last month to rank #41, scoring what is believed to be the nameplate’s first ever worldwide Top 50 finish.

Previous post: Ukraine August-September 2018: Renault Duster #1, first double-digit drop in 3 years

One year ago: Ukraine October 2017: VW Golf and Audi A3 surprise leaders, market up 36%

Full October 2018 Top 45 All-brands and Top 265 All-models below.