Explore: The cars of Oman

Bestune T77 in Muscat, OmanOman location

Last December I had the privilege of visiting the country of Oman in the Arabian peninsula. It was a fascinating cultural change and the opportunity to discover fantastic landscapes. Oman is home to 5.3 million inhabitants including 1.72 million in its capital Muscat. Oman is the oldest continuously independent state in the Arab world. But we’re here for the cars aren’t we? I’ll start with a quick review of the rental car I got, then a detailed exploration of the Omani car landscape.

I got to drive the MG 5 for a week in Oman. It is one of the most successful vehicles in the country: #5 over the Full Year 2024 and best-selling non Toyota model. If recent Chinese launches got us used to stunning and ultra modern interiors, the 5 is far behind. It still belongs to the period when Chinese cars were only known for the bargain basement prices. Everything inside feels dated, including the analog instruments and the absence of infotainment screen. It all feels very 2005. The cruise control is a wand hidden behind the wheel in the same way as recent Peugeots. The exterior is actually ok, relatively timeless and shiny albeit quite generic. All in all, it did the job of driving us to various parts of the country.

Toyota Land Cruiser 300 in MuscatToyota Hilux in BidiyahToyota Land Cruiser 70 pickup in Bidiyah

The first thing to do when arriving is to check whether the cars on the road match the sales charts. As a reminder in 2024 in Oman the Toyota Land Cruiser is the best-seller followed by the Toyota Hilux and Land Cruiser Pickup. These three models combined account for exactly one third of all cars finding a buyer last year. Well the first answer is no, the cars don’t match the ranking. In the capital Muscat, the Land Cruiser is king with many of the new 300 generation but the Hilux and Land Cruiser pickup are scarce. However, when hitting the countryside, the car landscape changes dramatically with as much as one third of all cars being a Toyota Hilux. The Land Cruiser pickup also justifies its ranking in the more remote areas of the country such as Bidiyah near the sand dunes 2 hours south east of Muscat. The Toyota Fortuner, #4 in the ranking, is also very well represented. All is well in the end and the sales ranking is respected.

2025 Toyota Prado in Muscat

In Oman I also got to see the new generation Land Cruiser Prado in action. The new model is badly needed here as the Prado freefell from #4 in 2023 to #10 last year.

Changan Alsvin in Nizwa Changan UNI-V in MuscatJetour T2 in MuscatKaiyi E5 in MuscatMG 5 in Muscat MG One in MuscatMG RX8 in Jebel ShamsTank 500 in Muscat

One of the most interesting features of the Omani car landscape is the prevalence of Chinese models. A few Chinese brands don’t officially report sales in the region so we have no data for them. It was therefore a surprise to discover Bestune, Hongqi and Kaiyi all have a foot in the market. Of course other well known carmakers were present too, such as Changan, Haval, Jetour, MG and Tank.

Toyota FJ Cruiser in Muscat, Jebel Shams and Bidiyah

There’s a car elevated to cult status in Oman: the now discontinued Toyota FJ Cruiser. It is absolutely everywhere, be it in the capital Muscat, national parks such as Jebel Shams or the desert in Bidiyah. Another car with a lot of heritage in the country is the Nissan Xterra, very popular in all parts of Oman. There are not many old cars, but when there is, chances are it’s a Jeep Cherokee.

Toyota Tacoma in MuscatRam 1500 in Nizwa

American pickup trucks are also very common in Oman. In the capital Muscat we see a lot of Ford F-150, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tacoma. In the desert the Tacoma and most frequently the Toyota Tundra of all generations are also present.

2025 Nissan Patrol in MuscatSuzuki Ciaz in Jebel ChamsToyota Yaris sedan and Nissan Kicks in BidiyahToyota Yaris Sedan in MuscatHyundai Elantra in Muscat

Another observation is the absence of hatchbacks bar a handful of new generation MG 3. The sedan remains extremely popular here with the Toyota Yaris Sedan new generation, Dodge Charger, Honda Accord, Nissan Sunny, Altima, Kia Pegas, Mazda 6 and many Lexus sedans all very frequent on the road. Other notable vehicles include the Nissan Patrol, Mitsubishi Pajero, L200, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Raize, Toyota 4 Runner, GMC Yukon XL, Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Suburban.

How is it to drive in Oman? Not as crazy as I expected, but the use of the blinker is non existent. Also, speed bumps are everywhere and annoyingly steep: you almost have to stop the car completely to drive onto them. Traffic is fluid and the roads are top notch. To finish on an environmentally friendly note: there are two parking spots reserved to charging EVs on the main corniche in Muscat, but passing many times near it I never saw an actual car charging. EVs are still an afterthought in Oman.