A report on vehicle import in the first four months of the current Iranian year (started March 20) has been released by Market Monitoring Unit of Car Iran, a local auto e-magazine.
According to the report, 18,531 vehicles were imported in this period, marking a 31% rise compared with the same period of last year.
The most imported vehicles during this period were produced by the South Korean company Hyundai, followed by Toyota and Kia.
Hyundai
By gaining a 29% share in Iran’s market, Hyundai has maintained its firm foothold in the country.
All in all, 5,452 Hyundai units have entered the country during this period.
In the last Iranian year (ended March 19, 2016), Hyundai had a 45% share of Iran’s imported auto market which, compared to the new report, marks a 6% decline while all other major companies observed growth.
With 3,174 units, Santa Fe captured 60% share of Hyundai’s market in Iran. The model has always been popular among Iranians. The introduction of new face-lifted models has again brought Santa Fe into the spotlight.
Being the most successful hatchback in the country’s auto market with 805 units, Hyundai’s i20 is the second most popular product in Iran.
The hatchback is followed by the popular sedan Sonata with 666 units.
The imports of ix35 and Elantra also expanded in this period, indicating a rising interest among Iranian auto buyers.
Toyota
Unsurprisingly, Toyota pushed aside Kia and earned the second place among auto brands entering Iran.
Kia Motors previously had the second biggest share of Iran’s imported auto market but last year’s market hinted at a change, as for long Toyota had outpaced its rival in the growing market.
Nevertheless, Toyota registered a 60% rise in the number of cars sold in the country last year.
The company’s share in Iran’s market has reportedly risen by 3% in the first four months of the current fiscal year.
According to the report, 37% of the imported units were Corolla sedans and 33% of them RAV4 SUVs.
The significant rise in the import of the hybrid Prius shows the rising interest of auto buyers in the model.
Kia
With 3,086 units imported during this period, Kia earned a 17% share of Iran’s market.
Compared to last year, the Seoul-based company has seemingly expanded its presence in the country.
The most popular product of Kia in Iran is Sportage with 1,149 units, followed by Optima and Cerato.
According to the report, the number of imported Kia Sorento SUVs also showed a significant rise in this period.
