Reporting "Asre Khodro", According to the MSD report, 25,876 vehicles were imported in this period, marking a 47% rise year-on-year (y/y), according to the latest car import report of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.
Most vehicles during this period were imported from South Korean companies Hyundai and Kia, and Japan’s Toyota.
Hyundai
By gaining a 31% share in Iran’s market, Hyundai has maintained its firm foothold in the country.
All in all, 8,219 Hyundai units entered the country during the period.
In the last Iranian year (ended March 19, 2016), Hyundai had a 45% share of Iran’s imported auto market which, compared with the new report, marks a 14% decline while all other major companies observed growth.
According to the previous report, the company had a 39% share. A comparison of the two reports shows that Hyundai might be gradually losing its foothold in Iran.
Hyundai’s Santa Fe model, highly popular among Iranians, with 4,568 units captured 56% share of the company’s market in Iran, which compared to its last month’s share of 60% indicates a 4% decline.
This is while some auto dealers were speculating that the introduction of the new face-lifted models might bring Santa Fe into the spotlight again.
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.
The imports of ix35 and Elantra also expanded in this period, indicating a rising interest for these models among Iranian auto buyers.
  Kia
Surprisingly, Kia pushed aside Toyota to occupy the second place among auto brands entering Iran.
For long, Toyota had outpaced its rival in the growing market and during the first four months of the current Iranian year, with the import of 4,507 units, Kia earned a 17% share of Iran’s market.
The company owes this mostly to Cerato, which is the most popular product of Kia in the Islamic Republic with 1,691 units, indicating a significant jump in the model’s import rate compared to the last four months, during which only 1,149 units of the model entered the country.
According to the report, the number of imported Kia Sorento SUVs also showed a significant rise in this period.
Compared to last year, the Seoul-based company has seemingly expanded its presence in the country.
  Toyota
With 3,900 units imported during this period, Toyota earned a 15% share in Iran’s growing auto market.
The company’s share in the market has decreased by 2% but, nevertheless, Toyota registered a 60% rise in the number of its cars sold in the country last 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.

Market share of top 10 brands in Iran import passenger vehicle market in first five months of current Persian calendar year (started March 20)
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About Market Study Division
Emrooz Media Group as a leader of automotive and auto part media in Iran, applied experienced professionals in automotive industry and stablished Market Study Division (MSD) in 2014. The main goal of MSD is preparing trustworthy and precise data and information regarding Iranian automotive industry in order to support decisions made by top managers of local and international companies and become leader of automotive market research and study in Iran.

*by: Shahrooz Farmani Malayeri