October was a good month for car sales in Israel. A total of 19,593 cars were sold in Israel in October, 14% more than the same month in 2012.
So far, 2013 has been a banner year for car sales in Israel. A total of 184,305 cars were sold between January and October, 3.6% more than the same period in 2012. Industry experts said that importers have been discounting vehicles, which is encouraging potential buyers to commit to purchasing vehicles.
The most popular brand in Israel is Hyundai. So far in 2013, 29,050 Hyundai models were sold throughout the country, 5% more than the same period last year.
Following Hyundai in popularity is Toyota, which sold 18,281 vehicles in the first ten months of 2013, 9% more than last year. Kia ran a close third, selling 18,228 vehicles in 2013 so far, 10% more than last year. Ford, on the other hand, lost significant market share, coming in fourth place, and selling 11,305 vehicles – 35% less than in the first ten months of 2012. The sharp fall was attributed to numerous recalls that Ford conducted in 2012, raising questions among consumers about the quality of the vehicles.
In 2014, Mazda is likely to be a strong seller, analysts said. The new Mazda 3 model sold 2000 units in October, right after it was introduced, and so far it has been the strongest selling of the new 2014 models.