Sales of new passenger cars in Ukraine declined by 19% in January 2021 year-over-year (y-o-y), to 5,700 vehicles over the COVID-19 lockdown.
"Such a significant drop in registrations of new cars was expected. Primarily, it is due to increased quarantine restrictions on the operation of car showrooms, which were in effect for half a month, January 8 through 25," the Ukrautoprom Association's press service said on its website on February 1.
Read alsoElectric car sales shrink by 1% in 2020Toyota was in the lead of the January ranking with 984 new passenger cars sold on the Ukrainian market, which was 18% down y-o-y.
Renault was second with 730 vehicles sold over the period under review, which was 31% down from January 2020.
Skoda cars ranked third, having improved its last year's sales in Ukraine by 4% to 486 cars.
The top five also included the KIA brand (329 new cars sold, 24% down) and the Nissan brand (306 new cars sold, 42% down).
The Toyota RAV4 car became the month's bestseller with 430 cars that had been assigned Ukrainian license plates.
Cars with foreign registration plates in Ukraine
- From February 23, 2019, there was a general regime of customs clearance of cars with foreign registration in Ukraine at a full rate of excise tax. It was assumed that car owners from May 24 would start pay fines to end the use of such cars in Ukraine. However, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, postponed their introduction until August 22.
- On September 12, 2019, the Verkhovna Rada passed a bill postponing the application of penalties for violating the procedure for importing vehicles with foreign registration into Ukraine's customs territory for another three months.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky singed the bill into law on September 20, 2019.
- In October 2019, a draft law on customs clearance of cars with foreign registration plates under the new formula was registered in parliament.
- On October 2, 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers postponed the introduction of fines for owners of cars with foreign registration that failed to get customs clearance until January 1, 2020.
- On October 29, 2020, it became known that the Cabinet had allowed to fine drivers of cars with foreign registration plates.