Chinese automakers tighten grip on Israeli market as new car sales motor higher

New vehicle sales rose 10% through July as Jaecoo and Chery led the rankings, while legacy brands slid and plug-in hybrids surged Noam Rhein | Related Topics Chinese automakers continued to strengthen their dominance of Israel's new car market in July, accounting for six of the country's 10 best-selling brands as overall vehicle deliveries rose 10% compared with the same period last year. A total of 26,481 new passenger vehicles were delivered in July, bringing year-to-date deliveries to more than 203,000 vehicles, according to industry data. The figures exclude trucks, buses, motorcycles and vehicles imported through personal or parallel import channels. ( Photo: Shmulik Davidpur ) China's Chery Group remained the dominant player in the Israeli market. Jaecoo, one of Chery's brands, was the country's best-selling marque with nearly 23,000 vehicles delivered since the start of the year. Chery ranked second with about 21,000 deliveries, while sister brand Omoda placed 12th with more than 3,000 vehicles. Chinese manufacturers BYD, MG, Geely and XPeng also ranked among Israel's 10 best-selling brands, giving Chinese companies six of the top 10 positions. The remaining four places were held by Toyota, Hyundai, Kia and Skoda, although all four lost market share during the year. Among non-Chinese automakers, only Tesla and Citroën significantly outperformed the overall market. Tesla's deliveries rose about 47% from a year earlier, while Citroën posted an 11% increase. A handful of smaller brands, including KGM, Opel, Dacia and Fiat, also expanded their market share despite relatively modest sales volumes. Many established automakers, however, recorded sharp declines. Hyundai and Volkswagen each saw deliveries fall about 20%, while Subaru dropped 30% and Peugeot declined 33%. Suzuki and Mitsubishi fell 36% and 38%, respectively. Nissan's deliveries dropped 41%, Seat declined 55%, and Mazda recorded the steepest fall, with sales plunging 73%. By contrast, sales across Israel's 15 leading Chinese brands increased by an average of 88%, underscoring the rapid shift in consumer preferences. Chinese-built vehicles accounted for about 92,000 deliveries this year, representing 45% of Israel's new car market. The composition of Israel's electrified vehicle market also continued to change. Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 12% of new car deliveries this year, down from 16% during the same period in 2025. Plug-in hybrid vehicles increased their market share from 10% to 24.5%, while conventional hybrids rose from 25% to 30%. Overall, about two-thirds of all new passenger vehicles delivered in Israel this year feature some form of electric propulsion, either fully electric or hybrid. Comments