News 18 Aug 2026 1 min read

Qatar's new-car market fell 18.5% in the first half of 2026, but Chinese brands kept climbing

34,325 light vehicles were sold in H1. Toyota holds 29.2% and the Land Cruiser stays No. 1; Jetour is second, Tank and Haval posted the biggest gains and the new Jetour G700 landed in the top ten.

Sales of new light vehicles in Qatar fell 18.5 per cent in the first half of 2026 to 34,325 units, according to figures compiled by Best Selling Cars Blog, ending several years of strong post-pandemic growth. The blog attributes the fall to regional geopolitical tension weighing on buyer confidence. Toyota remains the market leader. Its volume was down 15.2 per cent, but because the market fell faster its share rose to 29.2 per cent, and the Land Cruiser stayed the best-selling model in the country with 11.5 per cent of all sales on its own. The story of the half is the redistribution towards Chinese brands. Jetour fell 33 per cent yet held second place with an 11.4 per cent share. Tank grew 45.9 per cent to fifth overall, and the blog notes Qatar is now Tank's best-performing market in the world. Haval more than doubled, up 155.2 per cent, to sixth. Among models, the Haval H9 rose 138.8 per cent, the Jetour T1 rose 123.6 per cent, and the newly launched Jetour G700 went straight into the top ten at tenth, the best result for any recent launch. The Nissan Patrol, waiting for its new generation to reach volume, fell 38.5 per cent. Sales through July were 42,243 units, down 16.5 per cent on the same period of 2025. Focus2Move's full-year forecast puts the 2026 market at around 90,000 units, with the second half expected to be helped by new launches and continued momentum from Chinese SUV brands. Source: Best Selling Cars Blog, August 2026; Focus2Move.