UAE Car Market 2025: Toyota Stays No.1, Jetour Becomes The Breakout Brand As Chinese Carmakers Gain Ground

The UAE new vehicle market continued its steady recovery in 2025, with sales rising by around 5.3% year-on-year to 335,772 units, according to BestSellingCarsBlog. The market stayed strongly tilted toward Japanese brands at the top, but the biggest shift came from Chinese automakers, especially Jetour, which became the fastest-rising mainstream brand in the country.

The year was defined by three clear trends: Toyota’s continued leadership, Nissan’s mild decline despite strong model demand, and the rapid rise of Chinese SUV-focused brands such as Jetour, MG and Geely.

UAE Car Market 2025: Overall Sales Performance

Metric	2025
UAE new vehicle sales	335,772 units
YoY growth	+5.3%
No.1 brand	Toyota
No.1 model	Toyota Hilux
Best-selling Chinese brand	Jetour
Best-selling Chinese model	Jetour T2

Toyota Remains UAE’s Undisputed Market Leader

Toyota continued to dominate the UAE automotive market in 2025. Toyota grew by 6.5% and improved its market share to 24.4%, and remained comfortably ahead of Nissan and Mitsubishi.

Toyota’s strength in the UAE is not dependent on just one model. The brand has a wide spread across pickups, SUVs, sedans and commercial vehicles. The Hilux became the best-selling vehicle in the UAE in 2025, while the Land Cruiser, Toyota Ace, Camry Hybrid and Yaris Sedan also featured strongly in the model ranking.

Nissan Holds No.2 But Loses Share

Nissan retained second position in the UAE but had a weaker year compared to Toyota. Nissan sales declined by 10.2%, with its market share falling to 14.1% from 16.5% in 2024.

Despite the brand-level decline, Nissan still had two major model performers. The Nissan Patrol finished as the UAE’s second best-selling model in 2025, while the Nissan Sunny remained inside the top five despite a steep decline. The Patrol continues to be one of the UAE’s most important premium SUVs, helped by its strong image, off-road capability and deep regional brand equity.

Based on Nissan’s 14.1% share and the 335,772-unit market size, Nissan’s estimated 2025 volume stands at around 47,300 units.

Mitsubishi Keeps The Podium

Mitsubishi completed the top three brand ranking in the UAE. Mitsubishi grew by 3.5%, keeping the podium unchanged from 2024.

Mitsubishi’s standout model was the Outlander, which entered the top 10 model chart with strong growth. Outlander rose 30.1% in 2025, and highlighted itself as one of the important model gainers.

Jetour Becomes The Biggest Story Of UAE 2025

The most important market disruption came from Jetour. Jetour grew by 82.1%, jumped six places, and became the 4th largest car brand in the UAE. It also overtook MG to become the best-selling Chinese brand in the country.

The Jetour T2 was the star performer. It climbed to 3rd position in the full-year model ranking, with sales up 98.4% year-on-year. This means the T2 was not only the best-selling Chinese model in the UAE, but also one of the country’s top three overall vehicles in 2025.

Jetour’s success shows how quickly UAE buyers are accepting Chinese brands when the product formula is right: bold SUV design, strong equipment levels, aggressive pricing and strong dealer push.

MG And Geely Add To Chinese Brand Momentum

MG remained inside the top five, though it lost its position as the leading Chinese brand to Jetour. MG grew by 10.5% in 2025. Geely was another strong gainer. It grew by 47.7% and climbed to 6th position, compared with 12th place in the previous year. This confirms that Chinese brands are not growing through one isolated nameplate alone; the trend is now broader across multiple Chinese OEMs.

Estimated Top Brand Snapshot — UAE 2025

Rank	Brand	2025 Performance
1	Toyota	No.1 brand; around 24.4% share
2	Nissan	No.2 brand; share down to 14.1%
3	Mitsubishi	Retained 3rd position; +3.5% YoY
4	Jetour	Fastest-rising top 10 brand; +82.1% YoY
5	MG	Remained in top 5; +10.5% YoY
6	Geely	Climbed sharply to No.6; +47.7% YoY
8	BMW/Mini	Added in the 2025 dataset and ranked 8th

Model-Wise UAE Car Sales 2025:

Rank	Model	2025 Status	2025 Share / Growth	Approx. 2025 Units
1	Toyota Hilux	Best-selling vehicle in UAE	5.7% share, +35% YoY	~19,140 units
2	Nissan Patrol	Dropped from No.1 to No.2	5.0% share, +2.3% YoY	~16,790 units
3	Jetour T2	Best-selling Chinese model	+98.4% YoY
4	Toyota Land Cruiser	Premium SUV stronghold	+12.7% YoY
5	Nissan Sunny	Still in top 5 despite fall	-44.6% YoY
6	Tesla Model Y	Major EV gainer	+97.6% YoY
7	Toyota Ace	Strong commercial vehicle demand	+72.1% YoY
8	Ford Territory	Strong SUV growth	+33.3% YoY
9	Mitsubishi Outlander	Big SUV recovery	+30.1% YoY
10	Nissan X-Trail	SUV demand remained strong	+17.2% YoY

Toyota Hilux Regains The UAE Crown

The Toyota Hilux was the best-selling vehicle in the UAE in 2025. It grew by 35% year-on-year and captured 5.7% market share, which translates to approximately 19,140 units. This was the Hilux’s fourth recent win in the UAE market after earlier wins in 2012, 2014 and 2022.

The Hilux’s popularity is easy to understand. It fits both personal and commercial usage, has strong resale value, and carries Toyota’s durability image. In a market where lifestyle, desert use, fleet demand and business utility often overlap, the Hilux remains one of the most complete products.

Nissan Patrol Still A UAE Favourite

The Nissan Patrol finished second in 2025. It grew by 2.3%, but lost the top spot to the Toyota Hilux. With a 5% market share, the Patrol’s estimated volume works out to around 16,790 units.

The Patrol remains one of the UAE’s most iconic SUVs. It has a unique market position because it appeals to premium family buyers, off-road users and traditional large-SUV loyalists. Even with Toyota’s strength and new Chinese SUV competition, the Patrol continues to command exceptional brand pull.

Jetour T2: The New Chinese SUV Star

The Jetour T2 was the model that changed the conversation in 2025. It rose five places to become the third best-selling vehicle in the UAE and recorded a massive 98.4% year-on-year growth.

Its success highlights the growing appetite for value-rich lifestyle SUVs. The T2’s rugged styling, strong road presence and attractive pricing helped it compete against more established Japanese and Korean SUVs. For the UAE market, this is a major signal: Chinese brands are no longer limited to budget sedans or entry-level crossovers; they are now competing in high-visibility SUV segments.

Tesla Model Y Shows EV Demand Is Rising

The Tesla Model Y was another major mover in 2025. It surged 97.6% and climbed 15 ranks to finish 6th in the model chart. This made it one of the strongest-performing electric vehicles in the UAE market.

EV sales in the UAE grew by 26.4% in 2025 and reached around 8% market share. Tesla continued to dominate the EV space with 36% share, while BYD rose sharply by 211.9% and moved into 5th position in the EV brand ranking.

This shows that the UAE EV market is becoming more active, even though it remains smaller than ICE and hybrid segments. Charging infrastructure, regulated tariffs and premium EV demand are helping the category expand.

SUVs Continue To Dominate Buyer Preference

The 2025 model chart clearly shows the UAE’s preference for SUVs and utility vehicles. The top 10 included the Nissan Patrol, Jetour T2, Toyota Land Cruiser, Ford Territory, Mitsubishi Outlander and Nissan X-Trail. Even outside the top 10, UAE buyers continue to show strong demand for large SUVs, off-roaders and premium crossovers.

This SUV-heavy structure explains why brands such as Toyota, Nissan, Jetour, Mitsubishi, MG and Geely performed well. The UAE is a market where design, cabin space, road presence, off-road ability and value-led features strongly influence buying behaviour.

Key Takeaways For AutoPunditz Readers

The UAE car market in 2025 remained Toyota-led, but the competitive structure changed meaningfully. Toyota stayed far ahead because of its wide product spread and the strength of the Hilux, Land Cruiser and other core models. Nissan held second position but lost share, even though the Patrol remained one of the country’s most loved SUVs.

The biggest disruption came from Jetour. Its rise to No.4 among brands and the T2’s climb to No.3 among models prove that Chinese automakers are now mainstream contenders in the UAE. MG and Geely added further strength to this trend.

The EV market also started gaining visibility, with the Tesla Model Y becoming a top 10 model and EV sales reaching around 8% market share. The UAE is still not an EV-dominated market, but the direction is clear: premium EVs and Chinese value SUVs are becoming important growth pockets.

The UAE car market in 2025 was not just about Toyota’s continued dominance. It was also about the arrival of a new competitive order. Japanese brands still control the top end of the market, but Chinese brands are now growing fast enough to reshape the ranking table.

For 2026, the biggest questions will be whether Jetour can sustain its momentum, whether Nissan can regain lost share, and whether Tesla, BYD and other EV players can push electric vehicles beyond niche adoption. Toyota remains the brand to beat, but the UAE market is clearly becoming more open, more competitive and more SUV-led than ever before.