China's commercial vehicles begin to enter Ukraine's vision: Chery ranks among the top ten light commercial vehicles for the first time

The Ukraine Automobile Market Research Institute believes that the key to whether China brands can expand their share in the future is not just price, but whether durability, after-sales service, parts supply and long-term operating costs can be recognized by corporate users...

According to the latest statistics from the Ukraine Institute for Automotive Market Research, in June 2026, a total of 3945 light commercial vehicles (LCV) with a total mass of less than 3.5 tons were registered in Ukraine. Although used cars still account for the majority of the market, what really attracted the industry's attention is the import of new cars: 726 new light commercial vehicles were imported in June, a year-on-year increase of 104.5%, almost doubling, indicating that corporate users are accelerating the renewal of their fleets.

From the perspective of market structure, used cars are still the foundation of the Ukraine light commercial vehicle market. In June, domestic second-hand LCV trading volume reached 2037 units, accounting for 51.6% of the entire market. It fell 8.5% from May, but still increased by 4.9% year-on-year. The Ukraine Automobile Market Research Institute believes that this more reflects the fact that small and micro enterprises and self-employed operators tend to be cautious in purchasing rather than the disappearance of demand. For transportation companies, maintenance service providers and small trading companies, they are more inclined to find second-hand car models with lower prices and mature maintenance systems in China.

In terms of models, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Renault Master continue to firmly occupy the top two positions in the second-hand market. These two models have a mature maintenance network, abundant supply of parts and components and a high hedging rate in Ukraine, so they have long been regarded as "hard currency" in the commercial vehicle market. The old GAZ-3302 (Gazelle) is still at the forefront. The reason is not that the products are advanced, but that it is low in price and cheap in maintenance, and it still has a market in some regions.

At the same time, imported second-hand LCV remains an important source of updating the fleet. The number of imported second-hand light commercial vehicles registered for the first time in June was 1127, accounting for 28.6% of the market. Although it fell by 9.6% month-on-month, it still increased by 19.6% year-on-year. It is worth noting that market demand has not only stayed at ordinary vans, but professional models such as refrigerated trucks and vans with hydraulic tailplates in the European market are becoming more and more popular. The industry believes that purchasing mature models directly from Europe is usually less costly and more efficient than modifying them locally in Ukraine.

In contrast, the new car market became the biggest highlight in June. Data showed that new LCV imports reached 726 vehicles in the month, an increase of 33.7% from May and a year-on-year increase of 104.5%. Research institutions analyze that this growth mainly comes from corporate customers rather than individual operators. Postal services, express delivery, e-commerce distribution, agricultural companies and large logistics companies are accelerating the renewal of their fleets. They are paying more attention to vehicle life cycle costs, including warranty, maintenance downtime, fuel consumption and residual value, rather than just car purchase prices.

On the new car sales list, Toyota Hilux became the most popular light commercial model in June. Although Hilux is a pickup truck, it is classified as the LCV category in the Ukraine statistical system. This was followed by Renault Master, Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Landtrek and Volkswagen Crafter.

Another noteworthy change is that China brands have begun to enter the Ukraine commercial vehicle market. Statistics show that Chery Himla entered the top ten new LCV sales for the first time. The Ukraine Automobile Market Research Institute believes that the key to whether China brands can expand their share in the future is not just price, but whether durability, after-sales service, parts supply and long-term operating costs can be recognized by corporate users.

 written in the end 

The Ukraine commercial vehicle market has not experienced an overall cooling, but the demand structure is changing. Corporate customers are more willing to invest in new cars for stable operations, while small and micro operators continue to rely on mature used car models. Traditional models such as Sprinter and Master still have stable demand, while China brands have ushered in new opportunities to enter the commercial vehicle market.

Source: Guangdong Good Car

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