Automotive industry reports significant growth in Kazakhstan

June was a good month for automakers in Kazakhstan / Photos: Shutterstock and Freepik

Over the first six months this year, Kazakhstani automakers assembled 73,100 cars, which is a 40.6% increase over the same period last year, according to a survey by the Association of Kazakhstan Automobile Business (AKAB). In June alone, the output in the automotive sector increased by 29.2% to 14,600 cars year on year.

More generally, over the period from January to June 2023, Kazakhstan produced 66,600 cars (+41.6%), including 4,700 trucks (+21.6%), 1,100 buses (an increase of 1.9 times), 499 trailers, and 188 special vehicles.

Allur, the biggest automaker in Kazakhstan, accounted for the vast majority of this growth. In the reported period, the company produced at its Saryarkaavtoprom subsidiary in Kostanay 44,200 cars (+38.2%). Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan (part of Astana Motors) in Almaty produced 24,500 cars (+45.5%). The SemAZ company in Semipalatinsk reported 1,900 units of commercial vehicles (an increase of 1.6 times). QazTehna produced 444 buses (an increase of 4.6 times), while Daewoo Bus Kazakhstan assembled 273 buses (an increase of 2.5 times).

Another industrial site, KAMAZ Engineering in Kokshetau, is still falling behind schedule with 525 trucks produced over the first six months of this year (-16.1%), although the company reported minor improvements in its output in June. Hyundai Trans Auto (part of the Astana Motors group) also reported a decline in the production of trucks and buses by 29% to 395 vehicles.

In terms of the most popular brands in Kazakhstan, no changes were reported in June. These are still Hyundai, Chevrolet, Kia, Jac and GAZ. In terms of the most popular models, Chevrolet Cobalt remains the top seller, followed by Jac J7, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Elantra.

In June 2023, Kazakhstani car dealers sold 15,900 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles as well as 943 trucks and buses (+41.2%). Over the first half of the year, car sales grew in Kazakhstan by 1.6 times in the first half of 2023 and sales of automotive equipment in Kazakhstan increased 1.6 times as much as last year (to 83,200), which is quite close to record highs in 2013 and 2014.