The content of the article:
- Rating of popular SUVs in Ukraine
SUVs have always been the most desirable vehicles for professional drivers. If a motorist disparages such powerful and reliable cars as Toyota RAV4 or Jeep Grand Cherokee, it means that he has never sat behind the wheel of these giants, or (this also happens) envies the owners of luxury cars.
SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicle) consistently rank third in the world in terms of sales and are among the top five segment leaders in each country.
Ukraine is no exception - SUVs are in fourth place if you look at the segment. But within the class, the ranking of the country's most popular SUVs differs significantly from the world ranking for 2018, which was published by the American magazine Popular Mechanics.
This is not surprising - the Americans scrupulously researched their market and the European market, less thorough research was carried out on auto sales in Asia, and the CIS countries were practically not taken into account. We present our own rating: the most popular SUVs in Ukraine top-10.
Rating of popular SUVs in Ukraine
1. Renault Duster
Renault tops the list of sales in all segments of the Ukrainian car market, the Duster SUV is no exception. According to Ukravtoprom, in January 2019 alone, 804 cars of the French manufacturer have already been sold. The share of SUVs does not exceed 5-10%, but these are impressive figures for the year. More than 3,500 Renault Duster units were sold in 2018.
In addition to leadership in sales, Duster became the “crossover of 2018” and confidently ranks first in popularity among classic frame SUVs and lighter SUVs.
This is a unique car that is fully adapted to Ukrainian roads. High cross-country ability, low cost and cheap maintenance are the minimum advantages offered by the basic equipment of 2018.
In addition to the updated radiator grille with chrome elements, the range includes updated optics and protective elements on the bumper. Particularly attractive to drivers is the new steering column, which can be adjusted in 4 different ways.
Recall that in the 2015 configuration, the steering wheel could only be adjusted to two positions, and this created some inconvenience for tall motorists.
2. Great Wall Haval H3
In second place - the first in popularity among frame SUVs "Chinese" Great Wall Haval H3. This car has controversial quality characteristics from the first day of its appearance on the Ukrainian market. But the cost crosses out everything - in the country's car dealerships, a new 2018 SUV costs from UAH 450,000.
Frame SUV produced by Great Wall Motors in the Ukrainian market "Hawal" debuted in 2011 and gradually gained its army of fans who enjoy both fast driving and repairs.
The power unit of the car is equipped with a 2-liter gasoline engine from Mitsubishi, which is paired with a five or six-speed "mechanics". Since 2016, a 2-liter gas-petrol engine is also present in the database. The main advantage of an SUV is considered to be rear-wheel drive with the ability to connect a full one.
In the most expensive configuration, there is a differential lock, a rear-view camera, power seats and much more. Hawal scores high on the safety scale, demonstrates optimal traction and is adapted for hours of travel on blurred fields.
3. UAZ Patriot
The car of the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant has remained in the top ten of the most popular SUVs in Ukraine for several years. Many Ukrainians prefer to take a familiar and understandable UAZ, which is best suited for driving on the country's highways and off-road.
The main advantage that the car shows is a powerful frame, high ground clearance and a sturdy body. The price of "Patriot" does not go beyond the budget class - from 520,000 hryvnia.
An important technical characteristic is a plug-in all-wheel drive, differential lock of the Eaton class. The Off-Road mode is independently selected by the driver - for this, a separate button is installed on the console.
4. Toyota Land Cruiser
This model of the Japanese manufacturer is consistently in the top five of all ratings. In Ukraine, it is one of the most popular premium SUVs, in the world it is one of the best-selling middle class jeeps.
Toyota Land Cruiser is the flagship model of the concern, which is distinguished by a high level of comfort and excellent cross-country ability. In January 2019, 62 Land Cruiser 200 all-terrain vehicles were sold in Ukraine, although the minimum price in the database starts from UAH 2,100,000 (about $ 70,000).
The 2108 Land Cruiser 200 is equipped with a 4.6-liter gasoline engine with a capacity of 309 hp. with. or a 4.5-liter turbo diesel with a capacity of 249 hp, has independent suspensions and all modern technical options for off-road driving.
In addition to Land Cruiser, Ukrainians buy quite a lot of two more Toyota SUVs, which are in the top twenty in popularity. This is a Hilux pickup truck and a Toyota Prado, which cost about a million hryvnia.
In the world popularity rating for 2018, the second place was taken by the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro model, which is practically unknown in Ukraine. The Land Cruiser is in fourth place.
5. Suzuki Jimny
Suzuki was able to sell only 137 copies of its cars on the Ukrainian market in January 2019 and take 13th place in the sales statistics of Ukravtoprom with a rating loss of 50%.
The Jimny SUV was purchased by a little more than thirty Ukrainians, but this model is consistently among the ten most popular.
Jimny is the cheapest frame SUV, its cost does not exceed UAH 500,000. The dimensions of the Jimmy's body are quite diminutive, but it is equipped with all the technologies of massive jeeps. Rigid frame, uncut axles, four-wheel drive - these are just a few of the advantages that the Suzuki Jimny has.
For the Ukrainian market Jimny is equipped with a single-shaft 1.3-liter gasoline engine with 16 valves and either a 5-speed "mechanics" or a 4-speed "automatic".
Gasoline engines cannot boast of high torque. But in the configuration there is a demultiplier, which provides the small SUV with excellent cross-country ability on sand and difficult terrain.
6. Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
The undisputed leader in popularity among Ukrainians is Mitsubishi Pajero. The brand's sales ranked ninth according to Ukravtoprom statistics - 177 units, the SUV consistently has 25-30% of the total number of cars sold.
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, the cost of which does not exceed one million hryvnia, is famous for its unique transmission. This car showed excellent off-road qualities during a test drive on the Carpathian slopes. The Sport package is based on the L200 pickup truck. The 2017 revised version retains independent spring suspension for each row: Instyle, Ultimate, Invite and Intense.
The main drawback of Pajero Sport is the average travel of the car on a good highway and the minimum comfort of rear passengers. But for the Ukrainian off-road, the model remains the best in technical performance.
7. Jeep Wrangler
Famous SUV, founder of a whole class, Jeep Wrangler continues to lead the segment. In Ukraine, frame configurations of 2015-17 are sold at a price of 1,800,000 hryvnia. Jeep Wrangler Rubicon will cost a little less - 1,300,000 hryvnia (approx. 50,000 dollars) in the basic configuration.
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon shows excellent speed characteristics, moving on any terrain. Experts thoroughly note that the only thing that Rubicon cannot do is rock climbing.
The debut of the famous car took place in 1987, in October 2018, a presentation of a new version of the American all-terrain vehicle took place. The package has a solid frame and a new all-wheel drive mode.For the body, aluminum was used, which reduced the weight of the car by one hundred kilograms.
Jeep Wrangler remains true to the tradition of the first Jeep - it retains three full differential locks and a two-stage transfer case in the Rubicon modification. For the Ukrainian market, only one version of the power unit is available - a two-liter gasoline engine with 272 liters. with.
8. Lexus GX 460
Lexus was able to sell 108 of its vehicles in January 2019, the main one among which is the GX series SUV. The initial cost of the basic configuration of the medium-sized SUV Lexus GX is 3.1 million hryvnia. The car is built on the basis of Toyota Prado, the cost of which is 20% lower.
Lexus is the only frame SUV in its class. The luxury car enjoys well-deserved popularity, the only drawback is the price. Ukrainians note that the base price includes a large number of modern options, half of which are completely unnecessary for them.
The power unit is equipped with a 4.6-liter gasoline engine with a capacity of 296 liters. and a six-speed automatic transmission.
9. Jeep Grand Cherokee
One of the few models that, along with the Mercedes SUV, never drops out of the dozen is the all-wheel drive Jeep Grand Cherokee, the flagship of the class, which has firmly held its popularity since 1990. It was in the early 90s that the first "Wide" cars appeared on Ukrainian roads, and for a long time these cars, together with the VAZ 2109, were an attribute of a dashing decade.
The Grand Cherokee continues to be an iconic and coveted car that fully meets the driver's expectations. The cost of the 2018 configuration is from $ 63,000.
The last, fourth generation of the SUV was built on the Mercedes-Benz ML platform, the rigid frame was replaced by integrated elements, the overall exterior of the car changed, but it did not lose its former appeal. The updated base has four-wheel drive, semi-independent suspension and a 2-liter gasoline engine.
10. Mercedes-Benz G500
The cult model Mercedes-Benz G500, which has practically no equal, closes the top ten. Only the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon can be considered the main rival of the G500 both in the world and in Ukraine.
The popularity of the car is added by full adaptation to Ukrainian roads, the highest reliability in the series, safety and the ability to get cheap repairs at an official service with a full guarantee of replacement of parts with original components.
Conclusion
The top ten most popular SUVs in Ukraine did not include the models Ford Super Duty and Ford Raptor, Range Rover, Ram Power Wagon and Chevrolet Colorado, which belongs to budget jeeps (the cost of a Chevrolet does not exceed $ 50,000). These models were in the lead in the 2018 world ranking, but the Ukrainian driver is little familiar.
The exception is the Range Rover model, which has been known to motorists since the early 90s, but it did not make it to the top of the year due to low sales. But it remains in the top 10 aftermarket SUVs.
