In May 2025, Morocco's light vehicle market exhibited robust growth, with sales surging 40.3% year-on-year to reach 22,407 units. Passenger cars witnessed a 37.5% increase, while light commercial vehicles soared by an impressive 69.1%.

Amidst this rapid expansion, local powerhouse Dacia continues to lead the pack, yet Chinese brands are stealthily accelerating their presence, with several achieving triple-digit growth rates and gradually carving out a niche for themselves.

01

Overall Automotive Market in Morocco

Market Overview and Competitive Landscape

In May 2025, Morocco registered 22,407 new light vehicles, of which 19,999 were passenger cars, accounting for over 80% of the market. During the first five months of the year, cumulative passenger car sales reached approximately 78,000 units, marking a 34% year-on-year increase, signaling a robust market recovery and robust consumer demand.

Brand Performance

◎ Dacia maintained its dominance with 4,579 units sold, capturing a 22.9% market share, slightly higher than its year-to-date share of 23%.

◎ Close behind was Renault, Dacia's parent company, with 3,706 units sold in May, accounting for 18.5% of the market and experiencing a 39% year-on-year growth.

◎ Peugeot achieved a significant 85.8% year-on-year increase, rising to third place with 1,832 units, clearly benefiting from model updates and strategic adjustments.

◎ Hyundai and Volkswagen ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, with 1,580 and 1,214 units sold.

◎ Other mainstream European brands, including Opel (909 units), Citroen (764 units), Skoda (608 units), and Seat (494 units), constituted the second tier.

Among the top ten, only Skoda experienced a slight year-on-year decline of -1.8%.

◎ Luxury brands performed steadily, with Audi (489 units), BMW (451 units), and Mercedes (274 units) maintaining their respective market shares.

◎ Japanese brands fared differently, with Toyota (376 units) experiencing moderate growth, whereas Nissan (25 units) and Honda (22 units) witnessed significant declines.

02

Chinese Brands

Sales Performance and Market Penetration

Chinese brands are gaining significant momentum in the Moroccan market, transitioning from "marginal players" to "potential contenders".

◎ In May, Changan made its debut in the top 16 with 228 units sold, overtaking BYD (179 units) to become the top-selling Chinese brand in Morocco.

◎ Despite selling slightly fewer units than Changan in May, BYD achieved a staggering year-on-year growth rate of 713.6% and maintained its lead over other Chinese brands with 962 units sold year-to-date.

◎ MG tied with BYD in May with 179 units sold, nearly doubling its sales year-on-year.

◎ Geely and Great Wall also performed impressively, selling 151 and 140 units, respectively, with growth rates of 251.2% and new entrants demonstrating a rapid expansion trend.

◎ Newcomers such as Chery (40 units), Dongfeng Xiaokang (61 units), Zeekr (8 units), OMADA (7 units), and JETOUR (0 units) are still small in scale but have commenced their market entry and brand establishment.

Despite their generally middle or near-top 20 rankings in sales, Chinese brands' overall market share remains low, indicating a substantial improvement in product acceptance.

Given Morocco's position as a manufacturing and export hub in North Africa, the entry of Chinese automakers is not merely "sales-oriented" but may also serve as a precursor to deeper capacity expansion and strategic growth.

Summary

While traditional local manufacturers in Morocco's automotive market remain formidable, competition among European brands is fierce. Japanese brands have seen partial declines, while Chinese brands are quietly surging, leveraging new energy technologies, cost advantages, and diversified product lines to seek a "springboard" for growth in this emerging market.