Mitsubishi Outlander Tops UAE Car Sales Chart In July

Abu Dhabi: Another new month points to retail car sales dynamics. In July 2026, new car sales in the UAE fell sharply, down 15.8 per cent year-on-year to 20,420 units, with the year-to-date total now sitting at 137,144, a drop of 24.4 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Despite the overall slowdown in the market, one story stood out clearly in the data: the Mitsubishi Outlander jumped to the number one spot for the month, a dramatic climb of 696.7 per cent compared to last July.

Top five brand rankings 

Brand Rank	Brand	July Share	Change YoY
1	Toyota	20.8 percent	Down 36.7 percent
2	Mitsubishi	13.9 percent	Up 140.2 percent
3	Nissan	13.2 percent	Down 23.2 percent
4	Jetour	Not disclosed	Up 9.8 percent
5	BYD	4.7 percent	Not disclosed

Brands On The Move

Expectedly, Toyota remains comfortably ahead on brand share despite the steep drop, largely because the overall market has contracted so much that even a shrinking Toyota still outpaces most rivals.

Mitsubishi is the real story here; its 140.2 per cent jump pushed it past Nissan and Jetour into second place for the month, though its year-to-date share of 9.8 per cent is still well behind its July performance, suggesting the brand's growth has accelerated hard in recent months rather than building steadily all year.

Jetour slipped from second place in June down to fourth in July, a reminder that Chinese brand rankings in the UAE have been moving fast enough to reshuffle month-to-month rather than settling into a fixed pecking order.

BYD held its fifth spot, and three more Chinese brands, Chery, Denza, and Jaecoo, all placed inside the top 15 for the month.

Which Models Actually Moved

At the model level, the Mitsubishi Outlander's rise is the standout figure of the month, climbing to third place year-to-date after finishing 2025 in twelfth.

The Toyota Hilux, which led the chart in June, dropped to second place in July with sales down 37.1 per cent, though it still holds the same second-place ranking year-to-date, sitting just behind the Nissan Patrol.

A few other movements worth noting from the month:

• The Nissan Patrol climbed one spot to third place despite sales falling 21 per cent, another sign of how much the overall market has cooled.
• The Nissan Sunny jumped eight places to fourth, a sharp move for a sedan in a market dominated by SUVs and pickups.
• The Jetour T2, once a consistent top-three model, fell to fifth as sales dropped 38.4 per cent.
• The Land Rover Defender climbed to seventh overall on the back of a 30.9 per cent increase.
• The Jetour G700 reached eighth place, its highest ranking since launch.

Behind The Outlander Surge

There is no single factor that points to the growth in Outlander sales. What the available data does show is several things working together. Al Habtoor Motors, the exclusive UAE distributor, has run aggressive promotions throughout the year, including a 5-star deal with 5 years of free service, a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty, and 5 months of deferred payment, plus a summer sale through July.

What also works in the SUV's favour is the 5- or 7-seat configuration catering to continued demand for family SUVs with a third row. Pricing spreads widely by trim, from around AED 79,900 to AED 153,000, giving Al Habtoor room to compete with rivals like the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage L.

This is also not a one-month story; Outlander sales up 125.4 per cent in H1 2026, while the wider market fell 25.8 per cent, with July's top finish continuing that trend rather than appearing out of nowhere.

The Upshot

Clearly, July's numbers point to a UAE market that is shrinking overall but shifting unevenly underneath that decline. Established names like Toyota, Nissan, and Jetour are all losing ground compared to last year, while the Mitsubishi Outlander and the Land Rover Defender have completely defied the trend.

For those of you watching where dealer incentives and stock priorities might shift next, the Outlander's sudden jump to the top of the monthly chart is the clearest signal yet that Mitsubishi is currently pushing hard in the UAE, and this strategy appears to be working.

Also Read: Al Habtoor Motors' Back-to-School Offer: Buy a Mitsubishi Now, Start Paying in 2027