Top 10 most researched car brands in the GCC

Self-praising aside, DriveArabia.com is certifiably the most comprehensive and most popular consumer-focused automotive website in the GCC. That gives us a good insight on what cars people are researching these days. Mind you, researching and buying are two completely different things, but we can figure out from our data which car brands and models are generating the most buzz among the general car-buying population. It is easy to see the concerted marketing effort by certain manufacturers are paying dividends, while some are banking on their long-running earned reputation, and others are doing well purely because of good new products. Here are the top 10 brands that are being researched on our website this Ramadan of 2012.

1. Toyota
   The King Kong of the car world. There’s no point chasing the Number One spot while this Japanese behemoth is still around.
   
2. Nissan
   Always playing second-fiddle, but they are probably the most versatile Japanese brand today, building everything from economy cars to supercars.
   
3. Hyundai
   It’s amazing how this Korean bit-player has become one of the most popular carmakers in the world in the space of a few years. A testament that good products can triumph good marketing.
   
4. Ford
   Once a niche player in this region, this American brand is increasingly appearing on more shopping lists thanks to compelling products and the promise of over-the-top gadgetry at affordable prices.
   
5. Chevrolet
   A proper case-study on how to capture a huge amount of attention with an insane amount of marketing and a shameless amount of product-placements in everything from sci-fi movies to local game-shows.
   
6. Kia
   It is interesting how distinct this Korean carmaker’s products, considering they are just reskinned versions of their parent-company’s products are. Proof that mass-market cars do not have to look boring.
   
7. Honda
   Once gunning for the top of this list, this Japanese carmaker isn’t as popular as it used to be, due to a combination of various factors, ranging from high local prices to stronger competition.
   
8. Volkswagen
   Another niche player that is rising fast on the charts, offering increasingly affordable products that aim for the heart of the largest segments that are traditionally dominated by the Japanese.
   
9. BMW
   As the only luxury brand on this list, it is clear that when this German carmaker brags about being the top premium brand in this region, they aren’t lying.
   
10. Mitsubishi
    It will always amaze us how a brand manages to do well here on the backs of just two main products, namely a midsize SUV and a compact fleet car, both still honest-to-goodness Japanese-built models.