Market Read · YTD Jan–Aug 2026 (reports generated 14–16 Aug) · Authoritative data from Mec Registration Report 2026 — Summary tab. 9,885 new vehicles registered (3,031 Cars + 6,777 SUVs + 77 MPVs) — August added 1,521 units, the #2 month of the year behind July (1,869). Origin split: Japan 40.7% (4,028) · China 23.4% (2,318) · Europe 18.9% (1,867) · Korea 13.5% (1,336) · USA 3.4% (336). Powertrain: ICE 72.5% (7,169) · HEV 18.6% (1,843) — 2.8× more than EV · EV 6.7% (664) · PHEV 2.1% (209).
Three market themes visible in the data + RYMCO field intel:
① Chinese-brand momentum. China at 23.4% market share (2,318 units YTD Jan–Aug) ranks #2 origin — ahead of Europe, Korea, USA individually. Top three Chinese brands = Jetour 583 (5.9%), GAC 371 (3.8%), Chery 190 (1.9%) — all deliver "loaded-with-tech, good-looking, affordable" positioning. Jetour's T2 (Land Rover Defender look-alike) is the standout — it opened Lebanese Meta paid presence on flagship $38,900 i-DM PHEV [Source: Page 3 W29 Meta Ad Library scan]. BYD (184 — 100% NEV: 127 EV + 57 PHEV) is the electrified Chinese leader; Arcfox (64, all-EV), XPeng (46, all-EV) and Zeekr (56, all-EV) round out China's EV push.
② HEV beats EV 2.8×. Consumer preference clearly favours hybrid over pure-electric — range anxiety, charging-infrastructure gaps, and lower cost gap all push customers to HEV. Lexus (211 HEV of 215), Land Rover (258 HEV of 259), Toyota (551 HEV incl RAV4 Hybrid and LC300 HEV) dominate the segment. RYMCO's Nissan e-Power (T33 EPWR) plays directly into this preference — Fri 10 Jul launched Campaign 053 Epower Video 1 July pulling 42 leads / 32 qual in 12 days [Source: Page 1 Lead Analysis 13-7-2026].
③ Dumbbell price segmentation. Volume concentrates at both ends: entry-level small cars (Toyota 825 CARS · Kia 479 · Hyundai 456 · MG 190 · Suzuki 164 · Nissan 143) and large luxury SUVs (Toyota SUV 1,134 incl Land Cruiser · Nissan SUV 635 incl Patrol · Land Rover 259 · Lexus SUV 208 · GMC 46 SUV incl Yukon · BMW/Porsche/Mercedes premium tiers). The middle-market ICE sedan is shrinking. Expats + Lebanese entrepreneurs anchor the top-tier — RYMCO's Patrol NMEF (Campaign 042) + QX80 Prestige franchises fit this profile; Kicks/Magnite fit the entry end. Mid-priced sedans (X-Trail middle trims, QX60, GMC Terrain middle) show conversion stalls in the RYMCO funnel [Source: Page 1 EAQ 043/048].
[Source: Mec Registration Report 2026 (2).xlsx → Summary tab, print stamped 14 Aug 2026 · YTD Jan–Aug · 67 active brands · grand total 9,885 verified via 3-path reconciliation (Summary Total Automotive row = Jan–Jun monthly sheets 6,495 + Summary-delta July 1,869 + Summary-delta August 1,521 = Auto Type YTD 9,885 = HP.xls YTD 9,885). ⚠ July + August monthly tabs are UNPOPULATED in the source — per-brand months derived as successive Summary-print deltas; zero negative revisions found]