General Motors has factories worldwide, from Brazil to Egypt. But in one country it has managed to hang onto a near-monopoly for decades. Eighty-nine percent of 2024 cars sold so far in Uzbekistan are Chevrolets. And 40% of those are just one model.

With 37 million people, Uzbekistan is the most populous country in Central Asia. It declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Its new government founded a joint-venture with South Korean automaker Daewoo in 1992. But in 2001, Daewoo collapsed and Uzbekistan went looking for a new automotive partners. When GM acquired Daewoo, it took over the joint venture factory as well. It decided to gradually move from Daewoo-branded vehicles to Chevrolets. The first was a Chevrolet Lacetti assembled in 2008.

According to UZ daily, 89% of all new cars sold in Uzbekistan in 2024 wore Chevrolet badges. But Chevy’s market dominance may be slipping. According to the Best Selling Cars blog, early 2025 numbers are in. Just 82.4% of new cars sold in Uzbekistan so far this year are Chevrolets.

GM’s losing its Uzbekistan monopoly

So which brands are finally taking a bite out of GM’s Uzbekistan market dominance? Kia took 7.3% of the market. Chinese EV startup BYD claimed 5.7%. Chery came in fourth at 2.2%.

The best-selling Chevy in Uzbekistan is a familiar sedan: the Cobalt. Forty percent of all new vehicles sold in the country in 2025 were Chevrolet Cobalts. Second place goes to an Uzbekistan-only model, the Damas microbus. Next is the Tracker and the Labo. Kia’s Sonet comes in fifth. Chinese models in the top 10 include the BYD Song Plus, BYD Chazor, and Chery Tiggo 7 Pro.

The Uzbekistan government reportedly took majority control of the Chevrolet joint venture factory in 2019. Its since announced plans to IPO, offering stocks to its citizens. But the factory continues to churn out the Chevy Cobalt, which it’s been making since 2012. The company, currently called UzAuto, also imports the Equinox, Trailblazer, Traverse, Malibu, Captiva, and Tahoe.