The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) reported Friday that a total of 191,983 road motor vehicles were registered across Türkiye in April 2025, marking a 1.9% decrease compared to March.

Motorcycles and cars together made up the lion’s share of registrations, accounting for 43.5% and 41.9%, respectively.

Motorcycle Registrations Surge Despite Overall Decline

Although overall registrations dipped slightly from the previous month, motorcycle registrations bucked the trend with a significant 18.0% monthly increase. Tractors and minibuses also saw modest monthly gains of 6.7% and 0.7%, respectively. Conversely, registrations for buses plummeted by 23.7%, while cars dropped 15.3%, highlighting a notable contraction in the automobile segment.

Compared to the same period last year, however, April’s vehicle registration data presents a mixed picture. While minibuses (+59.2%), small trucks (+24.5%), and cars (+24.2%) posted strong year-on-year gains, motorcycle registrations fell sharply by 21.8%, and tractors declined 17.6%.

By the end of April, Türkiye's total number of registered road motor vehicles reached 31,976,478, with cars constituting 51.8%, followed by motorcycles at 20.3% and small trucks at 14.9%.

Over 957,000 Vehicles Handed Over in April

Vehicle turnover remained active, with 957,499 vehicles changing hands. Cars dominated the market, accounting for 67.3% of all handovers, followed by small trucks at 15.0% and motorcycles at 10.5%.

New Car Registrations: Renault Leads the Pack

In April alone, 80,369 new cars were registered. Renault led the market with a 10.3% share, followed by Fiat (8.1%), Toyota (7.7%), and Volkswagen (7.2%). Other notable brands included Peugeot (6.8%), Hyundai (5.7%), BYD (5.3%), and BMW (3.8%).

January-April Period: Sharp Decline in Total Registrations

From January through April, 690,209 vehicles were registered, representing a 16.8% decline compared to the same period in 2024. However, with only 14,570 vehicles withdrawn from registration during the same period (a 67.8% annual increase), the net rise in the number of vehicles on Türkiye’s roads was 675,639.

Fuel Preferences: Gasoline Still Leads, But Hybrids and EVs on the Rise

Among the 348,374 cars registered during the January-April period, gasoline-fuelled cars accounted for 48.1%, followed by hybrid vehicles at 28.3%, and electric vehicles (EVs) at 13.1% — a notable increase reflecting growing interest in alternative fuel technologies. Diesel-powered vehicles trailed at 9.6%, with LPG-fuelled cars making up just 0.9% of new registrations.

At the end of April, Türkiye’s car fleet of 16.58 million was still dominated by diesel (33.6%) and LPG (31.3%) vehicles, though gasoline-powered cars have now caught up at 30.5%.

Smaller Engines and Grey Cars Dominate Preferences

Engine size data revealed that 31.7% of new car registrations had engines 1300cc or smaller, with 1401-1500cc engines making up 24.9%. In terms of colour preferences, grey cars were most popular (40.1%), followed by white (25.5%), black (12.5%) and blue (11.8%).

The April figures reflect broader economic and consumer trends in Türkiye, as well as shifts in market demand towards more fuel-efficient and technologically advanced vehicles — particularly motorcycles, hybrids, and EVs — despite broader challenges in the automotive sector. (ILKHA)