OSD nine-month data: Turkey's car output down 17%, car exports down 27%

Turkey's automotive industry closed the first nine months of 2026 with two contrasting pictures. According to data released by the Otomotiv Sanayii Derneği (OSD, Automotive Manufacturers Association), commercial vehicle production continued to climb, while the passenger car side saw a marked contraction across the board, from production and exports to domestic sales.

Total motor vehicle production in January-September fell 6% from the same period a year earlier to 971,159 units. Including tractors, total output reached 986,584 units.

Sharp drop in cars, gains in commercial vehicles

Passenger car production was the main driver of the decline. Factories turned out 528,366 cars over the nine months, a 17% drop from the same period last year.

The picture was reversed for commercial vehicles, where production rose 12%. Within that group, light commercial vehicle output increased 13% and heavy commercial vehicle output rose 7%.

That momentum in production did not carry over to the domestic market. Turkey's commercial vehicle market shrank 5% compared with the first nine months of 2025, with the light commercial vehicle market down 5% and the heavy commercial vehicle market down 7%.

Exports and domestic market contract

Exports also posted notable losses. Total automotive exports fell 11% in unit terms over the nine-month period to 685,671 units. The decline in car exports was far steeper: the number of cars shipped abroad dropped 27% to 317,970 units.

A similar trend emerged in the domestic market. Turkey's total market shrank 13% in January-September to 832,521 units, while car sales fell 15% to 627,977 units.

The figures show the industry is going through a difficult period in 2026, particularly in the passenger car segment, on both domestic demand and exports. The increase in commercial vehicle production stands out as the main factor that partly limited the decline in total output.