Turkey's car and light commercial market falls 30.84% in October

Turkey's car and light commercial vehicle market fell 30.84% year on year in October, to 80,334 units. The Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association (ODMD) published the figures for October 2026. It was the lowest October volume since 2023.

Car sales dropped 28.4% to 64,939 units, while light commercial vehicle sales fell 39.5% to 15,395. Against the five-year October average, the total market was 8% lower, but it was 3.4% above the ten-year October average. Compared with the five-year average, car sales were down 3.6% and light commercial sales were down 22.9%. Against the ten-year average, car sales were up 7.5% and light commercial sales were down 10.8%.

January-October car sales

Through the first ten months of the year, the total market shrank 15.33% to 883,799 units. Car sales fell 16.85% to 692,916 units, and light commercial vehicle sales dropped 9.28% to 190,883.

By body type, SUVs led with a 66.6% share and 461,200 units. Sedans held 19.6% (135,981 units) and hatchbacks 13.2% (91,234). Segments A, B and C, which carry lower tax rates, accounted for 84.6% of the market. The C segment took 390,290 units, or 56.3%, and the B segment 194,132 units, or 28%.

Electric car share rises

By engine type, petrol cars remained the leader with 281,753 units and a 40.7% share. Hybrids sold 229,247 units for a 33.1% share. Electric car sales reached 135,979 units, a 19.6% share. Diesel cars held 5.1%.

Some 14,467 electric cars were sold in October. Their monthly share rose to 22.3%, up from 16% in October last year. Between January and October, sales of electric cars under 160 kW rose 6% to a 17.3% share. Sales of electric models above 160 kW fell 54.2%, leaving them with a 2.3% share.

Luxury segment grows

In the F segment, which includes models such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Bentley Flying Spur, sales rose to 471 units in October from 417 a year earlier. That is an increase of about 13%. Electric cars in this segment face a 75% special consumption tax (ÖTV), while petrol and hybrid models are taxed at 150% or 220%, depending on engine capacity and price.