Sharp Decline in Automotive and Light Commercial Vehicle Market in August
While the 20.28% contraction in Turkey's automobile and light commercial vehicle market in August drew attention, total sales for the first eight months also declined.
According to data released by the Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association, while the automobile and light commercial vehicle market contracted in the January-August period of 2026, the decline rate in August reached 20.28%.
General Contraction in the January-August Period
According to data from the Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association, automobile and light commercial vehicle sales in the first eight months of 2026 decreased by 11.91% compared to the same period of last year, totaling 719,996 units.
August Sales Figures and Shrinkage
In August, the automobile and light commercial vehicle market shrank by 20.28% compared to the same month of last year, falling to 81,031 units. While automobile sales decreased by 25.16% to 61,529 units, light commercial vehicle sales showed a 0.34% annual increase.
SUV Models Maintained Market Leadership
In the evaluation based on body types during the January-August period, SUV models maintained their clear leadership. Over the eight-month period, 372,790 SUVs were sold, and this segment's total market share reached 66.1%.
Share of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Increased
The weight of hybrid and electric vehicles in the automobile market increased remarkably according to engine types. In the January-August period, the total market share of hybrid and electric automobiles reached the 51.9% level.
Automatic Transmission Preference Dominated
With 547,126 automatic transmission automobiles sold in the first eight months of the year, the share of automatic transmission within the total market reached 97%. Vehicles with manual transmissions remained at the 3% level.