Turkish auto market undergoes dramatic transformation in just 5 years
ISTANBUL
Türkiye’s automotive market has undergone a seismic transformation over the past five years, driven by shifts in consumer preferences, tax regulations and the growing appeal of electric vehicles.
According to data from the Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association (ODMD), car sales more than doubled from 203,595 in the first half of 2020 to 488,000 units in the same period of 2025.
The growth was driven primarily by the entry of new automotive brands, tax incentives for electric vehicles, and a rising demand for personal mobility.
The market has seen dramatic changes not only in sales volume but also in vehicle types, fuel preferences and segment dominance.
Five years ago, sedans dominated the roads, claiming a 44.1 percent market share, followed by SUVs (27.6 percent) and hatchbacks (25.2 percent).
As of mid-2025, however, SUVs now lead the market with a staggering 62.8 percent share, while sedans have plummeted to 21.8 percent and hatchbacks to 14.5 percent.
This reversal is largely due to automakers shifting away from sedans to meet consumer demand for larger, more versatile vehicles.
The most striking development has occurred in fuel type preferences. In early 2020, electric vehicles (EVs) made up just 0.1 percent of the market, with fewer than 800 cars sold in the first half of the year.
By 2025, EVs have surged to 17.4 percent, surpassing the EU average of 14.9 percent. A total of 84,959 fully electric cars were sold in the first six months alone.
Türkiye’s homegrown electric vehicle brand Togg continued its upward trajectory, maintaining its market leadership in the EV segment for the first half of 2025.
Togg recorded 17,101 units sold between January and June, outperforming its nearest competitor by 4,781 units. This gave the brand a commanding 20 percent share of the electric vehicle market.
Tesla ranked second with 12,320 units sold, while BYD secured third place with 10,401 sales. KIA took the fourth spot with 5,539 units, closely trailed by MINI, which sold 5,521 vehicles in the same period.
Meanwhile, diesel vehicles have seen a sharp fall — from 42 percent to 7.8 percent — and hybrid models have grown from 2.8 percent to 27 percent during the same period.
Despite the sweeping changes in the market over the past five years, one constant has been the continued dominance of three leading brands: Renault, Fiat and Volkswagen.
These automakers held the top positions in 2020 and retained them in 2025. However, their combined market share declined from 39.4 percent to 32.5 percent.
