New car sales in Romania, drop of over 5% in October, top brands and causes
The Romanian car market is going through a period marked by consumer caution and a generalized contraction in sales volumes. The latest official data published by the Romanian Automobile Manufacturers Association shows that October brought a new decrease in new car registrations, a negative trend that has been constant since the beginning of the year.
Evolution of the new car market: Recession both monthly and in the first ten months
During October, Romanian citizens purchased 12,116 new cars. This figure reflects a decrease of 5.63% compared to the volume recorded in October of the previous year.
The overall balance calculated for the first ten months of the year maintains the same downward direction: the total volume reached 109,326 new registered cars, marking a decline of 10.1% compared to the same period last year.
Buyers' preferences: Hybrids dominate the powertrain rankings
The structure of sales by engine category highlights a clear market orientation towards electrified solutions and alternatives to classic fuels, although overall volumes have undergone changes:
- Hybrid vehicles: They lead the way in Romanians' preferences, with a total of 62,059 units sold since the beginning of the year.
- Gasoline engines: Occupies second position, with 18,475 units sold.
- LPG-powered vehicles: Maintain a constant share, totaling 13,078 units.
- 100% Electric Vehicles (BEV): Recorded a volume of 9,384 units.
- Diesel engines: They continue to lose ground rapidly, being at the bottom of the ranking with only 6,330 units delivered.
Top brands: Dacia maintains its leadership position, followed by Toyota and Skoda
Regarding the constructors' ranking for the first ten months of the year, the hierarchy is led by the national constructor, while the fight for the podium places remains extremely dynamic:
- Dacia: 22,633 new cars sold
- Toyota: 12,158 units sold
- Skoda: 8,726 units registered
- Volkswagen: 7,704 units
- Renault: 5,201 units
- BYD: 4,969 units
- Mercedes-Benz: 4,426 cars
- Ford: 4,363 units
- Hyundai: 4,192 units
- BMW: 3,838 units
Used car market: An even sharper contraction
The segment of used cars imported or traded domestically recorded even more pronounced declines than the new car market, reflecting a reduction in purchasing power and increased caution among the population:
- In October, Romanians registered 27,216 second-hand cars, which represents a sharp drop of 23.8% compared to the same month of the previous year.
- In the first ten months, the total volume of registered used cars reached 254,323 units, down 14.8% compared to the same period last year.
The causes that led to the decline of the auto market
The constant decrease in registrations on the Romanian car market is not the result of a single factor, but of a combination of economic and administrative elements that affected both demand and supply:
- Waiting and discontinuities in stimulus programs: Delays or successive changes to budgets and financing rules through state support programs intended to renew the car fleet (such as the Rabla program) have created a state of uncertainty, causing many potential buyers to postpone purchases.
- High financing costs and interest rates: The level of interest rates for car loans and leasing has discouraged a significant portion of individual and corporate customers from resorting to debt to purchase new vehicles.
- Inflationary pressures and purchasing power: Generalized price increases in the economy, high costs of utilities and daily living have reduced the available budget of households for major investments, such as buying a new car.
- Transition to new standards and reconfiguration of the offer: The accelerated transition of manufacturers to expensive electrified technologies, combined with the high purchase prices of new eco-friendly models, has left a gap in affordable volume segments, where traditional buyers are hesitant to take the step towards expensive hybrid or electric models.