Türkiye’s car market underwent a fundamental shift in March 2026, as a sharp jump in fuel prices and rising domestic EV production dramatically reshaped consumer preferences. According to the latest data from Türkiye’s Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association (ODMD), the overall market shrank 12.75% year on year, with 101,997 vehicles sold in March. The biggest story, however, is the “death of diesel”: diesel’s market share fell to a record low of 6.3%.

Fuel prices drive the transition

The Turkish car market has reacted sharply to geopolitical instability in the Middle East, which has pushed diesel prices above 80 TRY per litre. This has effectively ended the dominance of diesel engines, once the market leaders. Hybrids and EVs, by contrast, have surged and now account for a combined 51.2% of the market.

  • Petrol: still the largest segment with a 42.1% share.
  • Hybrid: nearly 70,000 units sold in the first quarter, reaching a 33% share.
  • Electric: up 29.9%, now holding 18.2% of the market.

Brand rankings: Renault leads, TOGG rules EVs

In the race for market leadership, Renault took first place in March with 12,200 units sold and a 15.28% share. The Renault Clio HB 2025 was the month’s best-selling car, followed by the Toyota C-HR, which led the SUV segment.

In the EV market, domestic brand TOGG has established an unrivalled lead. With its T10X and T10F models, it took 24.77% of the EV market in the first quarter — nearly 1.5 times the sales of its closest rival, BYD.

  • TOGG T10X: March’s best-selling EV with 2,313 units
  • TOGG T10F: next with 2,127 units
  • BYD: suffered a steep decline, with its market share falling from 34% in January to just over 5% in March.

An unprecedented SUV boom

Demand for SUVs in Türkiye continues to accelerate. SUVs now make up 65.82% of the passenger car market, up from 60% at the start of the year, while sedans and hatchbacks have fallen to 20.5% and 16.4% respectively. The Toyota C-HR remains the “king” of the SUV segment, followed by the Peugeot 2008 and Renault Duster.

Premium and light commercial vehicles

Despite the overall contraction, the premium segment proved resilient, raising its share to 14.59% in March. Mercedes remains the quarterly leader, though BMW posted notable monthly growth in March and took first place for the 31-day period.

In the light commercial vehicle (LCV) market, the Fiat Doblò kept its long-standing lead, followed by the Ford Courier and Ford Transit.