Cars: APIA: New passenger car registrations in Romania down 37% in August

New passenger car registrations in Romania fell by 37% in August compared with the same month of 2025, while registrations of "green" cars declined by 31%, according to an analysis by the Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers (APIA), based on data published by the Directorate General for Driving Licences and Vehicle Registration (DGPCI).In terms of market share, SUVs ranked first with 57%, followed by C-segment cars with 25% and B-segment cars with 11%.By fuel type, registrations of petrol-powered passenger cars fell by 43% in August compared with the same month of 2025, bringing their market share to 30%, while diesel-powered car registrations declined by 54%, accounting for 4.7% of the total.According to the cited source, registrations of passenger cars equipped with mild-hybrid engines fell by 43% year-on-year, with the category accounting for 21.5% of the overall market.On the other hand, "electrified" passenger cars - namely battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids (BEVs and PHEVs), which can be charged from an external electricity source, as well as mild hybrids and full hybrids, which also feature electric propulsion but cannot be charged from an external electricity source - held a 65% market share in August this year. They thus represented the largest segment of the Romanian market, exceeding the combined share of petrol- and diesel-powered cars.Fully electric passenger cars accounted for 7% of the market during the reference period, while plug-in hybrids held a 15.5% share, compared with 6.5% in August 2025.In 2026, the three best-selling fully electric passenger cars were the Tesla Model Y, with 873 units and an increase of 273% compared with the previous year, the Tesla Model 3, with 670 units, and the BYD Dolphin Surf, with 614 units.In the plug-in hybrid category, the top three positions were held, in order, by the BYD Seal U DM-i, with 977 units, the Toyota RAV4, with 769 units, and the Chery Tiggo 9, with 558 units.The cited data show that, among hybrid passenger cars without external charging capability, the Toyota Corolla ranked first this year, with 3,420 units and an increase of 20% compared with the previous year, followed by the Toyota Yaris Cross, with 1,888 units, and the Dacia Duster, with 1,540 units.In the mild-hybrid passenger car category, the Dacia Duster ranked first, with 2,010 units sold, despite a 56.6% decline, followed by the Skoda Octavia, with 1,238 units, and the Dacia Bigster, with 1,068 units.Light commercial vehicles and minibuses recorded a slight increase of 5% in August 2026 compared with August 2025, while light commercial vehicles excluding minibuses posted a 21% increase.By contrast, registrations of electric light commercial vehicles fell to 392 units in the first eight months of 2026, from 424 units in the same period last year.According to official statistics, registrations of heavy commercial vehicles and buses increased by 17% in August 2026 compared with the same month of the previous year, while heavy commercial vehicles of more than 16 tonnes together with tractor units recorded a 14% increase.