The Cypriot car market showed strong growth in the first quarter of 2026 along with a significant shift in consumer preferences. According to official data from the Statistical Service, 10,627 passenger sedans were registered on the island from January to March, noticeably higher than during the same period last year. The total number of registered vehicles across all categories reached 13,837 units.
The most striking trend was the decisive dominance of hybrid vehicles. Their market share exceeded 50% for the first time, reaching 50.3% compared to 42.9% a year earlier. Of the 10,627 registered sedans, 5,342 were hybrids, with 4,956 of them being private vehicles—indicating strong consumer trust in this technology.
Petrol and diesel losing ground
Traditional internal combustion engines continue to lose popularity. The share of petrol vehicles dropped from 43.2% to 36%, while diesel fell from 9% to 8.8%. This trend reflects the global shift toward more economical and environmentally friendly powertrains, as well as growing awareness among Cypriot drivers of the long-term benefits of hybrid ownership.
Electric vehicles: untapped potential
Unlike hybrids, fully electric vehicles have not yet shown strong growth. Their share remained at 4.9%, unchanged from the first quarter of 2025. Over three months, 521 electric vehicles were registered, including 425 new units and 96 used ones.
The main limiting factors remain the still-developing charging infrastructure on the island, the higher cost of EVs compared to hybrids, and the natural conservatism of buyers who prefer proven technologies without the need to plan charging. However, the Cypriot government has announced new subsidies for EV purchases in 2026 with automatic payments after registration, which could stimulate growth in this segment in the second half of the year.
Leaders in the hybrid segment
Among hybrid vehicles, Toyota remains the undisputed leader, with 1,966 cars registered between January and March. Nissan follows in second place with 606 registrations, while Mercedes ranks third with 247 vehicles. The top five also includes BMW (223) and Honda (221).
Looking only at new hybrid vehicles, the distribution is slightly different. Toyota still leads with 248 units, but Nissan is close behind with 238. Mercedes takes third place with 161 registrations, followed by BMW (134) and Hyundai (129). The top ten also includes Renault, Jeep, Land Rover, BYD, and Dacia, highlighting the growing diversity in the hybrid segment.
Leaders in the electric vehicle market
In the EV segment, a major shift is taking place. Chinese giant BYD has taken the lead by a wide margin, registering 138 electric vehicles in the first quarter of 2026. The brand’s share in the fully electric category reached around 37%, with 82 new BYD EVs registered in January alone.
The most popular model was the BYD ATTO 3 crossover, which ranked first in EV registrations. The city-focused BYD Dolphin also attracts attention due to its affordable price and top five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
Following BYD are Kia with 61 registrations, BMW with 32, Mercedes with 30, and Hyundai with 26 vehicles. BYD is also expanding its plug-in hybrid lineup with DM-i technology, offering a combined range of over 1,000 km and enabling a gradual transition to electric mobility without full dependence on charging stations.
What’s next for the market
Analysts expect the share of hybrids to continue growing, potentially reaching 55–60% by the end of 2026. As for electric vehicles, the key factor will be the development of charging infrastructure and the effectiveness of new subsidy programs. BYD plans to introduce several new models to the Cypriot market, including the ATTO 2 DM-i and Sealion 5 DM-i, which could intensify competition and attract further attention to eco-friendly transport.
At the same time, the commercial vehicle market is also expanding: truck registrations increased by 19.5%, and motorcycles by 22.4%. This confirms the overall positive momentum of Cyprus’s automotive sector, which is steadily moving toward a more sustainable future, with practical and cost-efficient hybrid technologies serving as the optimal transition stage.
A wide selection of cars is available on the portal DOMCar.
Photos: pixabay.com, DOM
