The estimated value of the Romanian automotive market recorded a decline of 5.3%in the first three months of 2026, compared to the same period last year, according to data analyzed and published on Thursday by an online car classifieds platform.
According to Autovit.ro, in the period January 1 – March 31, 2026, the average price of a vehicle increased by 3.1%, against the backdrop of a sharper rise in the used car segment (+3.5%), while new cars recorded a slight decrease in average price (-5.6%).
La capitolul electrificare, de la un an la altul, vehiculele pur electrice au înregistrat o creștere de 31,1%, cele plug-in hybrid – de 21,8%, iar hibridele clasice – de 9,6%. În total, segmentul electrificat a ajuns la 13,2% din piață, față de 10,2%, în primele trei luni din 2025, mai mult cu trei puncte procentuale într-un singur an, conform Agerpres.
On the other hand, diesel engines continue to lose ground, with a decreasing share from 61%to 54.9%(-17.2%). ‘However, diesel remains dominant in the used car segment (56.0%), where drivers continue to value range and low fuel consumption on long distances,’ the specialized analysis states.
Regarding the preferences of Romanians in car models, the trend is for SUVs, which currently represent 41.3% of the total market (compared to 38.2% in 2025), with a share of 65.5% in the new car segment. The same trend appears in the used car segment as well, where SUVs occupy 40.6% of the market.
Pe termen mediu, estimările indică faptul că SUV-urile ar putea depăși 50% din piață, până în 2027-2028, gradul de electrificare ar putea ajunge la 20-25%, iar ponderea diesel ar putea scădea sub pragul de 50%, pentru prima dată.
Referitor la situația modelelor sedan, acestea continuă să piardă teren, cu o scădere de 12,3% și o cotă de 20%, în primul trimestru din acest an, comparativ cu 20,9%, în 2025.
In the ranking of the most popular car models, the Skoda Octavia leads the chart with 1,633 listings, surpassing the VW Golf (1,625 listings) for the first time. The podium is completed by the BMW 5 Series (with 1,531 listings), BMW 3 Series (with 1,529 listings), and Dacia Duster (1,503 listings).
‘Regarding Romanians’ preferences, the Dacia Duster model was the most viewed among all models available for sale on the platform. However, calculated at the brand level, data shows that BMW leads the ranking, followed by Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Dacia, notes the cited source.
In parallel, the online sales platform announces the continuation of investments in technology and Artificial Intelligence, launching three features since the beginning of the year aimed at simplifying the ad posting process: Instant Ad from Photo and Instant Video from Ad – dedicated to dealers, as well as Automatic Ad Description – a feature available to all users.
Autovit.ro is an online platform owned by OLX Group, dedicated to buying and selling new and used cars, with over 7.5 million monthly visits and over 1,000 car dealers using the company's services.