New passenger car sales in December remained at the same level as in previous months, but overall for the year, they fell by nearly half.
In December, 1,183 new passenger cars were sold in Estonia — a 66.9 percent drop compared with December of the previous year. However, the comparison is not entirely appropriate, as sales in December 2024 were exceptionally high due to the impending introduction of a vehicle registration fee.
Over the full year 2025, car dealers in Estonia delivered 13,055 new passenger vehicles to customers, which is 48.6 percent fewer than in 2024.
“2025 will be remembered in Estonia’s car market as a year of unprecedented decline, driven primarily by the introduction of legislation imposing a registration fee on both new and used vehicles. In addition, the general decline in consumer confidence also played a role,” said Meelis Telliskivi, CEO of the Estonian Association of Motor Vehicle Dealers and Service Companies (AMTEL).
In December and for the year as a whole, hybrid cars accounted for two-thirds of total sales, marking a 12 percent increase in market share compared with 2024. The share of electric vehicles also rose slightly, reaching 6.6 percent for the year.
Volkswagen was the most popular car brand in December, with 190 units sold, followed by Renault (181) and Å koda (148). Over the full year, however, Toyota led the market, followed by Å koda and Renault. The top-selling models in December were the Renault Clio, Volkswagen Passat and Dacia Duster, while the most popular models for the year were the Toyota Corolla, Å koda Octavia and Toyota RAV4.
Sales of commercial vehicles also fell sharply in December due to the high baseline from the previous year, though the full-year decline was less severe than in the passenger car segment. In 2025, a total of 3,111 new commercial vehicles were sold — a 36.6 percent drop compared with 2024. The top-selling commercial vehicle brands were Peugeot, Toyota and Renault, while Scania and Volvo led the market for trucks.
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