Toyota accounted for almost one in four passenger cars registered in Cyprus during the first nine months of 2026, solidifying its position as the overall favorite among local drivers. Official data from the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat) reveals that 34,156 passenger cars were registered between January and September 2026, marking a 9 per cent increase from the 31,325 vehicles recorded during the same period in 2025. Despite a minor setback in September, where monthly registrations slipped 2.5 per cent year-on-year to 4,254 units from 4,364, the broader island-wide market remains on a strong growth trajectory. Used imports continue to drive most of this expansion, representing 69.2 per cent of total registrations with 23,635 vehicles, compared to 10,521 new cars which accounted for 30.8 per cent.
Overall brand rankings were heavily shaped by second-hand imports, where established Japanese manufacturers maintained a dominant presence. Toyota registered a total of 8,232 vehicles in the nine-month period, more than double second-placed Mazda, which recorded 3,881 registrations. Nissan captured third place with 2,535 vehicles, followed by BMW with 2,090 and Mercedes with 1,744. Completing the top ten overall were Honda with 1,335 registrations, Kia with 1,160, Volkswagen with 858, Audi with 710, and Chinese manufacturer BYD with 686. However, second-hand imports accounted for over 90 per cent of Toyota's total, representing 7,435 vehicles. That trend was even more pronounced for Mazda, where 3,832 of its 3,881 registered vehicles were used, leaving just 49 new car registrations.
The showroom landscape tells a noticeably different story for brand-new models, where South Korean manufacturer Kia claimed the top spot with 1,096 new registrations. Toyota placed second in the new-car category with 797 units, followed closely by Nissan with 734. Chinese manufacturer BYD secured fourth place in the new-car segment with 678 registrations, ahead of BMW in fifth with 605. Other brands featuring in the top ten for new cars included Volkswagen, Hyundai, Mercedes, Jeep, and Renault.
In terms of powertrains, hybrid vehicles continued their rapid rise across Cyprus roads, capturing 53 per cent of all passenger car registrations during the nine-month period, up from 44 per cent in the corresponding period of 2025. Conversely, traditional petrol-powered vehicles saw their market share fall from 42.8 per cent to 34.8 per cent. Fully electric cars also experienced a slight decline, slipping from 4.7 per cent last year to 4.2 per cent of total registrations in 2026.