Turkish automotive market contracts 39 percent in June

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s overall auto sales market, including light trucks, contracted by 39 percent in June, down to 51,037 from 83,658 in the same month last year, data from the Automotive Distributers’ Association (ODD) has shown.

While some 41,225 units of cars were sold in June with a 37.7 percent year-on-year decline, the sales of light commercial vehicles sales were down 43.9 percent in June on year-on-year basis with 9,813 units, the ODD stated on July 3.

Sales also saw an 11.92 percent decline in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2017, according to ODD data.

Total sales stood at 353,348 in the first half of 2018, down from 401,158 in 2017, the ODD said in a statement.

The number of cars sold reached 275,870 from January to June, down 9.82 percent from the same period last year, it said.

A total of 77,478 units of light commercial vehicles were sold in the first half of the year, a 18.6 percent year-on-year decline.

Considering the whole auto market in Turkey, Renault was the top brand with over 50,000 sales in January-June, followed by Fiat and Volkswagen with sales of 39,200 and 39,000 respectively.