Auto production declines 9 percent in first quarter

ISTANBUL

The auto industry’s production fell by 8.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025 to 344,120, according to data from the Automotive Manufacturers Association (OSD).

From January to March, around 221,000 passenger cars were manufactured in the country, pointing to an annual decline of 7.3 percent.

Commercial vehicle production was down 11 percent compared to the first quarter of last year.

In March alone, local carmakers’ output fell 9.2 percent year-on-year to 124,105 units, with passenger car production plunging 9 percent annually to 79,423, the association said.

The industry’s exports grew 1.9 percent in the January-March period from a year ago to stand at $9.4 billion, while passenger car exports generated $2.8 billion in revenue, an 11.6 percent increase.

Last month, exports increased by 7 percent annually to $3.5 billion and passenger car exports surged more than 26 percent to $1.07 billion.

Ford Otosan was the largest producer in the market, manufacturing 106,104 vehicles in the first quarter, followed by Oyak Renault with 90,245 units.

Hyundai Motor Türkiye and Totoya ranked third and fourth in terms of production volume, with 61,800 and 50,585 units, respectively.