Car sales fell in January
The number of car sales in January 2025 was three times lower than in the same month last year, data from the Estonian Association of Car Dealers and Service Companies (AMTEL) shows. In total, 531 new passenger cars were sold.
AMTEL said the sharp decline was expected.
"In January, the sale of new passenger cars in Estonia dropped drastically due to the motor vehicle tax that came into effect at the beginning of the year and the resulting surge in purchases at the end of last year," it noted.
Among car brands, Toyota was the best-selling in January with 142 units, followed by Škoda (57) and Volkswagen (56). The top three models sold were the Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Tiguan, and Škoda Kodiaq.
The sale of commercial vehicles also saw a steep decline in January, with 196 units delivered to customers, a 53.3 percent drop on year. Scania led the rankings with 33 trucks sold, followed by Renault and Toyota.
In 2024, a total of 25,386 new passenger cars were sold in Estonia, an 11 percent increase from the previous year.
In December, 3,573 new passenger cars were sold, 97 percent more than in the last month of the previous year. Experts said drivers were buying new vehicles before the tax was introduced.
In the final months of the year, the sale of used cars also grew significantly, with 32,042 ownership transfers recorded in December — 2.5 times higher than usual.
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Editor: Helen Wright
