The new CLA dethrones the Golf

June confirms the market’s strong momentum: 5,020 new cars were registered last month, up 23.2% on June 2025 (4,076 units). It was the best month of the half-year. Over the first six months of the year, the Société nationale de circulation automobile (SNCA) recorded 25,966 new cars, compared with 24,729 over the same period last year (+5%). The half-year was nevertheless a tale of two parts: January was down 10.9% with 3,199 registrations, before a gradual recovery through to June, most likely driven by deliveries of the models ordered during the Autofestival.

Hybrid and electric pull further ahead

The powertrain shift is gathering pace. Over the half-year, full hybrids became the leading powertrain among new registrations with 8,624 units (+17.8%), or 33.2% of the market, including 7,325 petrol hybrids. Fully electric cars followed the same trajectory: 7,731 units (+18.6%), or 29.8% of the market, overtaking petrol, which fell to 5,963 units (-7.3%). Diesel continued its decline with 2,148 units (-10.9%), or 8.3% of the market, while plug-in hybrids dropped to 1,500 units (-26.6%). All in all, nearly seven in ten new cars now come with an electrified powertrain.

June accentuated the trend even further: 1,732 full hybrids (+34%), 1,580 fully electric cars (+71.2% year on year), 1,116 petrol cars (+0.7%), 310 plug-in hybrids (-4.6%) and just 282 diesels (-33.6%), or 5.6% of the monthly market.

Volkswagen out in front, Tesla back in the top 10

The German quartet of Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi alone accounts for 42.3% of new cars. Ford posts the strongest growth in the top 10 and climbs two places, while Tesla, 19th a year ago, returns to the ranking on the back of the revamped Model Y. Peugeot is the only top 10 brand in decline, with Skoda holding steady.

The new CLA dethrones the Golf

A thunderclap at the top of the ranking: the new Mercedes CLA, all body styles and powertrains combined, dethrones the Volkswagen Golf, still number one last year. The fully electric CLA 250+ alone accounts for 567 of the 728 units. The BMW 1 Series completes the podium, driven by its new generation. The Renault 5 E-Tech and the Tesla Model Y, the only exclusively electric models in the top 10 alongside the CLA, post the strongest gains. Also worth noting is the shift within the BMW range: the combustion-engined X1, the country’s second best-selling model last year, plunges 36.7% (347 units) and drops out of the top 10, while its electric counterpart, the iX1, doubles its volumes (350 units).

Nearly six in ten new cars are SUVs

The breakdown by segment confirms the SUV’s dominance: with 14,722 registrations in the first half, up 10% year on year, SUVs and crossovers now account for 56.7% of new cars, compared with 54.1% a year earlier. On their own, they capture more than the market’s entire growth (+1,334 units, against a market up 1,237 units). The GLC, Puma, Q3, Tiguan and Model Y are the spearheads. City cars, the country’s second-largest segment, fall 5.5% to 3,518 units (13.5% of the market) despite the success of the R5 E-Tech, and compact cars slip 2.8% (3,029 units, 11.7%). The only other category on the rise, saloons and estates gain 10.3% to 2,560 units (9.9% of the market), driven by the offensive of electric saloons (CLA, Model 3, ID.7, i4): 61.6% of them are now fully electric, up from 45.2% last year. MPVs, leisure activity vehicles and vans remain stable at 1,306 units (+0.5%), while coupés, convertibles and sports cars edge down to 761 units (-2.9%).

Chinese brands double their volumes

With 1,052 new cars registered in the first half, compared with 517 a year earlier (+103.5%), Chinese brands now account for 4.1% of the market, up from 2.1% last year. MG stays in the lead (233 units, +100.9%), ahead of Jaecoo (204 units, versus 17 last year), BYD (176, +63%), Omoda (173, versus 41), XPeng (68), Forthing (62), Leapmotor (59) and BAIC (37). The only exception to this across-the-board growth: DFSK collapses from 84 to 3 units.

On the model side, the Jaecoo 7 clearly dominates with 169 registrations across all powertrains, ahead of the Omoda 5 (128 units), the MG3 (75), the BYD Dolphin Surf (68), a newcomer in the electric city car segment, the MG S5 EV (56) and the XPeng G6 (48).

Grey dominates, green gains ground

Sober shades still rule the market: grey dresses 8,557 new cars (33% of the total), ahead of black (6,598 units, 25.4%), white (3,455, 13.3%) and blue (3,095, 11.9%). Together, grey, black and white account for 71.7% of new cars, more than seven in ten. One small shift in this monochrome landscape: green rises from 1,173 to 1,437 units (5.5% of the market) and now overtakes red (1,102 units, in decline).

Used cars remain the country’s biggest market

The used car market remains larger than the new car market by volume. In the first half, 10,177 used cars were imported and registered in the Grand Duchy (+1.9% year on year), with an average age of 8.6 years. BMW (1,719 units), Volkswagen (1,327) and Mercedes-Benz (1,079) dominate these imports. On top of that come some 18,900 changes of ownership of cars already registered in the country, a stable volume (-1.5%). The profile of the used market remains heavily combustion-based: petrol accounts for 46% of imports and diesel for 28%, while fully electric cars represent just 2.9%, a sign that the second-hand electric market is still in its infancy.

Leasing drives the new car market

Operational leasing continues to gain ground: 8,682 new cars were registered under this scheme in the first half, or 33.4% of the market, compared with 28.8% a year earlier (+21.7% by volume). The proportion climbs to 67.4% for fully electric cars (55.3% last year), which remain first and foremost a fleet and company car phenomenon. Private individuals, meanwhile, account for 58.4% of new registrations, up from 52.4% last year, a sign that private buyers are returning to the market.