Car sales in September exceeded pre-pandemic figures in Spain for first time

Passenger car sales in Spain grew well in September, registering a 16.4% increase compared to the same period last year, with a total of 85,167 sales recorded.

The healthy pace of electrified vehicle sales is boosting the total market, which, for the first time in a month, is recording higher volumes than those recorded prior to the pandemic, surpassing the 81,746 units sold back in September 2019.

For the year as a whole, the market has accumulated sales of 854,658 units, 14.8% more than in the same period last year. This maintains the year-end forecast for a closing figure of over 1.1 million passenger car sales for 2025. Despite this positive monthly figure, the growth rate slows when looking at the year-to-date figure, which is 14.8% up with 854,658 units sold.

The private channel (individual buyers) is the one driving the market, with 24.4% growth and a total of 45,566 registrations in September. The business sector is also showing some strength, with 14.8% growth and 36,441 units sold. In contrast, the rentals channel is experiencing a sharp decline of 33.8% in monthly sales.

Light commercial vehicle registrations increased by 18.2% in September, with 15,161 units. For the year-to-date, a total of 138,242 sales were recorded, an increase of 13.2%. Sales by channel were all up in the latest month. The business one recorded the highest increase, with 11,369 vehicles, up 23.2%. Vehicle sales for the self-employed and businesses grew by 5.5% and 4.9% respectively.

In September, registrations of commercial vehicles, buses, coaches and minibuses recorded another month of positive numbers. The ninth month of 2025 saw 3,572 units, an increase of 18.2%. For the year as a whole, there were 24,227 new sales, which still represents a 7.7% decrease compared to the previous year. By vehicle type, commercial vehicles grew by 22.8%, with 2,745 new registrations and the bus and coach market achieved 827 sales, 4.9% more than in September 2024.

In terms of vehicle brand, Toyota consolidated its leadership in September and for the year-to-date. Renault and Volkswagen also maintained a strong position by coming next. Dacia ranked fourth for the month and sixth for the year-to-date, while Seat closed the top five for September.

The ranking of best-selling models is led by the Dacia Sandero, followed by the Renault Clio and the MG ZS for the year-to-date. In September, the Sandero also led sales, closely followed by the Tesla Model 3 and the Renault Clio. The Tesla Model 3 saw a notable 30.2% increase for the month, standing out in the electric vehicle market.

Analysis by fuel type shows a clear move towards alternative fuels. Petrol vehicles maintain the largest share of the market (35.2%), although their year-to-date figure shows they have only grown by 1.9%. Diesel vehicles continue their decline, losing 14.5% of monthly sales and 13.2% in the year-to-date. Meanwhile, hybrids are growing significantly, with a monthly increase of 23.8%. Pure electric vehicles (BEVs) also recorded solid growth of 24.3%, while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) rose by 4.9%.

Average CO2 emissions from passenger cars sold in September fell to 97.3 grams of CO2 per kilometre travelled, 13.7% lower than the average emissions from new passenger cars sold in the same month in 2024. For 2025 as a whole, average emissions stood at 105.1 grams of CO2 per kilometre travelled, 10.3% lower than in the same period in 2024.