In March 2026, Ukrainians purchased approximately 5,900 new passenger cars, which is 16% more than in March 2025 and 35% more than in January of this year, according to Ukravtoprom on its Telegram channel.
Toyota remains the most popular brand with 908 units (1,021 units in March 2025). Skoda ranks second with 521 units (452 units), and Renault came in third with 520 units (955).
Next are Volkswagen – 498 units, Hyundai – 347 units, BMW – 284 units, Nissan – 270 units, Suzuki – 238 units, Mazda – 223 units, and BYD – 201 units.
The Toyota Rav-4 crossover was the best-selling model of the month.
“Ukravtoprom” notes that a total of 15,400 new passenger cars were sold in the country from January to March, which is 8% more than last year.
Meanwhile, the Automotive Market Research Institute states on its website that March 2026 marked a genuine resurgence in activity in the new car market—following the traditional winter lull, the segment demonstrated strong positive momentum.
According to their data, a total of 5,474 first registrations were recorded—9% more than in March of last year—of which 5,335 were imported cars (9.3% more than last year and 26.8% more than in February 2025), and 139 units were Ukrainian-made (almost the same as in March 2025).
Experts note that the brand rankings show the usual dominance of the Japanese auto industry, with Toyota effectively controlling the lion’s share of sales (813 units).
“The battle for second and third place has unfolded among European brands, which are banking on corporate sales and practicality,” the post states.
However, the appearance in the top ten of China’s BYD (one of the sales leaders in the final months of 2025, which was no longer in the top ten by February 2026—IF-U), according to experts, indicates that “consumers are increasingly trusting innovations in the field of alternative energy sources and modern electronics.”
At the same time, they note that the fuel type breakdown in March 2026 reflects a new pragmatism among Ukrainians: although gasoline engines still hold the lead, they are rapidly losing their monopoly—their share rose by 1.9 percentage points to 41.9%, while diesel’s share fell by 3.5 percentage points to 22.1%.
According to their assessment, the main trend has been the surge in hybrid vehicles, whose share rose by 1.3 percentage points to 32% in March.
“Buyers are choosing this option as the ‘happy medium’—a way to save on fuel without the risks associated with finding charging infrastructure. Diesel, on the other hand, is in reverse—fuel prices at gas stations do not inspire buyers to ‘save.’ Although commercial carriers currently have no other choice,” the post states.
The share of electric vehicles stood at 3.9% (+0.7 percentage points).
“This may be a result of the exhaustion of the rush demand from previous periods and the stabilization of the market following tax changes. Diesel engines remain in demand primarily among buyers of large SUVs and commercial vehicles, where torque is important,” the Institute’s experts believe.
