Motor vehicle sales rose by 26% year on year in the first three months of 2023, totaling 12,827 compared with 10,193 in the respective period of last year.

Data published on Tuesday by the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat), show that saloon cars sales rose by 23.3% reaching 10,189 for the period of January – March 2024, compared with 8,264 in the respective period of last year. Saloon car sales represent 79% of total vehicles registrations, Cystat added.

Of the total passenger saloon cars, 4,465 or 43.8% were new and 5,724 or 56.2% were used cars, whereas rental car sales declined by 22.3% to 908.

According to Cystat, the share of petrol-powered passengers’ cars to the total of this category of vehicles decreased in January-March 2024 to 49.2% (from 59.0% in the corresponding period of the preceding year) and that of diesel-powered cars to 9.9% in 2024 from 11.0% in 2023.

Electric cars rose from 2.6% of total passenger cars in 2023 to 3.8% in 2024 whereas the share of hybrid cars increased from 27.4% to 37.2%.

Furthermore, motor coaches and buses registered in January-March 2024 increased to 64, from 21 in the same period of 2023, whereas cargo vehicles increased by 40.4% to 1,445 in January-March 2024, compared to 1,029 in the respective period of last year.

Sales of scooters with engines below 50cc registered in January-March 2024 increased to 240 compared to 28 in the corresponding period of the previous year, motorcycle sales (with engines over 50cc) rose by 0.7% to 727 in January-March 2024, compared to 722 in the same period of 2023.