Registration Report Analysis - 2025 September Taiwan Car Market

車未來 2025-10-01

Market Overview: In September, total market registrations reached 32,227 units, representing a 9.4% increase from August but an 11.8% decline compared to September last year. Most major brands posted growth this month, with Mercedes-Benz recording the highest surge at 65%. The steepest decline came from Lexus, whose core model NX faced a model-year transition, resulting in a 37.3% drop in deliveries. As of the end of September, cumulative registrations for the year stood at 296,137 units, a 13.9% decrease compared to last year. While the market continued to be affected by tariff and commodity tax issues, September also coincided with the Ghost Month, typically a sales lull. However, the government’s new policy granting up to NT$50,000 in commodity tax rebates for newly purchased passenger cars under 2.0L displacement boosted buying momentum. As the market enters the final quarter of 2025, automakers are pushing hard to secure orders, though some brands have declared they will not lower prices—an approach whose impact on sales remains to be seen. For the full year, our forecast suggests that, even in the most optimistic scenario, the market will still end about 10% lower than last year.

Market share of brands:

The market share performance of each brand this month still saw Toyota/Lexus at the top with 31.5%, followed by Tesla in second place with 7.7%, Honda in third with 6.5%, CMC in fourth with 4.9%, Hyundai in fifth with 4.5%, Mercedes-Benz in sixth with 4.4%, BMW in seventh with 4.1%, Mazda in eighth with 3.7%, and Mitsubishi in ninth with 3.5%. Compared with August, most major brands recorded growth this month, with only Toyota, Lexus, and CMC showing a decline.

Comparison between domestic cars and imported cars (excluding heavy duty trucks):

The domestic-to-import ratio this month was 49.6% vs. 50.4%. Imported passenger car sales fell 13.1% year-over-year, but grew 12.8% from last month, driven by large-scale deliveries of new model-year vehicles. Notably, the facelifted Tesla Model Y delivered 2,118 units, securing the second spot in the overall market. The NT$50,000 tax rebate policy also continued to stimulate demand.

Outstanding models:

Six models surpassed 1,000 units this month: Corolla Cross (3,022 units), Model Y (2,118 units), Yaris Cross (1,299 units), J Space (1,132 units), Town Ace (1,065 units), and Honda HR-V (1,063 units). In the light commercial vehicle segment, J Space finally regained the lead over Town Ace after trailing for several months, with 1,132 units vs. 1,065 units. This came just as the Taiwan New Car Assessment Program (TNCAP) announced its latest safety ratings, where Town Ace received a zero-star rating. Whether this result will impact its future sales remains to be seen.

BEVs market:

A total of 3,863 pure electric vehicles were delivered this month, marking the best single-month performance of the year, representing a growth of about 30.77% compared with last month. The main driver was the large batch of Tesla Model Y arrivals, which recorded as many as 2,118 registrations, securing a market share of 54.8% in the pure electric vehicle segment. In addition, the Model 3 delivered 242 units, the n⁷ delivered 211 units, the EX30 delivered 206 units, the iX1 delivered 140 units, the Model X delivered 99 units, the iX delivered 76 units, the iX2 delivered 61 units, both the Macan Electric and the EX40 delivered 59 units, and the EQE SUV delivered 50 units. At present, the domestic electric vehicle market continues to see rising demand as Tesla rolls out facelifted versions of the Model 3 and Model Y this year, while major brands also keep updating and bringing in their EV models, offering consumers a richer selection. The growing availability of charging networks has also been helpful for EV sales. However, since the NT$50,000 excise tax rebate policy excludes electric vehicles, its impact on consumer decision-making remains to be seen.