Registration Report Analysis - 2026 January Taiwan Car Market

車未來 2026-02-02

Market Overview: Total new vehicle registrations in January reached 35,073 units, representing a 25.9% decline compared with December last year, but remaining flat compared with January last year. As the first month of 2026, major automotive brands showed a mixed performance of gains and declines. Among them, Ford recorded the largest increase at 115.3%, mainly driven by the Territory, which alone registered 1,333 units and contributed as much as 41.4% of the brand’s month-on-month growth. Among the major brands, Mercedes-Benz saw the most severe decline, falling 31.7% compared with December last year. The main reasons were the model-year transition of its core model GLC, while the all-new, fully redesigned CLA has yet to be launched. Looking ahead to the overall market in 2026, greater challenges are expected compared with last year. However, the domestic economy is likely to be supported by the AI and semiconductor industries, keeping related exports on a growth trajectory. Coupled with policy incentives such as trade-in programs and excise tax rebates, surpassing the 2025 total of 414,436 units is considered highly achievable.

Market share of brands:

In terms of brand market share this month, Toyota/Lexus continued to lead with 42.1%, followed by Honda in second place with 7.4%, CMC in third with 6.3%, Ford in fourth with 5.0%, Hyundai in fifth with 4.7%, Mercedes-Benz in sixth with 4.5%, Mitsubishi in seventh with 4.3%, BMW in eighth with 3.5%, and Nissan in ninth with 3.3%. This month, major brands including Honda, CMC, Ford, Hyundai, and Mitsubishi all recorded growth compared with the previous month, while Toyota, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Nissan showed month-on-month declines.

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

The sales ratio between domestic and imported vehicles this month was 58.5% versus 41.5%. Imported passenger vehicle sales declined by 12.2% compared with the same period last year, but increased significantly by 41.3% compared with the previous month. The main reasons were not only the absence of Tesla shipments arriving this month, but also the strong sales momentum of domestically produced models such as the Corolla Cross, J Space, and Territory. In addition, many imported brands are undergoing model-year transitions, resulting in a notably wide gap in sales share this month.

Outstanding models:

A total of eight models exceeded 1,000 units in sales this month: Corolla Cross with 4,604 units, RAV4 with 1,822 units, J Space with 1,586 units, NX with 1,575 units, Territory with 1,333 units, Yaris Cross with 1,229 units, Town Ace with 1,137 units, and HR-V with 1,112 units. In the light commercial vehicle segment, J Space once again widened its lead over Town Ace this month, outperforming it with 1,586 registrations versus Town Ace’s 1,137 units. Such intense competition is likely to be good news for consumers considering vehicles in this segment.

BEVs market:

A total of 1,107 pure electric vehicles were delivered this month, representing a sharp decline of 84.6% compared with last month. This was mainly due to the absence of Tesla shipments arriving this month, with only a small number of Model Y deliveries totaling six units, causing significant volatility in the EV market. It is expected that only after the Lunar New Year, in March, when a full working month resumes for sales, registrations, and deliveries, will registration figures return to normal levels. The recently facelifted Toyota bZ4X ranked first in the EV market this month with 291 units. In addition, following the acquisition of the Luxgen brand by Foxtron, the brand still recorded 128 registrations this month. Other EV registrations included: Macan Electric with 85 units, EX30 with 73 units, iX1 with 164 units, iX with 62 units, iX2 with 52 units, Countryman Electric with 33 units, EQA with 27 units, and EQE SUV with 26 units. This month, reduced Tesla registrations allowed the facelifted Toyota bZ4X to rise to the top of the EV sales rankings and widen the gap over other models. Whether it can maintain this leading position going forward remains to be seen.