The federal service Mobility & Transport and the sector federation Febiac have shared their data about the number of vehicle registrations in April 2025. In the same period, 37,812 cars were registered, 4.7% less than a year ago. Noticeable: the market of individual car buyers rose (again) by 7.7%, the professional market of company cars decreased (again) by -12.1%.
Looking at the first four months of this year, the registration decrease is close to ten percent (-9.2%), with a total of 158,751 cars registered, compared to 174,839 in 2024.
The trend for light commercial vehicles remains positive: +8.2% in April and +10.5 % cumulatively for the first four months. The same is true for trucks under 16 tons, with +3.1% and +4.5%, respectively. Registrations of heavier trucks slightly decrease: -4% in April and -2.9% cumulated.
Motorized two-wheelers seem to have recovered from the legislative changes in January (more stringent emission rules). Their registrations were up 3% in April compared to last year, reducing the cumulative regression this year to -9.4%.
By make
From the list of brands that made progress and those that slowed down, one can also detect this shift in the market from professional to individual buyers. Manufacturers who sell more to individual buyers progress or lose lightly, while strong brands in the leasing sector suffer more.
BMW stays on top, but sees a slight decrease in sales (-5.5%) and a market share of just 10%. Number two, Volkswagen, sees also a decline in sales (-16%), while Audi (6th in the ranking) sees its sales regress by 20.3%. Volvo (10th) faces a 37.1% decrease in registrations, while Tesla(19th), again, is the biggest loser here, with -55.3% compared to April last year. As a premium brand, only Mercedes (4th) manages to stay put (+1%).
Other noticeable losers are Toyota (8th), with 25.4% fewer registrations, Hyundai (16th, -31.5%), Seat (-39.4%), and Mazda (27th, -57.4%).
The month’s winners are mainly to be situated in the two French groups, Stellantis and Renault, while the Chinese are slowly building up their presence. From the Renault Group, Dacia is number three in the ranking, despite a slight sales decrease (-2.9%). Renault obtained 7th place, despite a 2.6% decline in registrations.
Most spectacular is the sales boost of Peugeot (5th) in April, for the first time in a long time in the top 5 again with a progress of 129.9%. Other Stellantis makes that are doing well are Opel ((13th, +11.3%), Fiat (24th, +16.7%), Jeep (28th, +19.5%), and Alfa Romeo (30th, +68.8%). Other notorious climbers are Ford (12th, +39.5%), Mini (17th, +179.4%), and Cupra (18th, +170.7%), now overtaking sister brand Seat and largely compensating for its losses. Lexus (31st, +49.5%) is not following the trend of other premium brands, perhaps because it is a little less dependent on the professional market.
Finally, the Chinese are continuing their progress, slowly but inevitably. The first Chinese brand, MG, is 23rd and sees its sales grow by 23.3%, and BYD is closing in (26th, +89.1%). Other Chinese companies that are making an emergence are XPeng (32nd), Leapmotor (35th), and Omoda (39th). Lynk & Co (37th, +42.9%) seemed to have stopped its fall, while Smart (40th, -46.3%) continues to struggle.
In these lower sales latitudes, Alpine (38th, +66.8%), Ferrari (42nd, +60%), and Lamborghini (45th, +40%) are doing well. Bentley (47th) has more than doubled its sales, but that’s going from 6 to 13 cars, of course. Maserati (49th, -42.1+) and Lotus (50th, -66,7%) have fallen from their cloud.
Astonishingly, Subaru (44th, -42.8%) is also found in these lowest parts of the rankings, while Jaguar (55th, -86,1%) has almost completely vanished, selling six cars in April 2025 compared to 43 last year in that same month.
Cumulated
Looking at the ranking for the first four months of 2025, BMW stays comfortably on top with an 11.8% market share, followed by Volkswagen (9.3% share), Mercedes (7.4%), Renault (6.4%), and Dacia (6.3% market share). Audi drops back to 6th place (6.3% market share instead of 8.1%), while Peugeot is climbing the ladder again (5.6% share compared to 4.1%). Toyota is now in eighth place (5.2%), Kia follows as ninth (4% share), and Skoda (10th, 3.9%) managed to overtake Volvo (11th), which saw its market share shrink from 6.3% to 3.8%.
Ford (12th), Opel (15th), and Nissan (16th) are creeping upwards again. Mini (18th) makes a spectacular jump from 0.8% to 1.6% market share. Tesla (17th) has taken the opposite direction, seeing its market share tumble from 4.9% to 2.3%. Other makes in the lower end of the ranking that saw their market share seriously grow are Cupra, BYD, Polestar, Alfa Romeo, Xpeng, KG Mobility, Leapmotor, and Alpine.
