The used car market continues to grow, with 63,710 registrations in April (+1.8%, and +18.7% compared with April 2023). This steady growth underlines the market’s resilience, which is supported by continued demand from private individuals.
The used car market represents 90.4% registrations by private individuals, who often do not have the means to purchase an expensive new car and, therefore, look for a reliable and affordable used car.
Not yet convinced
The most popular are SUVs or compact city cars with gasoline or hybrid engines, but there is gradually more interest in plug-in hybrids and electric cars. Consumers are not yet convinced of second-hand electric cars.
The decline in new car registrations compared to 2024 continues with 37,812 registrations (-4.7%), but we also have to put that into perspective. After all, the past two years were strong for the new market, so it is not illogical that there is a decline. In addition, we saw fewer fleets and more private registrations this year—a positive result of the Brussels Motor Show in January this year.
VW and BMW
Volkswagen and BMW were the most popular second-hand brands, followed by Mercedes, Peugeot, and Opel. The VW Golf (9,763) remains the most popular model, ahead of the VW Polo (7,266), the Opel Corsa (6,298), the BMW 3 Series (5,419), and the BMW 1 Series (5,235).
Gasoline engines still dominate in second-hand cars, with a market share of 55.8%, while diesel is losing ground to 27.3%. The share of second-hand cars with a hybrid or electric drive is increasing, but remains modest: 16.4% is electrified (12.6% hybrid and 3.8% fully electric).
Diesel further declining
The proportions differ for new passenger car registrations, where hybrid and electric vehicles, mostly company and lease cars, represent around 70.5% of sales. The share of new, fully electric vehicles increased from 22.7% to 32.8% in 2025.
Consumers are increasingly opting for hybrid cars (HEV). Their market share rose from 24.8% in 2024 to 31% in 2025. Plug-in hybrids (PHEV), on the other hand, saw their share fall from 16.1% to 6.7%. Diesel’s new market share is further declining, from 5.7% last year to 3.5% in 2025.
Fleet is aging
In April 2025, the average age of used registrations was 9 years and 6 months. The median age is now 7 years and 6 months, indicating further fleet aging. 27% of the registered used cars are between 5 and 9 years old, while 34.1% are less than 5 years old.
The second-hand market remains primarily a private activity, with 90.4% of registrations being made by private individuals. Start-up companies also increasingly opt for a second-hand car; they are often interested in used hybrid cars.
Flanders continues to dominate the market for second-hand passenger car registrations, with a share of 55.2%. Wallonia’s market share is 36.1%, while Brussels has 7.6%.
