Belgium’s car market is shifting gears. While sales of new vehicles continue to fall, the second-hand sector is gaining ground, increasingly becoming the backbone of automotive sales. Almost two out of three cars registered in Belgium this year were second-hand.
According to the mobility federation Traxio, the summer months saw a decline in second-hand sales, but the market rebounded strongly in September with a rise of more than 6%. The upturn more than offset the summer vacation slowdown, mainly driven by private buyers. Company fleets remain cautious.
Zooming out to the first nine months of 2025, 555,965 used cars were sold. Registrations increased by 1% compared to 2024 and by more than 7% compared to 2023.
“People are unsure”
Electric vehicles continue to struggle in the used market, though their share is rising. This year, EVs account for 5% of all used car registrations — up from 3.5% in 2024 — with the Tesla Model 3, Fiat 500e, and Tesla Model Y leading sales. Yet many buyers remain hesitant. “People are still unsure about the technology, the resale value, and the running costs,” says Frédéric Vassamillet, Commercial Director at dealer network SOCO.
Corporate buyers are showing a greater appetite for electrified models, primarily due to tax reasons, but even their confidence is waning. The reduced incentives for plug-in hybrids, which are only available to the self-employed, have clearly diminished their appeal.
Other dealerships confirm that sentiment. “In the used car market, electric vehicles continue to struggle: supply is growing, but demand is not keeping pace”, says Matthias Gommeren, CEO of Cardoen, and continues: “But, in general, the intention to buy is still there. Decisions follow quickly when there’s a good deal or fast delivery.”
Towards budget brands
At Van Mossel, managing director Marc Van den Kerkhof observes that consumers are shifting towards budget brands and petrol models: “Prices are high, and that’s working in favour of cheaper brands.”
After years of rising prices, the cost of used cars has now stabilised at an average of €25,600. Electric models, however, are becoming more affordable, with prices down by more than 7%. Sales of used diesel models have plummeted by 12% this year, as they face the ban from LEZ city zones.
Meanwhile, the average age of cars sold on the used market has increased to almost ten years, with more than one in five vehicles being over fifteen years old. Dealers say customers are deliberately opting for older, cheaper cars — a sign of financial caution that risks slowing down the renewal and decarbonisation of the national fleet.
New cars are down by almost 10%
The new car market, by contrast, remains weak. Over the first three quarters, registrations fell by 9.2% compared with 2024. Even a modest improvement in September (-0.5%) was not enough to reverse the downward trend.
Industry body Febiac expects the year to close with between 405,000 and 410,000 new registrations, representing around an 8.5% decrease from last year and the lowest figure in more than a decade.
Electric cars now account for nearly a third of all new registrations, yet private demand is declining: their share has slipped from 13.3% to 11.5%.
Taken together, the data reveal a clear turning point. Belgian drivers are buying fewer new cars and more used ones. In an uncertain economy, the used car has become not the alternative, but the new normal.
