The Automotive Distributors Association (ODD) disclosed that sales of cars and light commercial vehicles in Turkey were 26,457 units in April 2020, a fall of 14.6% on the figure for the same month of the previous year. Sales of cars fell 10.6% to 21,825 units, and sales of light commercial vehicles fell 29.3% to 4,632 units in April 2020 compared with the same month of the previous year. The introduction of cheaper automotive loan packages as of October 1st, 2019 from Turkish state banks Ziraat Bank, Halkbank and Vakıfbank, and similar packages offered since by Turkish private banks had helped boost automotive sales over the last six months. However, the coronavirus pandemic, which started to make itself felt in Turkey in March, has had a full adverse affect on automotive sales in April 2020 with shutdowns and curfews being implemented that month. With much of the working population being sent home to isolate, many potential car buyers will be delaying their purchases, and depleted income will also have a negative impact. Many companies have shut down their operations and investment in commercial vehicles will fall as business outlook deteriorates. The fall of 14.6% in sales of cars and light commercial vehicles is even more dramatic when you compare it to the close to 90% increase in sales in January and February 2020.
In the first 4 months of 2020, sales of cars and light commercial vehicles in Turkey were 150,860 units, 26.3% higher than the figure for the same period of the previous year. Sales of cars increased 30.3% to 121,455 units, and sales of light commercial vehicles increased 12.2% to 29,405 units.
In the first 4 months of 2020, sales of diesel automobiles were 44.5% and sales of automatic gearbox automobiles were up to 71.2%. Of commercial vehicle sales, 22,078 (75.1%) vans, 3,402 (11.6%) light trucks, 1,919 (6.5%) minibuses, and 2,006 (6.8%) pick-up trucks were sold.
In the year 2019, sales of cars and light commercial vehicles in Turkey were 479,060 units, 22.9% lower than the figure for the previous year. Sales of cars decreased 20.4% to 387,256 units, and sales of light commercial vehicles decreased 31.8% to 91,804 units. Sales in 2019 of diesel automobiles were 52% and sales of automatic gearbox automobiles were 66.5%. Of commercial vehicle sales, 66,704 (72.7%) vans, 10,838 (11.8%) light trucks, 7,203 (7.8%) minibuses, and 7,059 (7.7%) pick-up trucks were sold.
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