Spanish Auto Market in 2026 grows steadily. YTD sales up to April gained 7.8%, with leader Toyota securing its spot and growing by 15.7% while Renault dropped 12.8%. EV sector continues to expand, with BYD and Tesla at the forefront as it reaches a share of 10.8%.
Economic Environment
Spain’s 2026 forecasts start from a stronger-than-expected finish to 2025, with GDP growth for 2026 projected around 2.1% and potentially subject to upward revision if late-2025 momentum is confirmed. The economy enters the year with solid job creation, which has been steady and even accelerated in recent quarters. Household consumption has also strengthened, highlighted by a sharp pickup at the end of 2025 and a particularly strong contribution from e-commerce.
Business investment is another pillar of the expansion, supported by improved financing conditions as earlier ECB rate cuts continue to feed through to activity. Export performance remains constructive despite a difficult global environment, with services, tourism and other service exports, providing much of the dynamism.
Automotive Industry Trend and Outlook
After closing 2024 on a strong note, with one of the best performance among EU countries, the spanish car market opens 2026 with more stable figures. YTD sales up to April reported 407,388 units sold with a 7.8% year-on-year increase.
Brand-wise, Toyota secured again the leadership (+15.7%) with a 8.8% share, followed by Volkswagen -up 2 spots- in 2nd which secured a 6.2% share (+8%). Seat ranked 3rd with a 6.1% share (+5.9%).
Renault -down 2 spots- ranked 4th (-12.8%), followed Peugeot -up 2 spots- in 5th (+5.8%). Kia -down 1 spot- ranked in 6th (-11.1%), and Dacia -up 1 spot- in 7th (-6.9%).
Mercedes -up 2 spots- in 8th (+14%) followed by Hyundai -down 3 spots- in 9th (-11.7%) and in 10th place BMW -up 2 spots- (+12.6%).
Looking at the best-selling models, reported in a dedicated article, the Dacia Sandero remained the best seller despite losing 7.8%. The Seat Ibiza ranked 2nd growing by 24% while the Peugeot 208 -up 5 spots- closed the top 3 (+24.8%).
EV Market Trend and Outlook
Spain aims at consolidating EV growth, which is already growing quicker than EU averages. Up to April 2026, YTD sales gained 60.7% to a 10.8% share.
One of the the key initiatives carried out is the Plan Auto+ managed by the Ministry of Industry. It is designed to streamline access to EVs, with €400 million allocated to support direct purchases.
BYD was still the leader, growing 151.5% and with a 30.7% share. Tesla ranked 2nd growing 29.1% while Ebro closed the top 3, increasing by 79.2% and climbing up 3 spots.
Medium-Term Market Trend
Spain’s auto market posted strong expansion from 2014 to 2019, rising 51.88% as the economy recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, lifting consumer confidence and supporting new-vehicle demand. By 2019, registrations had stabilized at roughly 1.3 million units, but the onset of COVID-19 in 2020 caused a steep 34.6% drop to about 858,000 units, setting a difficult baseline for the years that followed. Passenger-car sales were essentially flat in 2021 at 859,000 units (+0.9%), and 2022 remained challenging. Momentum returned in 2023 with a 17% rebound, followed by continued growth in 2024 (+7.1%), supported by government incentives, a tourism recovery, and improving macroeconomic conditions.
Electrification also accelerated: EV volumes jumped 185% between 2021 and 2023 and grew a further 34.5% in 2024. At the same time, a specific EV sub-segment showed modest softening, with 2,807 units sold in 2024 (-0.8% YoY) before edging up to 2,845 units in 2025 (+1.3% YoY). Over the longer horizon, that sub-segment still reflects an 11.1% average annual decline (AGR) from 2015–2025. Despite intensifying competition from Chinese entrants, European players such as Renault and Dacia continue to invest in EV adoption, reinforcing Spain’s ongoing shift toward electrification.
Tables with sales figures
In the tables below we report sales for all Brands, top 10 Manufacturers’ Groups, and top 10 Models.
