Switzerland Car Market in 2025 reported milder losses. YTD sales up to September dropped 4.2%, slowly curbing H1’s losing streak. Renault rose into 7th while Tesla and Volvo fell out of the Top 10, losing share in the EV segment as well.
Market Trend and Outlook
Switzerland’s GDP is projected to grow by 1.1% in 2025 and 1.2% in 2026, driven mainly by domestic demand as real wages and employment rise. Private consumption and investment will remain strong, while export growth will moderate due to slower global demand and increased US trade tariffs. Inflation is expected to remain within the central bank’s 0–2% target range despite a slight uptick.
Monetary policy will remain supportive, with the policy rate projected to reach 0% by mid-2025, resulting in negative real rates to stimulate activity. Fiscal policy will also support growth, though the headline surplus will narrow in 2026 due to higher pension spending. Public debt will continue to decline relative to GDP. Risks include escalating global trade tensions and a potential appreciation of the Swiss franc. Structural reforms aimed at easing investment regulations and expanding renewable energy infrastructure are key to enhancing long-term growth and climate resilience.
Automotive Industry Trend and Outlook
Following last year’s negative trend, the Swiss car market seems to be slowly curbing the downward trend. YTD sales up to September 2025 reached 168,200 units, down by 4.2% in year-on-year volume. This marked an improvement compared to the previous months, where losses fluctuated around 8%.
Brand-wise, Volkswagen was the new leader with a 10.5% share (+4.2%), followed by BMW in 2nd with 9.4% (-3.4%) and Skoda in 3rd with 9.2% (-0.6%)
Mercedes ranked 4th (-4.7%), followed by Audi in 5th (+1%), Toyota in 6th (-11.1%) and Renault -up 3 spots- in 7th (+10.5%).
Hyundai -up 1 spot- ranked 8th (+4.6%), followed by Dacia -up 2 spots- in 9th (+8.4%). Volvo -down 2 spots- closed the top 10 (-12.3%).
Looking at specific models, reported in the dedicated article, the Toyota Yaris became the new best-selling model despite a 3.9% year-on-year loss, followed by last year’s leader, the Tesla Model Y which fell 35.6%.
EV Market Trend and Outlook
The Swiss EV sector shows signs of resiliency, despite the broader automotive contraction. YTD sales up to September 2025 gained 11% to a share of 16%, thanks to a dense network of charging points and tight CO2 reduction targets. Still, removal of tax exemptions and broader stagnation dampened sales growth.
Tesla held its EV dominance despite losing 37.8%. Skoda surged 3 spots and 70.7% while Volkswagen closed the podium, up 10.8%.
Medium-Term Market Trend
The Swiss auto market peaked in 2015 with 323,783 units sold, marking a 7.3% year-on-year increase. Sales then declined steadily until 2018, reaching 299,656 units, a 4.6% drop, due to market saturation, changing consumer preferences, and the early effects of stricter emissions regulations.
After a brief recovery, the market was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a 24% drop in sales. Despite some rebound, it remains below pre-pandemic levels. In 2022, sales hit a decade low at 225,867 units, then rose by 11.6% in 2023, only to decline again in 2024 by 5.1%, totaling 239,294 units. This was largely due to weak economic growth, lower consumer confidence, and ongoing supply chain issues.
Switzerland saw strong early EV adoption, spurred by government incentives and high household wealth. EV registrations rose rapidly from 2014 to 2020, reaching 15,000 units, and peaked in 2023 at around 35,000—a 25.6% increase. In 2024, however, EV sales fell 12.5% to 46,141 units. This was driven by the removal of tax breaks, limited affordable models, and insufficient charging infrastructure, particularly for renters.
Tables with sales figures
In the tables below we report sales for all Brands, top 10 Manufacturers Groups and top 10 Models.
