The used car market saw an increase of 1.8% in April, driven largely by individual buyers, according to Traxio, the mobility federation.
Traxio reports that the market for used cars has consistently remained strong over the years, with April witnessing 63,710 registrations, up by 1,105 units (1.8%) compared to April 2024.
This resilience is largely due to the market’s structure, where 90.4% of registrations involve private buyers who often cannot afford new cars due to high prices.
Volkswagen and BMW led the Belgian used car market last month, followed by Mercedes, Peugeot, and Opel. Top models for the first four months of the year include the VW Golf (9,763 registrations), VW Polo (7,266), Opel Corsa (6,298), BMW 3 Series (5,419), and BMW 1 Series (5,235).
Petrol engines remain dominant at 55.8%, while diesel vehicles are declining, accounting for 27.3% of registrations from January to April. Hybrid and electric vehicles are slowly growing, reaching 16.4%, with hybrids at 12.6% and fully electric cars at 3.8%.
“However, this segment is still largely dominated by businesses, showing a reluctance among private buyers to adopt these technologies second-hand,” said Filip Rylant, spokesperson for Traxio. Most European car dealers anticipate a decrease in used electric car prices, which could present new opportunities.
