More private buyers have registered a new car in the first quarter of 2026, inspiring industry hopes for a significant shift after several years of disruption.
The share of new car registrations was nearly equal between private buyers and professional users, according to the data released on Friday by two industry federations, Febiac and Traxio.
Private buyers accounted for 48.8% of new car registrations between January and March, up from 41.7% for all of 2025. This shift marks a "progressive normalisation" of private purchases, the organisations stated.
Fleet saturation in certain segments—already renewed between 2021 and 2024—has also contributed to this balance, where professionals previously accounted for up to two-thirds of registrations.
Electrification in the new car market has entered a "consolidation" phase, with electrified cars making up 52.7% of registrations this quarter. This represents a 2.9-point decline compared to 2025, with fully electric cars stabilising at 34.7%.
Petrol car registrations have risen by 3.8 points to reach 44.4%, while diesel continues its decline, dropping to a market share of 2.3%.
Notable differences remain in preferences, with private buyers favouring petrol cars (62.8% of new registrations) and professionals favouring electric cars (59.5%).
In Flanders, the BMW X1 remains the best-seller, followed by the Tesla Model Y. Meanwhile, the Dacia Sandero leads in Wallonia, and the Peugeot 2008 narrowly tops the rankings in Brussels.
Used car registrations dropped by 2.3% in the first quarter but still accounted for 61.5% of overall registrations.
Diesel's share in the second-hand market fell to 22.7%, while petrol cars dominated at 56%. Hybrids (15.3%) and electric cars (5.5%) saw gains but remain less prevalent compared to the new car market.
