Tuesday Jul 28, 2026
Tuesday Jul 28, 2026
Tuesday, 28 July 2026 05:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Total vehicle registrations moderated in June as lower registrations of two- and three-wheelers outweighed continued strength in the sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment, while several commercial vehicle categories recorded modest improvements, JB Securities said.
The brokerage said total vehicle registrations declined to 58,151 units in June from 62,776 in May. Despite the overall slowdown, it said passenger vehicle registrations remained resilient. Motor car registrations fell to 3,929 units in June from 4,738 in May, with both brand-new and pre-owned registrations easing during the month.
Brand-new car registrations declined to 998 units from 1,199 in May. BYD remained the leading brand with 519 registrations, led by the ATTO 1 (373) and Dolphin Dynamic (131). Perodua ranked second with 160 registrations, comprising the Bezza (82) and Axia (78), while BAW recorded 108 registrations of its E7 model and Kaiyi increased registrations to 56 units. Small cars accounted for 96.6% of all brand-new motor car registrations.
JB Securities said financing accounted for around 43% of vehicle purchases, adding that this may reflect dealers registering vehicles before they are sold to avoid the 90-day deadline, after which a penalty of 3% of a vehicle’s Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF) value is levied for each month of delay. It said the policy was introduced to discourage the accumulation of excessive inventories that could place additional pressure on the current account.
Pre-owned car registrations declined to 2,931 units in June from 3,539 in May. Suzuki remained the market leader with 987 registrations, driven by the Wagon R (764), Spacia (90), and Alto (76). Toyota followed with 767 registrations, led by the Roomy (382) and Yaris (315), while Nissan recorded 525 registrations, mainly the Dayz (385), and Daihatsu registered 433 units, dominated by the Mira (342). Small cars accounted for 96.4% of pre-owned registrations, while the financing share eased to 44% from 49.2% in May.
Premium passenger vehicle registrations edged down to 147 units in June from 152 in May. Brand-new premium registrations increased to 26 units, while pre-owned registrations moderated to 121 units. Mercedes-Benz remained the leading premium marque with 59 registrations across new and pre-owned vehicles, followed by Audi with 43, BMW with 27, and Lexus with 12.
JB Securities said registrations during the month included a Rolls-Royce Phantom EWB, a Bentley Bentayga, and a Ferrari 296 GTB. It said purchases of high-end vehicles continue to generate substantial Government revenue, with tax rates on many of these vehicles exceeding 200% of their import value.
SUV and crossover registrations increased to 5,933 units in June from 5,511 in May, making the segment the strongest-performing passenger vehicle category during the month. Growth was driven by brand-new registrations, which rose to 2,580 units from 1,929 in May, while pre-owned registrations eased to 3,353 units from 3,582.
