Auto production falls 8 percent in January-July

ISTANBUL

According to data from the Automotive Manufacturers Association (OSD), total auto production fell by 8 percent year-on-year in the January-July period of 2026, while passenger car production declined by 19 percent.

During the seven-month period, total vehicle production stood at 767,216 units, while passenger car output reached 424,667 units.

Automotive exports fell by 13.6 percent in volume terms compared with the same period a year earlier, totaling 542,401 units.

Passenger car exports dropped by 29.2 percent year-on-year during the period, while commercial vehicle exports increased by 8 percent.

Despite the decline in export volumes, the automotive industry maintained its position as Türkiye’s leading export sector, accounting for 17 percent of total exports in the first seven months of the year.

In value terms, total automotive exports increased by 2.6 percent year-on-year to $24.4 billion in the January-July period of 2026.

OSD Chairman Cengiz Eroldu said production and exports declined compared with the same period last year, noting that the industry lost approximately five to six working days during the first seven months of the year due to public holidays and administrative leave periods.

Eroldu also said that some OSD member companies are preparing their production lines to introduce new models and capacity investments.

“To introduce a new product onto a production line, it is necessary to reduce the existing production pace for a certain period of time. Therefore, we consider the production loss to be a natural consequence of the transition period associated with new investments,” Eroldu said.