New Car Registrations Surge 50% in June Amid Market Recovery in Israel
In June 2026, approximately 30,000 new cars were registered in Israel, marking a 50% increase compared to June 2025, when only 20,415 vehicles were registered. This surge brought the total number of cars registered since the start of the year to about 181,000, an 8% rise overall. Industry experts attribute the sharp June increase not to a spike in demand but to a recovery from last year's slowdown caused by the "With the Dog" operation in Iran, which had temporarily reduced registration and delivery rates.
Among the vehicles registered, over 20,000 were zero-kilometer cars that had been imported more than 12 months earlier but were only recently registered by importers as used vehicles. In June, the Chinese brand JAC led registrations with 3,060 units, followed by Toyota with 2,900 units, boosted by the new RAV4 deliveries. Kia returned to third place with 2,530 units, driven by strong sales of the hybrid Sportage, ahead of Hyundai (2,155) and Chery (2,450). The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro hybrid became the brand's best-selling model.
For the first half of 2026, JAC remains the top-selling manufacturer with 19,800 units sold, a 134% increase year-over-year, followed by its parent company Chery with 17,870 units (+63%). Toyota ranks third with 17,700 units, down 11%, followed by Hyundai (16,350, -18.5%) and Kia (15,345, +13.3%). Notably, five of the top ten manufacturers are Chinese brands, with only one Japanese brand in the top ten. Established brands like Kia and Skoda showed sales growth, while longtime market leaders Toyota and Hyundai experienced declines.
The best-selling car model in Israel so far in 2026 is the JAC 7 with 7,340 units, narrowly ahead of the smaller JAC 5 with 7,330 units. The top-selling electric vehicle is the Tesla Model Y, with 2,000 units sold since January, followed closely by the Chinese DiFal S05 with 1,970 units. In the luxury segment, BMW leads with 2,010 units, ahead of Mercedes (1,655) and Lexus (1,565). The Hyundai Kona is the best-selling non-Chinese model overall.
These figures reflect a dynamic shift in the Israeli automotive market, with Chinese manufacturers gaining significant ground and traditional Japanese brands facing challenges amid changing consumer preferences and market conditions.
