New car sales in Croatia continued to grow during the first four months of 2026, with more than 25,000 vehicles sold nationwide — but one of the most surprising developments has been the rapid rise of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, which outsold Teslain April.

According to data from market research company Promocija Plus, a total of 25,203 new passenger vehicles were sold in Croatia between January and the end of April, representing a 5.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

However, April alone saw a slight slowdown, with 8,465 vehicles sold — 5.7 percent fewer than in April 2025.

Škoda Leads Croatian Market

The best-selling car brand so far this year has been Škoda, which sold 3,239 vehicles and captured almost 13 percent of the Croatian market.

It was followed by Volkswagen with 2,724 vehicles sold and Renault in third place with 2,042 sales.

Opel and Suzuki rounded out the top five.

The best-selling individual model in April was the Škoda Octavia, with 438 units sold, ahead of the Opel Frontera and Opel Mokka.

Hybrids Continue to Dominate

Croatian buyers are increasingly turning toward hybrid technology.

Between January and April, hybrids accounted for 11,699 sales — an impressive 46.4 percent share of the total market.

Petrol-powered cars remained the second most popular choice, with 9,368 vehicles sold, while diesel sales continued to decline.

Fully electric vehicles accounted for 1,145 sales, representing 4.5 percent of the market.

BYD’s Rapid Rise Raises Eyebrows

One of the most notable trends came from Chinese automaker BYD, which sold 140 electric vehicles in Croatia during April alone.

That figure comfortably surpassed Tesla’s 36 sales during the same month, highlighting how rapidly Chinese EV manufacturers are gaining ground in Europe.

Interestingly, Mini sold exactly the same number of vehicles as BYD in April, despite the Chinese manufacturer only recently entering the Croatian market.

The figures reflect broader shifts in the European automotive sector, where competition in the electric vehicle market is becoming increasingly intense as new global players expand across the continent.

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