Romania’s 2026 new‑car market has been ruled month‑by‑month by a cluster of familiar Dacia names, with Toyota and new entrants from China and the US puncturing the podium at times. That matters for Germany and Austria: Romanian demand shapes regional dealer flows, used‑car exports, and the order book for component suppliers that serve VW, Skoda and Ford across Central Europe.
Which models led the registrations (selected months and segments)
Dacia Logan — 1,115 registrations in October 2026. ACAROM/APIA’s monthly breakdown shows Logan as Romania’s single best‑selling new model in October, the only model above 1,000 units that month.
Dacia Duster — month peaks and a sustained leader: Duster was the top model in June (1,891 registrations) according to AutoPulse’s June dashboard and it also led in earlier months (e.g. 979 in May). These monthly spikes underline Duster’s continued national strength.
Dacia Sandero and Bigster — Sandero and Bigster repeatedly appear inside the top 5 in 2026. In October, Sandero registered 579 units while Bigster recorded 363 units, per the October model ranking.
Toyota Corolla / Corolla Cross — Toyota’s Corolla family is the leading non‑Romanian model in several months: Corolla Cross posted 540 registrations in October and Toyota’s Corolla recorded strong monthly totals earlier in 2026 (e.g. 445 in May). Toyota’s stable performance keeps it firmly in second place among brands year‑to‑date.
Ford Puma — 322 registrations in October (supported by a rising share of the Puma Gen‑E electric variant among Puma sales); Ford’s Puma appears regularly inside the top 10.
BYD models (Seal U DM‑i, Dolphin Surf) — Chinese brands have climbed fast. BYD’s Seal U DM‑i recorded 270 registrations in October and the BYD Dolphin Surf has been among the top pure‑EV models in 2026 (e.g. 553 registrations in the APIA seven‑month summary). BYD reached its best monthly performance with 708 units in September, moving the brand into the top five by marques.
