Cars change "leader", heavy transport remains loyal / Volkswagen, at the top of cars. Mercedes, "unbreakable" in heavy vehicles
Volkswagen seems to be gaining more and more ground in the Albanian automotive market, challenging the historical dominance of Mercedes-Benz.
Data for 2025 shows that Volkswagen leads new registrations with around 18,000 vehicles, leaving Mercedes-Benz in second place. They are followed by Audi, Hyundai, Toyota and BYD.
Meanwhile, even in terms of total vehicles, the difference between the two brands has narrowed significantly. Currently, there are around 166,768 Volkswagen and 153,275 Mercedes-Benz vehicles circulating in Albania.
But if Albanians are increasingly choosing Volkswagen for personal vehicles, the question arises: which brands dominate in other segments of road vehicles, such as motorcycles, trucks and buses?
Does Mercedes remain the main choice for heavy vehicles, or is the Albanian market changing orientation in these categories as well?
Engines: fragmented market, dominance of Asian brands
In the motorcycle segment, Albanians do not follow the car model. The most popular brand is DAYANG with 11,522 vehicles, followed by Yamaha with 7,800, Honda with 6,778 and Piaggio with 4,477. In this category, there is a strong trend towards economical and Asian brands, while premium brands, such as BMW, remain in modest numbers.
Trucks: Mercedes remains uncompetitive
In the truck segment, Mercedes-Benz maintains a clear dominance. With 8,702 trucks registered, the German brand significantly outperforms competitors such as MAN with 1,864, Iveco with 971 and Volvo with 779.
Here, the choice of Albanian operators seems closely linked to reliability and longevity, with Mercedes continuing to be seen as the industry standard.
Buses: Mercedes' "star" continues to shine
Even in passenger transport, Mercedes-Benz remains the dominant brand with 4,157 buses. It is followed by Daimler Chrysler with 687, Ford with 512, Iveco with 414 and MAN with 374.
This confirms that, despite changes in the automotive market, Mercedes continues to hold a key role in strategic public transport sectors.
According to official data, there are over 847 thousand cars circulating in Albania, while motorcycles number around 63,726 vehicles. Trucks number around 17,529 and buses 9,234, which clearly shows that the Albanian market remains focused mainly on personal vehicles.
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