Swedbank: Car leasing market has revived

TALLINN - Swedbank's car leasing data for the first half of 2026 shows that the market has revived compared to the previous year.

The volume of leasing applications has increased, with interest in car purchases bolstered by improved consumer confidence and attractive offers from dealerships.

According to statistics for the first six months, the average price of a leased car was 34,200 euros, including the registration fee where applicable. The average price for a new car was 41,000 euros, while for used cars it was 28,000 euros. The initial down payment typically ranged from 10 to 25 percent.

"We are seeing that people are once again more confident in moving forward with their car-buying plans. Market competition allows customers to find the best solution at the right price. The market has certainly revived, which gives us optimism for the second half of the year," said Karin Saar, Head of Private Customer Leasing at Swedbank.

According to Saar, nearly half of all leased vehicles are, on average, up to one year old. Cars aged two to five years make up about a third of the remainder.

"We see that customer preferences haven't changed significantly compared to last year. Among environmentally friendly options, hybrid cars remain the most popular, offering a good balance between everyday usability and fuel economy. While the share of electric cars remains at the 9 percent seen last year, their sales in terms of units have nevertheless increased," Saar explained.

For both new and used cars, customer preferences have remained largely consistent with previous years, with Toyota and Skoda vehicles being the most popular choices.

"We are pleased to see, however, that the Tesla Model 3 has joined the ranks of the most popular used car models. This indicates that electric cars are becoming more accessible on the secondary market and are attracting a growing number of buyers," Saar concluded.

The top 5 new car models leased through Swedbank in the first half of 2026 were the Skoda Octavia, Skoda Kodiaq, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Yaris Cross, and Subaru Outback.

The top 5 used car models were the Toyota Corolla, Toyota RAV4, Skoda Kodiaq, Tesla Model 3, and Skoda Octavia.