Catalonia sold 149,099 conventional used passenger cars in the first six months of 2026, according to data from dealer associations Ganvam and Faconauto cited by Diari ARA. For residents looking to replace a car, the figures point to a market still centred on older combustion-engine vehicles, especially diesel cars more than 10 years old, while newer electrified models remain scarce and pricier.
The provincial breakdown shows the fastest growth in Lleida, where used vehicle sales rose 8.1% compared with the same period in 2025. Barcelona province followed with a 6.4% increase, then Girona with 3.6%, while Tarragona recorded a marginal 0.1% rise.
Older diesel cars still make up much of the market
Faconauto data cited in the source report shows that 48.3% of second-hand vehicles sold in 2025 were diesel. In this context, diesel vehicles means conventional passenger cars powered by a diesel internal combustion engine, rather than petrol, hybrid or fully electric models.
The same report says more than half of the used cars sold in 2025 were over 10 years old, while the average age of Spain's car fleet reached 14.5 years. Diari ARA reports that this pattern is continuing in the first half of 2026.
That matters in Catalonia because buyers are still relying heavily on ageing cars at a time when new vehicles are often out of reach. The source report puts the average price of a new car at about €30,000, a gap that continues to push many households towards the used market.
June and summer demand lifted the market
Diari ARA says June is usually a key month for second-hand sales, helped by summer travel plans, better weather and the arrival of seasonal bonus payments. Nationally, Ganvam and Faconauto data published by Posventa.info show 186,775 used passenger cars and SUVs sold in June, up 6.5% on the same month last year.
The same Ganvam and Faconauto figures show Spain's used car and SUV market reached 1,091,218 sales from January to June, a 1.9% increase year on year. That equals 1.7 used vehicles sold for every new passenger car registered in the same period.
For full-year context, Faconauto said in a January 2026 statement that the second-hand passenger car market closed 2025 at more than 2.2 million units in Spain. Diari ARA reports a ratio of roughly 1.9 to 2.2 used vehicles sold for each new one registered during 2025.
- Lleida province: up 8.1% year on year
- Barcelona province: up 6.4%
- Girona province: up 3.6%
- Tarragona province: up 0.1%
Used electric cars are growing, but prices stay higher
While older diesel cars still dominate, electrified second-hand models are gaining ground. Ganvam and Faconauto data published by Posventa.info show used battery electric passenger car sales rose 45.3% in the first half of 2026 to 18,677 units across Spain. Used plug-in hybrid sales rose 49% to 28,552 units.
Faconauto's earlier market updates also pointed in the same direction. By the end of the first quarter, used electric car sales were up 48.8% to 8,886 units and used plug-in hybrid sales had risen 51.3% to 13,710, according to Faconauto. By the end of May, Faconauto said used electrified sales were up 47% overall.
Diari ARA reports especially strong interest in used electric and plug-in hybrid cars aged between three and five years, many coming from rental and leasing fleets. National figures support that shift: Ganvam and Faconauto data show sales of used cars aged three to five years rose by more than 17% in June, while transactions involving ex-rental used cars were up 15.5% by June.
Used electrified models are growing quickly, but supply remains limited and that is keeping prices high.
According to the source report, the average sale price for this kind of second-hand transaction is about €18,500 in Catalonia, compared with €17,500 in the rest of Spain. Even so, the report says the supply of used electrified cars is still too low to meet demand, which pushes up final prices for zero-emission or eco-labelled vehicles.
Diari ARA also reports that some companies have imported used vehicles from Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland to help meet demand in Catalonia and elsewhere in Spain, where second-hand supply is tighter.
Reported by Source Text Link, Posventa.info, europesays.com, faconauto.com, SETRAM Líder en Logística de Automoción en Europa, carfax.eu, Newsletter, Ana Montenegro, europapress.es, Borja Fadón, caranddriver.com, Manu Granda, A. Noguerol, Diari ARA.
