January 22, Colombo (LNW): Vehicle registrations in Sri Lanka rose sharply in December 2025, signalling a strong year-end lift following the reopening of motor vehicle imports after a five-year freeze. A total of 48,525 vehicles were registered during the month, compared with 43,810 in November, pushing total registrations for the year to 360,117.
Data compiled by JB Securities show that passenger car registrations accounted for a significant share of the increase. Motor car registrations climbed to 5,007 units in December, up from 3,691 a month earlier. New car registrations also gained momentum, rising to 1,150 units from 781 in November.
Chinese manufacturers dominated the new car segment, with BYD leading the market. BYD alone recorded 408 new registrations in December, while BAW followed with 283 units. Overall BYD registrations surged to 850 units during the month, compared with just 287 in November, driven largely by the Dolphin, Atto 2 and Atto 1 models. Toyota ranked third with 191 units, most of them Wigo models.
Registrations of pre-owned cars also showed solid growth, increasing to 3,857 units from 2,910 in November. The premium vehicle segment expanded modestly, with 187 high-end passenger vehicles registered, compared with 145 in the previous month. Among the notable additions to the roads were single registrations of a Porsche Macan, Jaguar F-Pace, Bentley Bentayga and a Rolls-Royce Ghost.
Commenting on the trend, JB Securities Managing Director Murtaza Jafferjee noted that luxury vehicle imports generate substantial tax revenue and do not represent an inefficient use of foreign exchange. He argued that such imports can, in fact, help ease fiscal pressures due to the heavy taxation applied to high-end vehicles.
Electric vehicle registrations edged up slightly to 3,220 units in December from 3,158 in November, suggesting that the initial surge in EV demand may be levelling off. Meanwhile, three-wheeler registrations increased to 3,007 units, while two-wheeler registrations rose to 30,415, reflecting continued demand for lower-cost transport options.
Overall, the December figures point to renewed activity in the automotive market as consumer confidence improves and import channels continue to stabilise.
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