2026 MTV Calculation and the Hidden Costs of Owning a New Car

A new car's sticker price is just the starting point of ownership cost. The Motor Vehicle Tax (MTV), paid every January and July, along with comprehensive insurance, mandatory traffic insurance, inspection, and maintenance, all weigh heavily on your budget. In this article we break down the 2026 MTV schedule with real figures and list the other costs you'll face in your first year of new-car ownership.

How Is 2026 MTV Calculated?

Vehicles first registered on or after January 1, 2018 — which covers nearly every new car sold today — fall under "Tariff I/A" and are taxed based on two criteria:

1. Engine displacement (cm³ bracket): 9 brackets ranging from 1,300 cm³ and below up to 4,001 cm³ and above.
2. The vehicle's registered value: Among vehicles with the same engine size, the one with the higher invoice price pays more MTV.

A newly purchased car is taxed at the highest rate for its first three years (the "1-3 age" band); the amount steps down gradually as the vehicle ages. With our MTV Calculator, you can work out the exact amount for your own vehicle's engine size, registration year, and price bracket in seconds.

Example 2026 MTV Amounts (1-3 Age Band)

A notable point: the lowest vehicle-value bracket in the schedule (309,100 TRY and below) practically doesn't apply to any new car today — even the cheapest new models (for example, the Dacia Duster starts at 1,295,000 TRY) sell well above that threshold. As a result, almost every new car registered after 2018 gets taxed at the top vehicle-value bracket regardless of engine size.

For electric vehicles, MTV is calculated under a separate schedule based on motor power (kW) and generally comes out lower than the equivalent petrol/diesel car; see our Electric Vehicles page for current EV prices.

Hidden Costs Beyond MTV

• Comprehensive insurance (kasko): Varies by brand, model, usage type, and driver profile; it tends to come out relatively high in the first year since there's no no-claims discount yet.
• Mandatory traffic insurance: Not as high as comprehensive coverage, but a required annual expense nonetheless.
• TÜV Türk inspection: New cars are exempt from inspection for the first 3 years, but you'll need to budget for it afterward — see our TÜV Türk Inspection Guide for details.
• Maintenance and tires: Service intervals and genuine parts pricing vary widely between brands; it's worth checking service costs before you decide on a purchase.
• Loan interest, if financing: Depending on your down payment and term, total payments can run well above the car's sticker price — see our Car Loan Interest Rates article for current rates.
• Depreciation: A new car loses part of its list value in its first year the moment it leaves the dealership; the rate varies by brand and model.

Conclusion

When budgeting for a new car, it's not enough to look at the dealer price alone — you need to set aside room for annual MTV, insurance, maintenance, and any loan costs. You can work out your own vehicle's MTV with our MTV Calculator tool, check current dealer prices on our Negotiated Dealer Prices page, and review ÖTV exemption conditions in our ÖTV-Exempt Vehicles guide.