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Cyprus Saloon Car Registrations Surge In May Amidst Market Adjustments

Sharp Increase In May Registrations

Cyprus experienced a significant upsurge in saloon passenger car registrations in May 2025, with figures reaching 3,715—a robust 11.7% increase compared to May 2024. This marks a notable rebound from April’s 2,924 units, as reported by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).

First Five Months Reveal Mixed Trends

Over the first five months of 2025, overall registrations for saloon passenger cars declined by 5.5%, totaling 16,224 units relative to 17,176 during the same period last year. Of these, new vehicles numbered 6,874 (42.4%), while 9,350 registrations, or 57.6%, were for used cars.

Fuel Type Composition And Brand Leadership

Petrol and hybrid vehicles have maintained nearly equal market shares, accounting for 43.7% and 42.9% of registrations, respectively, as consumers continue to prioritize efficiency and performance. Electric vehicles further edged their market share to 4.7%, up from 3.4% from the previous year, even as diesel-powered cars fell to 8.8% from 10%.

Dominance In The Private Sector And Brand Rankings

Out of the 16,224 saloon vehicles registered from January to May 2025, a significant 13,927 were classified as private. Toyota led overall with 2,784 registrations, followed by Mazda at 1,687. Other prominent brands included Nissan (1,240), Kia (976), and BMW (953), while additional key players such as Mercedes (875), Volkswagen (666), Hyundai (560), Honda (531), and Audi (394) maintained strong market positions.

New Versus Used: Consumer Preferences

When distinguishing new car registrations, Kia emerged as the market leader with 949 new entries, trailed by Volkswagen (560), Nissan (525), Hyundai (519), and Toyota (493). The top ten for new models also featured BMW (393), Mercedes (331), Jeep (284), Renault (282), and Audi (243).

Resilience Of The Used Car Market

Used saloon cars sustained their dominance, representing over half of total registrations in the first five months of 2025. Toyota and Mazda led this segment with 2,291 and 1,653 used car registrations, respectively. Nissan, BMW, and Mercedes also registered significant numbers, further cementing the continuing consumer preference for pre-owned vehicles.

This evolving landscape underscores a dynamic market in Cyprus where consumer preferences are driving shifts in fuel efficiency, brand loyalty, and the balance between new and used vehicle acquisitions.

Moonshot’s Kimi K2: A Disruptive, Open-Source AI Model Redefining Coding Efficiency

Innovative Approach to Open-Source AI

In a bold move that challenges established players like OpenAI and Anthropic, Alibaba-backed startup Moonshot has unveiled its latest generative artificial intelligence model, Kimi K2. Released on a late Friday evening, this model enters the competitive AI landscape with a focus on robust coding capabilities at a fraction of the cost, setting a new benchmark for efficiency and scalability.

Cost Efficiency and Market Disruption

Kimi K2 not only offers superior performance metrics — reportedly surpassing Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4 and OpenAI’s GPT-4.1 in coding tasks — but it also redefines pricing models in the industry. With fees as low as 15 cents per 1 million input tokens and $2.50 per 1 million output tokens, it stands in stark contrast to competitors who charge significantly more. This cost efficiency is expected to attract large-scale and budget-sensitive deployments, enhancing its appeal across diverse client segments.

Benchmarking Against Industry Leaders

Moonshot’s announcement on platforms such as GitHub and X emphasizes not only the competitive performance of Kimi K2 but also its commitment to the open-source model—rare among U.S. tech giants except for select initiatives by Meta and Google. Renowned analyst Wei Sun from Counterpoint highlighted its global competitiveness and open-source allure, noting that its lower token costs make it an attractive option for enterprises seeking both high performance and scalability.

Industry Implications and the Broader AI Landscape

The introduction of Kimi K2 comes at a time when Chinese alternatives in the global AI arena are garnering increased investor interest. With established players like ByteDance, Tencent, and Baidu continually innovating, Moonshot’s move underscores a significant shift in AI development—a focus on cost reduction paired with open accessibility. Moreover, as U.S. companies grapple with resource allocation and the safe deployment of open-source models, Kimi K2’s arrival signals a competitive pivot that may influence future industry standards.

Future Prospects Amidst Global AI Competition

While early feedback on Kimi K2 has been largely positive, with praise from industry insiders and tech startups alike, challenges such as model hallucinations remain a known issue in generative AI. However, the model’s robust coding capability and cost structure continue to drive industry optimism. As the market evolves, the competitive dynamics between new entrants like Moonshot and established giants like OpenAI, along with emerging competitors on both sides of the Pacific, promise to shape the future trajectory of AI innovation on a global scale.

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