Europe's best‑selling new car | Axon's Automotive Anorak

During July 2021 European new passenger car sales fell to 967,830 units, a tumble from 1.27 million new cars sold during a Covid-torn July 2020. Unpredictably, according to data now collated from 26 European markets, the inoffensive Dacia took the prized number one sales slot for the first time since the launch of the original first-generation Sandero in 2008. The Volkswagen Golf, which frequently tops the rankings, came in second place, followed by the Toyota Yaris, which is now out-selling the popular Clio, Corsa and Fiesta. This trio hatchbacks str smaller, but priced higher, than the bargain-basement Sandero.

Registrations fell in most European markets in July, as the pandemic continued to weigh on consumer confidence, with the addition of a serious global shortage of microchips sharply hitting the availability of most models.

Overall in Europe, the French new car market plunged 35 percent in July, with the UK (plus Spain) witnessing a sales decline of 30 per cent. Germany, Europe’s largest new car market, was down by 25 per cent, while Italian sales also dropped by 19 per cent. Among the winners in the European new car sales race were Hyundai and Suzuki, gaining volume in July. Registrations were up by a respective 5.5 per cent and 4.7 per cent.

All other major car manufacturers saw sales decline, with Renault, Ford, Nissan, Peugeot and Citroen down a respective 54, 46, 37, 34 and 31 per cent. Even Europe's top-selling vehicle brand, Volkswagen, saw registrations drop by 19 per cent, despite taking four slots in the Top Ten sales charts. Even with the brand’s new electric ID. models, which were in particularly strong demand. Here in the UK, VW is now snapping at the heals of traditional market leader Ford – its sizeable 9.1 per cent market share uncomfortably close to Ford’s shrinking 9.4 per cent share.

Helped by the Sandero's popularity, Dacia's 16 per cent sales decline was less than the overall market fall. The recently-introduced third-generation Sandero boosted sales, offering the same strategic pricing and keen value for money. 

Dacia is set to supplement its new Sandero at the inaugural IAA Munich Motor Show later in September with its brand-new Jogger seven-seater crossover to replace the dreary Logan MCV estate. This will help to make the low-cost Dacia brand an even more tempting proposition for money-conscious family motorists. For the records, Dacia’s share of the UK new car market currently stands at an expanding 1.1 per cent.

Europe’s overall Top Ten sales for July shaped-up as follows:

1.Dacia Sandero: 20,446 units

2.VW Golf: 19,425

3.Toyota Yaris: 18,858

4.VW Polo: 17,343

5.VW T-Roc: 16,496

6.Hyundai Tucson: 14,883

7.VW T-Cross: 14,170

8.Dacia Duster: 13,329

9.Ford Puma: 13,282

10.Peugeot 2008: 13,134

During July a few manufacturers could take some solace from the fact that sales of zero-emission passenger cars were a relative bright spot. Registrations of battery-powered and plug-in hybrid cars enjoyed their best July results to date, achieving the second-highest monthly market share this year after June 2021.

A total of 160,646 battery-powered and plug-in hybrid cars vehicles were registered in July, accounting for almost 17 per cent of total European registrations. The Volkswagen ID.3 proved to be the top-selling full-electric car in July while the Ford Kuga was the best-selling plug-in hybrid. July’s 17 per cent share for electrified cars was up from 9 per cent in the same month last year and just 3 per cent in July 2019. This continuing growth in electric models has not been enough to offset the big registration drops posted by diesel cars, however.

The monthly market share for diesel declined to 22 per cent – from 30 per cent in July 2020 and 32 per cent in July 2019. The share for petrol-powered cars was 59 per cent, down marginally from 60 per cent in July 2020 and 63 per cent in July 2019. Total July new car sales were still below pre-pandemic numbers for the month, when registrations totalled 1.27 million new cars in July last year and 1.32 million units in July 2019. Overall, European registrations for the first seven months of this year are up 24 per cent to 7.38 million, although the remaining months of 2021 may well see a decline as supply chain issues dox physical new car availability.