Other cars in the top 10 list are the Dacia Sandero, the VW T-Roc, the Peugeot 208 and the Citroen C3
from Brad Anderson
August 11, 2024 at 07:47
- Dacia Sandero leads European sales in the first half of 2024, overtaking the Tesla Model Y.
- The Tesla Model Y slips to eighth place in European car sales, while the VW Golf takes second place.
- Hatchbacks and small SUVs continue to be the most popular car segments in Europe.
Last year, the Tesla Model Y took Europe by storm, becoming the best-selling new car across the continent. In the first half of 2024, the Model Y has slipped down the pecking order, falling behind a number of smaller vehicles that have sold well year after year.
Sales figures from the European Union and the UK show that the Dacia Sandero was the best-selling new car in the January-June period, with 143,596 units registered. The Sandero has long been one of Europe’s most popular cars, in part because it starts at just €11,500 (about $12,500 at current exchange rates), making it extremely affordable.
Read: Tesla Model Y named European sales champion 2023, only electric car in the top 30
The VW Golf came in second place. It sold 126,993 units in the first half of 2024, putting it ahead of the Renault Clio in third place with 114,623 sales. Close behind the small French hatchback is the VW T-Roc, Europe’s best-selling SUV, with 111,381 new registrations this year.
The Peugeot 208 has slipped to fifth place on the list, despite taking the sales crown in 2022 ahead of the Dacia Sandero and the VW T-Roc. In the first half of the year, 107,097 units were registered across the continent. Behind the 208 was another vehicle from the VW Group, the Skoda Octavia, which sold 102,945 units from January to June. This put it just ahead of the Citroen C3 with 102,304 sales, which secured it 7th place.
Best-selling cars in Europe Jan.-June 2024
Then we have the Tesla Model Y in eighth place. This year, 101,181 new Model Ys were registered in the EU and UK. While that’s down on last year, it remains comfortably the best-selling new electric vehicle on the market, and its sales results are impressive considering it’s significantly more expensive than other vehicles on the list.
Behind the Model Y was the Toyota Yaris Cross with 99,694 new registrations, just ahead of the mechanically related Toyota Yaris hatchback, which recorded cumulative sales of 93,576 units.
