- Dacia Sandero leads European sales for the first half of 2024, overtaking the Tesla Model Y.
- Tesla Model Y slips to eighth place in Europe’s car sales, while the VW Golf holds second.
- 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. Fast forward to the first half of 2024 and the Model Y has slipped down the pecking order, falling behind a host of smaller vehicles that have been strong sellers year after year.
Sales data from the European Union and the UK reveals that during the January-June period, the Dacia Sandero was the best-selling new vehicle, with 143,596 examples registered. The Sandero has long been among Europe’s most popular cars, in part because prices kick off at just €11,500 (about $12,500 at current exchange rates), making it extremely affordable.
Read: Tesla Model Y Crowned Europe’s 2023 Sales Champ, Only EV In Top 30
In the runner-up position was the VW Golf. It shifted 126,993 units across the first half of 2024, positioning it ahead of the Renault Clio in third place with 114,623 sales. Closely following the little French hatchback is the VW T-Roc, Europe’s best-selling SUV, with 111,381 new registrations this year.
The Peugeot 208 has slipped down the list to fifth place despite taking out the sales crown in 2022 ahead of the Dacia Sandero and VW T-Roc. In the first half, 107,097 examples were registered across the continent. Positioned behind the 208 was yet another vehicle from the VW Group, the Skoda Octavia, that shifted 102,945 units from January to June. This placed it just ahead of the Citroen C3 with 102,304 sales, enough to secure 7th position.
Best-Selling Cars In Europe Jan-Jun 2024
Then we have the Tesla Model Y in eighth place. This year, 101,181 new Model Ys have been registered across the EU and the UK. While that’s down on last year, it comfortably remains the best-selling new EV on the market, and sales results are impressive, considering it’s significantly more expensive than other vehicles on the list.
Positioned behind the Model Y was the Toyota Yaris Cross with 99,694 new registrations, just ahead of the mechanically-related Toyota Yaris hatchback that saw cumulative sales of 93,576 units.
