Best-selling cars in Europe so far in 2023

European car registrations increased 11% year on year in January as SUVs reached a record market share, accounting for more than half of all new cars sold on the continent. 

In total, 907,000 cars were sold in EU markets plus the UK, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland in January, according to figures from industry analyst Jato Dynamics. 

The growth was driven by the increasing uptake of SUVs, which made up 464,900 of the total number of registrations for a record market share of 51.3%. It’s the first time SUVs have formed more than half of all new car registrations in Europe. 

“The recent EV boom drew attention away from SUVs, but due to their popularity with consumers around the world, they continue to play an important role in driving the slow recovery of the industry,” said Felipe Munoz, global analyst at Jato Dynamics. 

But while the overall number of registrations improved year on year, the total figure is still down by around 8% compared with pre-pandemic 2019. 

“We are seeing positive signs, but not enough to take the market back to the position it was in before the pandemic hit. The reality is that we might never see sales at that level again,” Munoz said. 

Much of last year was heavily impacted by shortages of new vehicles (caused in part by the semiconductor supply crisis) as well as inflation and spiking energy prices – factors intensified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sales of battery-electric cars (BEVs) remained healthy, increasing by 14% year on year to 92,700 units. The Tesla Model Y was January’s best-selling EV with 7174 units sold, followed by the Dacia Spring (4242) and Volkswagen ID 4 (3812). 

However, Jato suggested that growth has started to slow, indicating a potential peak in EV sales. “Without affordable options from OEMs or more attractive incentives from governments across Europe, it seems that demand may be close to reaching a peak,” Munoz said. 

The Dacia Sandero was Europe’s best-selling car in January, led by high demand in France and Italy. Volkswagen topped the brand rankings with 99,790 cars sold, followed by Toyota (71,737) and Skoda (50,845). 

The best-selling cars in Europe in 2023

1 Dacia Sandero, 20,836, +18% year on year

The Dacia Sandero finished 2022 in second place and it has gone one better after the first month of 2023. It’s bolstered by its exceptional value for money, which will have resonated with buyers as the cost of living crisis hit across Europe. That it’s also a competitive supermini, with a spacious interior and decent handling, makes it an especially compelling buy.