Europe’s Three Best-Selling Cars in 2024 Were Not SUVs

The death of the car has been greatly exaggerated. Sure, SUVs and trucks have taken over in America and some other regions, but Europeans still love their little hatchbacks and whatnot. In 2024, the three most popular nameplates sold on the Old Continent were small cars: Dacia Sandero (cue the James May joke), Renault Clio, and the Volkswagen Golf.

German car market research company Dataforce lists the Romanian supermini with 270,111 sales in the European Union, EFTA, and UK regions. The subcompact hatchback rose by 14.3 percent. The Sandero finished well ahead of its more upmarket mechanically related sibling, the Clio, which ended 2024 with 216,569 units (+6.5% year over year).

The days when VW’s Golf dominated the sales charts in Europe are gone. The German hatchback/wagon had to settle for third place with 216,549 cars (+17.5 % YoY). Yes, only 20 units separate the Clio and Golf, and since Dataforce’s numbers represent 98% of all cars sold in December in the EU+EFTA+UK, it could go either way.

It’s easy to see why the Sandero was #1 last year. As with all Dacia models, this is a no-nonsense car with a low asking price, decent equipment, and inoffensive styling. Sure, its three-cylinder engines are lethargic, but the naturally aspirated and turbocharged 1.0-liter units are adequate for people looking for cheap motoring.

In some countries, the Sandero is sold from the factory with an engine compatible with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), making it even cheaper to run. In Dacia’s domestic market, Romania, LPG is roughly half the price of standard gasoline. Sales might have been even higher had the Renault-owned company kept the diesel engine used by the previous-generation models. However, the French have largely abandoned the oil burner in Europe to meet increasingly stricter emissions regulations.

To keep the price low, the Sandero skips electrification. However, Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot told Automotive News Europe that will change in 2027 when the next-generation car will gain an EV variant.

Fueled by the success of its B-segment hatch, Dacia is now a force to be reckoned with in the EU+EFTA+UK area. Figures published by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) show the brand had a market share of 4.5 percent last year. It finished ahead of Hyundai and Kia, both with a 4.1 percent share. It comfortably beat Ford, which fell to just 3.3 percent.