The best -selling cars in Europe since January 2025

The year 2025 did not start well for the automotive market in Europe. In the first six months of the year, registrations reached 6.84 million, marking a slight, but symbolic, drops by 0.3% compared to the same period last year. In June, the negative trend has increased, with a fall of 4.4%.

Among the markets most in difficulty, Italy is distinguished, alongside Belgium and Germany, but it was Romania that experienced a spectacular fall: -50%. Despite the climate of economic uncertainty and an increasingly competitive landscape, the French duo composed of the Dacia Sandero and the Renault Clio remains at the top of the ranking of the best -selling models, while the Tesla Model remains the favorite among electricity, despite criticism of Elon Musk.

As would be expected, the most interesting aspect concerns Chinese brands, which from January to June doubled their market share, even more threatening the historic automotive giants.

The best -selling cars in Europe since January 2025

In the first half of 2025, the Renault group conquered the podium with two of its bestsellers: the Dacia Sandero, followed closely by the Renault Clio, which dominated June with more than 27,000 registrations, ahead of more than 3,000 units the second, the Tesla Model Y.

But there have been surprises: models like the Peugeot 208, the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa and the increasingly popular Ford Puma have recorded two -digit growth, confirming that the segment of city cars and urban crossovers remains central in the choices of European consumers. Among the SUVs, excellent results for the Volkswagen Tiguan and the new BMW X1, while on the front of the electric compacts, the Duo Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 was distinguished.

The Chinese also marked their footprint: the Jaecoo 7, a rechargeable hybrid SUV of the Chery group, entered the top ten of the June PHEV, while the Leapmotor T03 city car found a solid market niche.

The ranking of car manufacturers

Looking at the manufacturers, the first half of 2025 established a new hierarchy in Europe. Chinese brands reached a share of 5.1%, almost double compared to 2024, with growth of 91% in volume. Giants like Byd, which sold more than 70,000 units, and new brands (such as Jaecoo, Omoda, Leapmotor and Xpeng) nibble on the field of historical brands. Byd, in particular, entered the top 25 best -selling brands in June, exceeding Suzuki, Mini and Jeep.

Those who have paid the price of this new balance are the large traditional groups. Stellantis recorded the most severe decline: 8.6% less registrations in the semester, descending to 15.3% market share, the lowest level since its creation. Only Alfa Romeo, Peugeot and Jeep saw their sales increase within the group, while Fiat, Lancia, Citroen, Opel and DS have suffered heavily.

Tesla, for its part, lost ground: its share was reduced to 1.6%, with a drop of 33% compared to the first half of 2024. For the first time, it was exceeded by SAIC/MG, which finished the semester with a 22% increase in sales. Despite the Y model update, the Californian brand is struggling to keep the pace, followed by byd and the Volkswagen group.

More than a million BEV, but the race slows down

Despite the uncertainties, the electric cars segment (BEV) continues to grow. For the first time in European history, it has reached more than a million units sold in one semester: 1,193,397 vehicles, up 25% compared to the same period of 2024.

However, growth began to slow down: in June, the pace dropped to +15%, a sign that the boom enters a maturation phase. BEVs now represent 17.4% of the European automotive market, with the highest increases in countries such as Denmark, Norway, Belgium and Finland.

The Tesla Model Y, despite ups and downs, remains the best -selling electric car both in June and on the semester, followed by models of the Volkswagen group, first in part in the segment with 28%, ahead of Stellantis (11%) and BMW (10.3%). Ford, Hyundai-Kia and the Renault group have made significant progress in the electric transition. In particular, Ford almost tripled Bev’s share on the total sales, from 4.5% to 13.7%.

Conversely, Chinese brands like Byd and Saic, although strong in the BEV, diversify their offers by also betting on hybrid and traditional engines, to avoid the impact of European rights. But one thing is certain: in the new electric landscape, the competition is just beginning.