Tesla dethroned as Dacia Sandero leads European car sales in 2024

As we entered 2024, Tesla Model Y was unable to retain its market leader status. A new frontrunner is challenging this model's previous dominance on the sales charts.

The European market in 2023, at least in terms of sales, was ruled by the Tesla Model Y. This electric crossover from the United States stood out as the most popular model across Europe, especially in the early months. It eventually emerged as the bestselling vehicle over the entire year.

However, the challenges Elon Musk's brand faced and a slowdown at the year's end offered a glimmer of hope to competitors, who had started to close in on the Model Y in the rankings. The latest figures from the Dataforce group indicate that the start of 2024 has seen a shift towards European manufacturers. Nonetheless, the top of the list is still dominated by familiar models.

The first quarter's best-selling car in Europe was the Dacia Sandero, with 70,567 units sold, comfortably securing the top spot in the rankings. This marks a 19.5 percent increase in sales compared to the same period in 2023.

Second place was claimed by the Volkswagen Golf, selling 63,431 units in the first three months of 2024, a jump of 49.8 percent. The third place was taken by last year's leader, the Tesla Model Y, with sales hitting 57,922 units, a decline of 17.9 percent.

Does this mean Dacia Sandero will easily keep its lead? Not exactly. While its current advantage might appear significant, its nearest competitors are not backing down.

This was particularly evident in the March figures, where the order of the top three was reversed, though the margins between these leading models in Europe were notably narrow:

• Tesla Model Y: 26,122 units.
• Volkswagen Golf: 25,423 units.
• Dacia Sandero: 25,059 units.