Europe’s best-selling cars by country in 2020

In a year when sales across the European Union - which still included the United Kingdom - fell by around 25%, totalling just under 10 million units, which cars were Europe’s best-sellers on a country-by-country basis?

From premium contenders to an unexpected low-cost winner, and countries where the entire podium was made up of electric cars, one clear pattern emerges from the figures: nationalism.

What do we mean by that? It is straightforward. Among countries with their own car brands, very few do not “give” market leadership to a domestic manufacturer.

Portugal

Let us begin at home: Portugal. A total of 145,417 cars were sold here in 2020, representing a 35% fall from 2019, when 223,799 units were sold.

As for the podium, a premium German model “slipped in” between two French cars:

• Renault Clio (7989)
• Mercedes-Benz A-Class (5978)
• Peugeot 2008 (4781)

Germany

In Europe’s largest market, where 2,917,678 units were sold (-19.1% compared with 2019), the sales podium was not merely dominated by German brands: it was occupied entirely by one marque, Volkswagen.

• Volkswagen Golf (136324)
• Volkswagen Passat (60904)
• Volkswagen Tiguan (60380)

Austria

A total of 248,740 new cars were registered in 2020 (-24.5%). As expected, the market leader came from a neighbouring country, although not the country many might have anticipated - Germany - but the Czech Republic.

• Skoda Octavia (7967)
• Volkswagen Golf (6971)
• Skoda Fabia (5356)

Belgium

After a 21.5% decline, Belgium’s car market recorded 431,491 new registrations in 2020. Its podium was among the most eclectic, featuring models from three different countries and two continents.

• Volkswagen Golf (9655)
• Renault Clio (9315)
• Hyundai Tucson (8203)

Croatia

With only 36,005 new cars registered in 2020, Croatia was among the smallest markets and contracted by 42.8% during the year. Its top three comprised models from three separate countries.

• Skoda Octavia (2403)
• Volkswagen Polo (1272)
• Renault Clio (1246)

Denmark

Denmark registered 198,130 new cars in total, down 12.2% on 2019. It was the only podium on which both the Citroën C3 and Ford Kuga appeared.

• Peugeot 208 (6553)
• Citroën C3 (6141)
• Ford Kuga (5134)

Spain

Spain sold 851,211 new cars in 2020 (-32.3%). The podium brought a few surprises, with SEAT placing only one model in the top three and losing first place.

• Dacia Sandero (24035)
• SEAT Leon (23582)
• Nissan Qashqai (19818)

Finland

Finland may be in Europe, but the presence of two Toyotas on the podium made the preference for Japanese models clear in a market that sold 96,415 units (-15.6%).

• Toyota Corolla (5394)
• Skoda Octavia (3896)
• Toyota Yaris (4323)

France

A major market means major figures. Unsurprisingly, France’s podium remained on home soil in a market that fell 25.5% compared with 2019, with 1,650,118 new cars registered in 2020.

• Peugeot 208 (92796)
• Renault Clio (84031)
• Peugeot 2008 (66698)

Greece

With 80,977 units sold in 2020, the Greek market shrank by 29% compared with 2019. Japanese brands stood out on the podium, taking two of its three positions.

• Toyota Yaris (4560)
• Peugeot 208 (2735)
• Nissan Qashqai (2734)

Ireland

Toyota claimed another market-leading position, this time with the Corolla, in a market that recorded 88,324 units sold in 2020 (-24.6%).

• Toyota Corolla (3755)
• Hyundai Tucson (3227)
• Volkswagen Tiguan (2977)

Italy

Was there ever any doubt that this would be an Italian podium? The Panda dominated outright, while the “everlasting” Lancia Ypsilon took second place in a market that sold 1,381,496 new cars in 2020 (-27.9%).

• Fiat Panda (110465)
• Lancia Ypsilon (43033)
• Fiat 500X (31831)

Norway

Generous incentives for electric-car purchases resulted in an all-electric podium in a market where 141,412 new cars were registered (-19.5%).

• Audi e-tron (9227)
• Tesla Model 3 (7770)
• Volkswagen ID.3 (7754)

Netherlands

Electric cars hold particular importance in this market, while the Kia Niro secured a surprising first place. The Netherlands sold 358,330 new cars in 2020 (-19.5%).

• Kia Niro (11880)
• Volkswagen ID.3 (10954)
• Hyundai Kauai (10823)

Poland

Despite the Skoda Octavia taking first place, Toyota’s Japanese models occupied the remaining podium positions in a market that dropped 22.9% compared with 2019, with 428,347 units sold in 2020.

• Skoda Octavia (18668)
• Toyota Corolla (17508)
• Toyota Yaris (15378)

United Kingdom

Britons have always been keen Ford buyers and, in a year when 1,631,064 new cars were sold (-29.4%), they “gave” the Fiesta its only first-place finish.

• Ford Fiesta (49174)
• Vauxhall/Opel Corsa (46439)
• Volkswagen Golf (43109)

Czech Republic

A Skoda hat-trick in its home country, in a market that fell 18.8% compared with 2019 and recorded a total of 202,971 new cars sold in 2020.

• Skoda Octavia (19091)
• Skoda Fabia (15986)
• Skoda Scala (9736)

Sweden

In Sweden, be Swedish. Another entirely nationalist podium in a country that registered 292,024 units sold in 2020 (-18%).

• Volvo S60/V60 (18566)
• Volvo XC60 (12291)
• Volvo XC40 (10293)

Switzerland

Another first place for Skoda in a market that declined by 24% in 2020, with 236,828 units sold during the year.

• Skoda Octavia (5892)
• Tesla Model 3 (5051)
• Volkswagen Tiguan (4965)