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In 2020, the automotive industry was battered by the pandemic, and everyone hoped that 2021 would bring a much-needed recovery. Instead, the sector faced another challenging year, with overall sales in Europe dropping by 1.9% compared to 2020. In total, just over 10.6 million cars were registered across the continent. When focusing solely on the European Union, the situation worsened further, with a 2.4% decline in sales, meaning only 9.7 million vehicles were sold.
The main culprit behind these disappointing figures was the global semiconductor shortage, which severely impacted car production. Despite this, a few brands managed to navigate through the crisis and even post impressive growth. Hyundai and Toyota stood out as prime examples, with both seeing double-digit increases in sales—Hyundai's growth was particularly remarkable at nearly 22%.
Despite these exceptions, most major brands continued to struggle. Among the top ten best-selling car brands in Europe, only three—Hyundai, Toyota, and BMW—experienced positive growth last year. Let’s take a deeper dive into how each of these brands fared in 2021.
Starting off at number 10, Hyundai delivered an outstanding performance, increasing its sales by 21.6% compared to 2020. The company sold 515,886 vehicles in Europe, securing a market share of 4.4%. This impressive growth helped Hyundai climb up the rankings and solidify its position in the European market.
Next, Ford took the ninth spot but unfortunately had one of the worst performances among the top brands. Sales plummeted by 19.2%, resulting in only 523,970 cars sold. The American automaker had been the fifth-best-selling brand in 2020 but slipped dramatically to ninth place this year.
Moving to eighth place, Skoda, the Czech manufacturer, also saw a decline, though less dramatic than Ford's. Skoda’s sales dropped by 8.5%, with 589,170 vehicles sold. While this represented a smaller percentage decrease, the brand still faced challenges maintaining its market share.
At seventh place, Audi, part of the Volkswagen Group, posted a slight dip in sales, decreasing by 0.5%. They sold 597,428 cars, maintaining a market share of 5.1%. Audi's performance was relatively stable compared to other brands, though still impacted by the broader industry trends.
Mercedes-Benz, another German powerhouse, found itself in sixth place but suffered a more significant setback, experiencing a 12.5% decline in sales. They managed to sell 642,948 cars, reducing their market share slightly from 6.4% to 5.8%.
Renault, once the second-best-selling brand in Europe, dropped to fifth place after a 17.1% sales decrease. The French automaker sold 678,736 vehicles, a stark contrast to its previous standing. Even within the Renault Group, there were mixed results, with Dacia growing by 1.3% and Alpine surging by 83.6%.
BMW, however, celebrated its fourth-place finish with a 1.2% increase in sales, totaling 682,895 cars sold. The BMW Group, including MINI, also saw a 1.3% rise in sales compared to 2020, selling a combined 858,762 cars.
Toyota secured third place with a 10.2% increase in sales, selling 712,574 cars in Europe. This remarkable growth allowed the Japanese automaker to improve its market share from 5.8% in 2020 to 6.1% in 2021.
Peugeot held onto second place, experiencing a 2.3% decline in sales. Despite this, the brand still managed to sell 724,383 cars, maintaining a market share of 6.2%. Stellantis, the parent company, saw a slight overall decrease in sales across its brands but retained its dominant market share of 20.2%.
Finally, Volkswagen remained at the top of the leaderboard, selling 1,274,137 cars in Europe—a 6.2% drop from 2020. The Volkswagen Group, which encompasses numerous brands, led the European market but saw its sales decrease by 3.7%, selling a total of 2.94 million cars. The group's market share stayed below 25%.
While the automotive industry faced significant challenges in 2021, it remains clear that adaptability and innovation will play crucial roles in determining future success.