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The automotive industry had high hopes for 2021 after the tumultuous events of 2020. However, the year turned out to be another challenging period, with overall sales declining by 1.9% across Europe compared to 2020. A total of 10,600,419 cars were registered, marking a downturn even from the previous year. When looking specifically at the European Union, the situation worsened further, with a 2.4% decline in sales, resulting in only 9,700,192 vehicles being registered.
Despite the widespread setbacks, some brands managed to buck the trend. Hyundai and Toyota stood out as shining examples, both reporting over 10% growth in 2021. Hyundai achieved an impressive 22% increase in sales, while Toyota saw a 10.2% rise. These brands were joined by BMW as the only major players in Europe to experience positive growth last year.
At the same time, many of the top brands faced significant challenges due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage. For instance, Ford, which had been the fifth-best-selling brand in 2020, plummeted to ninth place with a 19.2% drop in sales. Similarly, Renault, once the second-largest seller, fell to fifth place with a 17.1% decrease in sales volume.
Let’s take a closer look at the ten best-selling car brands in Europe in 2021.
10th Place – Hyundai
With a remarkable sales increase of nearly 22%, Hyundai secured its position as the 10th best-selling brand in Europe, registering 515,886 vehicles. This achievement marked a 1% rise in market share compared to the previous year.
9th Place – Ford
Ford endured one of the steepest drops among major brands, experiencing a 19.2% decline in sales. This pushed the American automaker down to ninth place with 523,970 units sold.
8th Place – Škoda
Although Å koda also faced a decline of 8.5% in sales, they managed to maintain a presence just below the 10% mark, selling 589,170 vehicles and holding steady at 5% market share.
7th Place – Audi
Audi, part of the Volkswagen Group, sold 597,428 cars, representing a slight 0.5% decrease from 2020 but securing 5.1% of the market share.
6th Place – Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz reported a 12.5% drop in sales, with only 642,948 cars registered. This led to a reduction in market share from 6.4% to 5.8%.
5th Place – Renault
Renault saw a substantial 17.1% fall in sales, dropping from second place in 2020 to fifth place in 2021. The Renault Group overall declined by 10.9%.
4th Place – BMW
Among luxury brands, BMW was one of the few to see growth, increasing sales by 1.2% and holding onto a 5.8% market share. The BMW Group, including MINI, also saw a 1.3% rise in sales.
3rd Place – Toyota
Toyota made a strong comeback, growing by 10.2% and climbing to third place with 712,574 cars sold. Their market share expanded from 5.8% to 6.1%.
2nd Place – Peugeot
Peugeot held steady at second place despite a 2.3% drop in sales, maintaining a 6.2% market share within the larger Stellantis group.
1st Place – Volkswagen
Volkswagen retained its top spot with 1,274,137 cars sold, though this was a 6.2% decrease from the prior year. The Volkswagen Group, including several other brands, still led the European market with a 25% share, despite a 3.7% sales decline.
The semiconductor shortage and supply chain disruptions were clear culprits behind these mixed results. As the industry looks toward 2022, the hope is that these challenges will ease, allowing for a more stable recovery.