Toyota and the Renault Group leads a turbulent automotive market

The European automotive landscape is undergoing unprecedented change. In terms of models, the European market remains dominated by city cars. The Dacia Sandero retains its top spot in sales, followed by the Renault Clio, which enjoyed a very strong end to the year. The Peugeot 208 completes the top three, ahead of two reliable Volkswagen models: the T-Roc and the evergreen Golf. These models are particularly well represented at P-Tronic in a variety of configurations. Globally, the Toyota RAV4 is the best-selling vehicle with more than 2.1 million units sold, ahead of the Tesla Model Y and Honda CR-V. Its success is largely driven by the expansion of its hybrid range, reflecting a market undergoing profound change.

This trend is confirmed by the cumulative figures since the beginning of the year, which show a profound shift in powertrains on the Old Continent. Hybrid vehicles are well ahead in sales with a 34.6% market share, ahead of gasoline (27.4%). This historic breakthrough is accompanied by a notable increase in electric vehicles, which account for 16.4% of sales and confirm the acceleration of the energy transition. The big loser in this reshuffling of the deck remains diesel. Once the king of European roads, it has suffered a staggering 24.5% decline over one year and now accounts for only 9.2% of the market, a level now equivalent to that of plug-in hybrids (9.1%).