In this article we are going over the Top 50 models ranking up to October 2023 of the largest European car market.

The undiscussed leader remains the Volkswagen Golf, now in its eighth generation model. Reporting 64,930 sales,  a 7.8% year-on-year loss.

The Volkswagen T-roc maintains 2nd spot with 59,337 new sales (+19.6%), in front of the Volkswagen Tiguan which sold 52,887 units (+15.9%).

The Opel Corsa maintains 4th spot with 44,662 sales (+10.8%), in front of the Volkswagen Passat -up 1 spot- with 40,571 sales (+23.9%), the Tesla Model Y at 40,257 (+66.5%) and the Mercedes C Class with 38,527 new sales (+41.8%).

The Mini falls 3 spots into 8th with 37,756 sales (+14.9%), followed by the Skoda Octavia with 36,324 registrations (+24.0%) and finally the Volkswagen ID.4 -up 39 spots- with 30,657 units sold (+107.4%).

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for Top 50 models.

Market Trend and Outlook

Germany is the fourth largest economy in the world after the United States, China and Japan and the largest economy in Europe. It is the third largest export nation globally: With 70% the service sector contributes the largest part to the country’s GDP.

On an annual basis, the economy is now projected to shrink by 0.4% in 2023. This is a downward revision compared to the 0.2% growth projected in the Spring Forecast. A weak overall outturn for consumption and a decline in construction investment are forecast to negatively impact growth, despite support from an uptick in equipment investment. While weak external demand depresses exports, net exports are expected to contribute positively to growth due to falling imports.

Despite the last few months performing worse than in the earlier part of 2023 the German Car Market still maintains strong momentum. In October 2023 it grew for the 8th month this year, with new registrations at 217,905 (+4.9%). YTD figures at 2.34 million are up 13.6% from the prior year.

Looking at cumulative data up to October 2023 brand-wise, Volkswagen sold the most cars at 426,644 (+11.2%), followed by Mercedes at 232,960 (+24.1%) in front of Audi at 205,396 (+21.4%) and BMW with 187,296 sales (+11.3%).

Skoda ranks in 5th position with 138,373 sales (+15.0%), followed by Opel at 119,588 sales (+4.5%), Ford at 100,375 (-3.0%) and Hyundai with 86,978 new registrations (+3.5%)

Seat jumps 4 spots into 9th position with 70,844 sales (+24.5%), followed by Fiat  closing the top 10 with 65,305 new registrations (+9.9%).

Looking at specific models the Volkswagen Golf is the best seller despite losing 7.8% in year-on-year sales, followed by the Volkswagen T-Roc up 19.6% from the previous year.

Medium-Term Market Trend

The German car market is the largest in Europe and has had many ups and downs in the past decade. Starting from 2010 to 2013 the German market remained between 2.6 million ant 2.8 million, with year-on-year variations not exceeding 7% in both directions. In 2014 started a 4 year uptrend that brought all-time highs for 3 years in a row, reaching a maximum in 2017 at 3.51 million. Between 2018 and 2019 the market grew even higher reaching the 3.6 million mark in 2019.

The arrival of the pandemic in 2020 caused big problems in European economies and the German car market felt the consequences, falling 19% back under the 3 million level.

After the pandemic the downtrend continued, with the market falling 10% in 2021 and staying relatively flat in 2022 (+1.0%). A combination of factors were behind the industry struggle: the disruption in the global supply chain caused by a lack of raw materials, in particular for the production of microchips and Governments push towards Evs, an expensive alternative for low income consumers. These factors will continue to pull down sales in 2023.

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for all Brands, top 10 Manufacturers Group and top 10 Models.

In this article we are going over the Top 50 models ranking 2022 of the largest European car market.

The undiscussed leader remains the Volkswagen Golf, now in its eighth generation model. Accumulating sales at 84,282 with a year-on-year variation of -8.0%.

The Volkswagen Tiguan follows with a total of 59,136 sales (+6.5%), overtaking the Volkswagen T-roc which sold 58,942 units (+2.6%).

The Opel Corsa moves into 4th place with 50,191 sales (+1.4%), in front of the Mini -up 2 spots- with 40,142 sales (-6.5%), the Volkswagen Passat at 39,261 (-14.1%) and the Ford Kuga -up 9 spots- with 38,482 total sales (+32.2%).

In 8th place we have the BMW 3 Series with 36,261 sales (-14.1%), followed by the Tesla Model Y -up from 127th- with 35,426 (+705.1%) and finally the Audi A3-up 8 spots- with 35,052 sales (+23.0%).

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for Top 50 models.

Market Trend and Outlook

The German Car Market in 2022 totals 2.63 million sales, a 1.0% increase from the prior year. Thanks to a strong uptrend in the last months of the year the market was able to recover from weak sales in Q1 and Q2. Indeed figures from December grow for the 5th consecutive month, posting a 36.9% increase with 311,437 new registrations.

Looking at cumulative data from 2022 brand-wise, Volkswagen is still the leader with 480,967 sales (-1.6%) followed by Mercedes at 243,999 (+8.3%) in front of Audi at 213,410 registrations (+17.3%) and BMW with 209,722 cumulative sales (-5.7%).

Opel maintains 5th position with 144,588 sales (-10.7%), followed by Skoda at 143,928 sales (-3.9%). 7th and 8th position remain unchanged compared to 2021, respectively held by Ford with 131,256 sales (+3.9%) and Hyundai with 105,074 (-1.5%).

Renault ranks in 9th position with 79,861 sales (-24.6%), followed by  Toyota closing the top 10 with 78,366 cumulative sales (+9.0%).

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for all Brands, top 10 Manufacturers Group and top 10 Models.

Research Contents

Focus2move Automotive Market Reports provide a comprehensive and complete overview of the competitive environment including information on the sales volumes of cars and light commercial vehicles, market size, market share, and industry trends. The research also provides a deep analysis of segments and complete data for brands and models in the last two years, plus forecasts for total market sales, segments, and brands up to 2028.

Through our comprehensive global sales database, and the expertise of seasoned consultants in the field, we can help you gain further insight into the automotive market trends and base your business decisions on actionable data.

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Table of contents:

• Country Overview
• Economic Outlook
• Market Outlook
  • Market Heritage
  • Car Passenger’s segmentation
  • LCVs segmentation
  • Car Passengers Body Type mix
  • LCVs Body Type mix
  • Premium segment share
  • Chinese OEMs share
• Key Players
  • Top selling Groups 2022
  • Top selling Brands 2022
  • Top selling models 2022
• Key Factors for market Evolution
• 2023-2028 Volume Forecast
  • TIV evolution by segment
  • Cars and LCVs forecast
  • Segments forecast
  • Premium segment share forecast
  • Chinese OEMs share forecast
  • Forecast by Manufacturer

The largest European car market dominator, the Volkswagen Golf remains the undiscussed leader, with its eighth generation. However, the growth of the SUV segment reduced the space for hatch versions, and the Golf market share has dropped to 3.8% with sales at 91,621.

The Volkswagen T-Roc -up 5 spots- sold 57,424 (2.4% share), followed by the Volkswagen Tiguan which sold 55,527 units (2.3% share).

The Opel Corsa reached 4th place with 49,475 sales (2% share). Behind, we find the Volkswagen Up! -up 21 spots- with 46,708 sales (1.9% share), followed by the Volkswagen Passat -down 4 spots- with 45,696 units sold (1.9% market share).

In 7th place we have the Mini -down 3 spots- with 42,938 sales (1.8% share) and the BMW 3 Series with 41,704 sales (1.7% share), followed by the Skoda Octavia falling 4 spots with 40,663 units (1.7% share) and finally the Tesla Model 3 -up 48 spots- with 35,262 units sold (1.5% share).

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for Top 50 models.

Market Trend

The German car market this year attempted to recover from the pandemic crash of 2020 but reported a double-digits fall due to progressively worse performance in the second half of the year.

It is the largest and most stable car market in Europe, with a medium-term growth started in 2010 when car passenger sales were 2.91 million. In 2019, despite all pessimistic views on the economic environment, the market reached 3.6 million car passenger sales, hitting the new all-time record.

Considering the LCVs segment with 2019 at 343,000 units, the German light vehicles market figures were 3.94 million, the fourth largest market after China, USA, and Japan.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic sales fell in  2020. In fact, 2,917,678 units have been sold, reporting a decline of 19.1% compared to 2019.

In 2021 the year started negatively for the German market, in fact, in Q1 656,452 units have been sold, reporting a 6.4% decrease in sales compared to Q1 2020, on the other hand in Q2 sales started growing in double-digits, reporting a 44.2% increase in sales with 734,437 units due to the low volumes in Q2 2020.

In Q3 sales started falling quickly, losing 24.6% with 626,672 units, and in Q4 sales dropped even further, losing 31% with 604,571.

Indeed, Full-Year sales for 2021 have been 2.62 million, reporting a 10.1% decrease compared to 2019.

Brand-wise, this year the leader Volkswagen (-7%) gained 0.7% market share, followed by Mercedes (-25.7%), which lost 1.8% share. BMW gained 0.2% share, falling 7.7%.  Audi dropped 15%, followed by Opel which rose 2 spots and reported the best performance by gaining 10.7%.

Skoda lost 17.3%, followed by Ford which reported the worst performance in the leaderboard, falling 35%, and Hyundai which on the other hand jumped 2 spots and grew 1.5% sales. Closing the leaderboard we have Renault -down 1 spot- losing 15.5% this year and Seat which fell in 10th position, losing 19.4%.

The most sold vehicle for the 41st year in a row has been the Volkswagen Golf (-32.8%) with 91,621 units sold holding 3.8% share, followed by the Volkswagen T-Roc, which jumped 5 spots and gained 13% registering 57,424 new sales this year. The Volkswagen Tiguan (-8%) closes the podium and sold 55,527 units.

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for all Brands, top 10 Manufacturers Group and top 10 Models.

The largest European car market dominator, the Volkswagen Golf is signing the 45th consecutive year on top, with its eighth generation. However, the growth of the SUV segment reduced the space for hatch versions, and the Golf market share has dropped to 5.1% with sales at 136.324 (-33.4%).

The Volkswagen Passat sold 60.904 (+2.7%) and entered the podium by jumping 3 spots, overtaking the Volkswagen Tiguan, which fell 31.2% and sold 60.380 units.

The Ford Focus climbed 3 spots, landing in 4th place with 53.378 sales (-8.4%). Behind, we find the Skoda Octavia -up 3 spots- with 53.302 sales (-3.5%), followed by the Opel Corsa (+2.9%) with 53.199 units sold.

In 7th place we have the Volkswagen T-Roc -down 1 spot- with 50.822 sales (-13.7%) and the BMW 3 Series -up 9 spots- with 47.273 sales (+9.1%), while at the end of the leaderboard there is the Volkswagen Polo -down 5 spots- with 46.174 (-24.7%) followed by the Mini -up 1 spot- with 44.152 units sold (-11.7%).

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for Top 50 models.

Market Trend

The German car market was hit harshly in 2020 as the global pandemic has impacted sales tremendously. In fact, we recorded the lowest annual volume for the country since 2010.

It is the largest and most stable car market in Europe, with a medium-term growth started in 2010 when car passenger sales were 2.91 million. In 2019, despite all pessimistic views on the economic environment, the market reached 3.6 million car passenger sales, hitting the new all-time record.

Considering the LCVs segment with 2019 at 343.000 units, the German light vehicles market figures were 3.94 million, the fourth largest market after China, USA, and Japan.

After starting the year with a slight negative trend (-7.3%), the market quickly collapsed in March as the virus struck. The sharpest drop in sales this year was in April when sales declined by 61.1% as the country was put in lockdown. Indeed, on March 22, a national curfew was imposed, authorizing individuals to leave their living quarters for certain activities, but not in groups exceeding two people if they do not share the same household.

In the following months, the market was recovering effectively, reaching just a 5.4% loss in July thanks to the EU incentives on Electric vehicles, and there experienced a mixed trend for the remaining months.

Indeed, Full-Year sales for 2020 have been 2.917.678, reporting a decline of 19.1% compared to 2019.

Brand-wise, this year the leader Volkswagen (-21.3%) lost 0.6% market share, followed by the growing Mercedes (-10.6%), which gained an impressive 1% share. BMW -up 1 spot- gained 0.5% share, falling 13.7%.  Audi jumped in 4th place  (-19.9%), followed by Ford which fell 2 spots and lost 30.6%.

Skoda -up 1 spot- lost 13%, followed by Opel which reported the worst performance in the leaderboard, falling 32.3%, and Renault which on the other hand jumped 1 spot and reported the best performance in the leaderboard, losing only 4.4% sales. Closing the leaderboard we have Seat -down 1 spot- losing 17.4% this year and Hyundai which remained in 10th position, losing 18.9%.

The most sold vehicle for the 40th year in a row has been the Volkswagen Golf (-33.4%) with 136.324 units sold holding 5.1% share, followed by the Volkswagen Passat, which jumped 3 spots and gained 2.7% registering 60.904 new sales this year. The Volkswagen Tiguan (-31.2%) closes the podium falling 1 spot and selling 60.380 units.

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for all Brands, top 10 Manufacturers Group and top 10 Models.

For the last 44 years the largest car market in Europe was dominated by a single model, the Volkswagen Golf. Today this glorious model is still on top while the next generation the eight has been just presented to the market. However, the growth of SUV segment reduced the space for hatch versions and the Golf market share ended in 2019 at 6.1%, down 2.8 points of share since the 2015.

The second brand was a SUV – the Volkswagen Tiguan – hitting the new record share, with 2.6%.

In third, the Mercedes C Class with a stable share near 2.0% followed by the Volkswagen Polo holding 1.8%.

In fifth place, the Volkswagen Passat with 1.8%, followed by the new entry, the Volkswagen T-Roc with 1.8% and the Ford Focus at 1.7%.

B the Skoda Octavia, the Opel Corsa and the Audi A4.

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for Top 50 models.