2026 (May) Europe: Best-Selling Car Manufacturers and Brands

2026 (May): Volkswagen, Stellantis, and Renault were the best-selling car manufacturing groups in Europe (EU, EFTA, UK), with VW, Toyota, and Skoda the top brands.

During the first five months of 2026, and in May 2026, Volkswagen, Stellantis, and Renault were the largest carmakers in Europe. VW remained Europe’s largest car brand despite weaker sales. Stellantis is the best-performing large car manufacturing group in Europe thus far this year, although most top carmakers and brands lost market share. Chinese brands made strong gains in May 2026, with sales sharply up. In May 2026, the European new car market expanded by 3.6% to 1,152,523 vehicles. The Dacia Sandero was the top-selling car model in Europe in May 2026, followed by the Renault Clio and Tesla Model Y.

Latest European Car Market Statistics: 2026: January, February (electric), Q1 (electric), April, May; 2025 (Full Year): Market Overview, Sales by Country, Electric, Brands, Models.

Best-Selling Car Manufacturers in Europe in 2026 (May)

The best-selling car manufacturing groups in Europe during May and year-to-date 2026, according to car sales statistics released by the ACEA, were:

Manufacturer (└ Brand)	Sales May 2026	Jan-May 2026	Jan-May 2025	% Δ
Volkswagen Group	300,299	1,501,669	1,486,634	1
└ Volkswagen	121,318	590,820	615,726	-4
└ Skoda	71,591	371,287	334,547	11
└ Audi	58,030	288,661	270,575	6.7
└ Cupra	24,607	121,032	126,385	-4.2
└ Seat	17,342	89,935	93,789	-4.1
└ Porsche	6,743	35,631	41,497	-14.1
└ Others2	669	4,304	4,115	4.6
Stellantis	164,958	905,444	860,037	5.3
└ Peugeot	50,277	281,661	302,980	-7
└ Opel/Vauxhall	36,291	188,427	163,760	15.1
└ Citroen	31,665	174,021	155,815	11.7
└ Fiat	29,740	161,716	126,706	27.6
└ Jeep	10,324	59,361	61,482	-3.4
└ Alfa Romeo	3,759	22,132	28,010	-21
└ DS	1,883	10,692	13,634	-21.6
└ Lancia/Chrysler	754	6,019	5,624	7
└ Others4	265	1,415	2,026	-30.2
Renault Group	110,124	535,295	565,837	-5.4
└ Renault	61,213	311,395	312,756	-0.4
└ Dacia	47,690	218,392	249,390	-12.4
└ Alpine	1,221	5,508	3,691	49.2
Hyundai Group	86,444	434,964	445,616	-2.4
└ Kia	49,382	237,656	226,060	5.1
└ Hyundai	37,062	197,308	219,556	-10.1
BMW Group	82,277	409,638	396,393	3.3
└ BMW	65,688	332,976	331,031	0.6
└ MINI	16,588	76,661	65,362	17.3
Toyota Group	78,168	391,443	399,318	-2
└ Toyota	72,180	361,544	365,929	-1.2
└ Lexus	5,988	29,899	33,389	-10.5
Mercedes-Benz	56,185	278,929	271,315	2.8
Geely Group	38,146	176,676	165,958	6.5
Ford	25,290	156,933	188,822	-16.9
SAIC Motor	30,527	141,490	126,802	11.6
BYD	32,380	135,307	55,183	145.2
Nissan	17,730	125,207	141,295	-11.4
Chery Automobile	27,412	122,843	29,533	316
Tesla	28,610	118,068	75,103	57.2
Suzuki	13,965	75,591	78,192	-3.3
Mazda	12,597	73,830	66,125	11.7
Jaguar Land Rover Group	10,086	59,007	61,403	-3.9
└ Land Rover	10,085	58,998	58,627	0.6
└ Jaguar	1	9	2,776	-99.7
Leapmotor	9,945	43,037	6,592	552.9
Honda	5,695	33,527	31,538	6.3
Mitsubishi	2,269	12,156	21,289	-42.9

1. NOTES: Exclude others and small brands, based on ACEA data.
2. Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and MAN
3. Includes Abarth
4. Dodge, Maserati, and RAM
5. Geely, Geely-Emgrand, LEVC, Lotus, Lynk & Co, Polestar, Smart, Volvo Cars, and Zeekr
6. Chery, Jaecoo, Jetour, and Omoda

Top Car Manufacturers in Europe in 2026 (May)

In May 2026, all the larger car manufacturing groups lost market share except for BMW. In contrast, Chinese carmakers, including Geely, SAIC, BYD, and Chery, made strong gains.

The Volkswagen Group again lost some market share but remained by far Europe’s largest carmaker during May and the first five months of 2026. Thus far in 2026, the VW Group increased sales by only 1%, while the European new car market expanded by 4.5%.

Of the larger carmakers, Stellantis made the most gains thus far in 2026, with group sales up 5.3%. The Renault Group had sales weaker by 5.4%.

Best-Selling Car Brands in Europe in 2026 (May)

The best-selling car brands in Europe during May and year-to-date 2026, according to car sales statistics released by the ACEA, were:

R	Brand	May 2026	1-5/2026	1-5/2025	% Δ
1	└ Volkswagen	121,318	590,820	615,726	-4
2	└ Toyota	72,180	361,544	365,929	-1.2
3	└ Skoda	71,591	371,287	334,547	11
4	└ BMW	65,688	332,976	331,031	0.6
5	└ Renault	61,213	311,395	312,756	-0.4
6	└ Audi	58,030	288,661	270,575	6.7
7	Mercedes-Benz	56,185	278,929	271,315	2.8
8	└ Peugeot	50,277	281,661	302,980	-7
9	└ Kia	49,382	237,656	226,060	5.1
10	└ Dacia	47,690	218,392	249,390	-12.4
11	Geely Group	38,146	176,676	165,958	6.5
12	└ Hyundai	37,062	197,308	219,556	-10.1
13	└ Opel/Vauxhall	36,291	188,427	163,760	15.1
14	BYD	32,380	135,307	55,183	145.2
15	└ Citroen	31,665	174,021	155,815	11.7
16	SAIC Motor	30,527	141,490	126,802	11.6
17	└ Fiat	29,740	161,716	126,706	27.6
18	Tesla	28,610	118,068	75,103	57.2
19	Chery Automobile	27,412	122,843	29,533	316
20	Ford	25,290	156,933	188,822	-16.9
21	└ Cupra	24,607	121,032	126,385	-4.2
22	Nissan	17,730	125,207	141,295	-11.4
23	└ Seat	17,342	89,935	93,789	-4.1
24	└ MINI	16,588	76,661	65,362	17.3
25	Suzuki	13,965	75,591	78,192	-3.3

Top 20 Car Brands in Europe in 2026 (January to May)

Volkswagen remained the largest car brand in Europe in May 2026 and year to date despite weaker sales.

Toyota regained second position from Skoda in May 2026, although Skoda still leads year-to-date 2026.

It becomes more complicated to determine the top-20 brands in Europe, as the individual brand sales of several Chinese carmakers were not specified.

In May 2026, BYD outsold SAIC Motor (MG), but MG still leads over the first five months of 2026. The Geely Group remained the largest Chinese carmaker, although its top brand, Volvo, is still mostly considered Swedish despite the Chinese ownership.

In May 2026, BYD outsold such established brands as Citroen, Fiat, Tesla, and Ford.

The most improved top 20 car brands in Europe thus far in 2026 were: Leapmotor, Chery, BYD, Tesla, and Alpine.

The worst-performing top brands in Europe in the first five months of 2026 were: Mitsubishi, DS, Alfa Romeo, Ford, and Porsche.