2026 (Q1 to Q3): Volkswagen, Stellantis, and Renault were the best-selling car manufacturing groups in Europe (EU, EFTA, UK), with VW, Skoda, and Toyota the top brands.
During the first nine months of 2026, the Volkswagen Group remained by far the largest carmaker in Europe despite losing market share. Stellantis and Renault also underperformed. Chinese car manufacturers made strong gains in Europe so far in 2026. The top-selling car brands were Volkswagen, Skoda, Toyota, and BMW.
New passenger vehicle registrations in Europe (EU, EFTA, UK) increased by 6.3% to 10,555,351 cars in the period January to September 2026. Battery-electric vehicle sales increased by 41.9% to 2,549,810 all-electric cars, for a 24.2% share of the total European new car market.
- Latest European Car Market Statistics: 2026 (Half Year), July; 2025 (Full Year)
Best-Selling Car Manufacturers in Europe in 2026 (Q1 – Q3)
The best-selling car manufacturing groups in Europe in the first nine months of 2026, according to car sales statistics released by the ACEA, were:
| Brand | Jan–Sep 2026 | Jan–Sep 2025 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Group | 2,667,677 | 2,654,514 | 0.5 |
| – Volkswagen | 1,050,077 | 1,086,528 | -3.4 |
| – Skoda | 666,798 | 620,113 | 7.5 |
| – Audi | 499,045 | 484,044 | 3.1 |
| – Cupra | 224,895 | 222,092 | 1.3 |
| – Seat | 156,640 | 164,043 | -4.5 |
| – Porsche | 62,960 | 70,302 | -10.4 |
| – Others² | 7,261 | 7,392 | -1.8 |
| Stellantis | 1,533,540 | 1,464,484 | 4.7 |
| – Peugeot | 483,512 | 500,329 | -3.4 |
| – Opel/Vauxhall | 323,452 | 304,966 | 6.1 |
| – Citroen | 298,367 | 266,110 | 12.1 |
| – Fiat³ | 268,760 | 210,648 | 27.6 |
| – Jeep | 94,542 | 100,846 | -6.3 |
| – Alfa Romeo | 34,669 | 46,086 | -24.8 |
| – DS | 18,625 | 23,045 | -19.2 |
| – Lancia/Chrysler | 9,050 | 8,737 | 3.6 |
| – Others⁴ | 2,563 | 3,717 | -31.0 |
| Renault Group | 971,760 | 1,002,668 | -3.1 |
| – Renault | 554,212 | 546,231 | 1.5 |
| – Dacia | 405,768 | 449,287 | -9.7 |
| – Alpine | 11,780 | 7,150 | 64.8 |
| Hyundai Group | 770,795 | 797,919 | -3.4 |
| – Kia | 421,867 | 395,834 | 6.6 |
| – Hyundai | 348,928 | 402,085 | -13.2 |
| BMW Group | 744,572 | 717,899 | 3.7 |
| – BMW | 603,722 | 594,938 | 1.5 |
| – MINI | 140,850 | 122,961 | 14.5 |
| Toyota Group | 705,004 | 701,559 | 0.5 |
| – Toyota | 650,075 | 643,327 | 1.0 |
| – Lexus | 54,929 | 58,232 | -5.7 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 519,630 | 500,902 | 3.7 |
| Geely Group⁵ | 343,875 | 300,284 | 14.5 |
| BYD | 283,997 | 121,033 | 134.6 |
| Ford | 277,269 | 327,025 | -15.2 |
| SAIC Motor | 272,251 | 226,393 | 20.3 |
| Chery Automobile⁶ | 260,650 | 73,237 | 255.9 |
| Tesla | 260,575 | 173,719 | 50.0 |
| Nissan | 205,387 | 229,402 | -10.5 |
| Suzuki | 132,684 | 133,251 | -0.4 |
| Mazda | 132,090 | 115,803 | 14.1 |
| Jaguar Land Rover Group | 99,116 | 99,470 | -0.4 |
| – Land Rover | 99,106 | 96,625 | 2.6 |
| – Jaguar | 10 | 2,845 | -99.6 |
| Leapmotor⁷ | 87,922 | 16,772 | 424.2 |
| Honda | 58,961 | 56,843 | 3.7 |
| Mitsubishi | 23,701 | 35,969 | -34.1 |
NOTES: Based on new vehicle registration data released by ACEA.
1 ACEA estimation based on total by market
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
7 Distributed by Leapmotor International, a jointly established, Stellantis-controlled company owned 51% by Stellantis and 49% by Leapmotor. Stellantis and Leapmotor’s combined EU + EFTA + UK market share is 15.3% in 1-9/2026.
Top Car Manufacturers in Europe in 2026 (Q1-Q3)
The Volkswagen Group underperformed during the first nine months of 2026. Sales were up 0.5% but market share slipped from 26.7% to 25.3%. VW brand alone lost a full percentage point of market share, with sales down 3.4%. Skoda was the only brand in the Volkswagen Group to gain market share thus far in 2026.
Stellantis sales increased 4.7% but underperformed the overall market. Peugeot sales were sharply weaker, but sales of Opel, Citroen, and especially Fiat, improved markedly.
The Renault Group had weaker sales and lost almost a percentage point of market share. Renault sales were higher, but Dacia struggled with sales down by almost a tenth.
Hyundai Group sales were slightly weaker with Kia selling well but Hyundai brand sales sharply lower.
BMW Group sales were below the market average, with Mini sales up by 14.5%.
The Toyota Group sales were flat, with Toyota slipping to the third-largest brand in Europe behind Skoda.
Chinese car brands registered strong growth in Europe in the first nine months of 2026, with BYD sales up 135% and Chery sales up 256%. Both outsold Tesla, which increased sales by 50%, and several well-established brands in Europe, including Nissan, Suzuki, and Mazda.