2010 new passenger vehicle registration statistics show Volkswagen remained the strongest automobile manufacturer and top car brand in Europe.
In 2010, Volkswagen easily remained Europe’s strongest car manufacturer and top-selling car brand. The French PSA Group was the second strongest carmaker in Europe in 2010, while Renault was the second strongest selling car brand in Europe. Renault, BMW, and Nissan were the only top-10 best-selling car manufacturers to increase the number of cars sold in a contracting European market in 2010.
According to the European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association (ACEA), a total of 13,785,698 new passenger vehicles were registered in 2010 in the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) countries. (ACEA figures exclude the small Malta and Cyprus markets.) Car sales in European countries in 2010 were down by 4.9% compared to 2009 figures.
List of the Top 20 Best-Selling Car Manufacturers in Europe in 2010
The top 20 best-selling automobile manufacturers in Europe in 2010 according to the ACEA were:
| • Manufacturer | Number of Cars Sold in 2010 | % Market Share | % Change from 2009 | |
| 1. Volkswagen Group (VW) | 2,936,832 | 21.3 | -4.2 | |
| 2. PSA Group | 1,844,063 | 13.4 | -2.3 | |
| 3. Renault Group | 1,410,263 | 10.2 | 4.6 | |
| 4. GM Group | 1,190,404 | 8.6 | -7.3 | |
| 5. Ford | 1,109,588 | 8 | -13.3 | |
| 6. Fiat Group | 1,041,287 | 7.6 | -17 | |
| 7. BMW Group | 750,379 | 5.4 | 6 | |
| 8. Daimler | 669,092 | 4.9 | -2.1 | |
| 9. Toyota Group | 600,314 | 4.4 | -16.3 | |
| 10. Nissan | 402,654 | 2.9 | 9.7 | |
| 11. Hyundai | 358,284 | 2.6 | 4.7 | |
| 12. Kia | 262,627 | 1.9 | 4.5 | |
| 13. Volvo | 230,307 | 1.7 | 12.6 | |
| 14. Suzuki | 195,458 | 1.4 | -21.7 | |
| 15. Honda | 187,408 | 1.4 | -23.4 | |
| 16. Mazda | 182,684 | 1.3 | -13.5 | |
| 17. Mitsubishi | 107,347 | 0.8 | 8.8 | |
| 18. Jaguar Land Rover | 94,035 | 0.7 | 9.2 | |
| 19. Chrysler | 36,874 | 0.3 | -26.8 | |
| 20. Others | 175,798 | 1.2 | 7.1 |
Top-10 Car Manufacturers in Europe in 2010
There were no changes in the car manufacturers represented on the list of top-10 best-selling carmakers in Europe in 2010 but the order changed somewhat. Volkswagen easily remained the strongest carmaker in Europe by far. Despite a decline in the number of cars sold, Volkswagen’s market share actually expanded by 0.2% to 21.3% of the new car market in Europe.
PSA (Peugeot and Citroen) remained the second largest car manufacturer in Europe in 2010. Renault performed well to gain almost a percentage market share and the third place on the list. Ford, last year’s third strongest carmaker, slipped to fifth – the change is in part due to the sale of Volvo. GM and Fiat similarly had a weak year.
BMW and Nissan had a good year during which both manufacturers gained around half a percentage market share. Sales for Daimler were flat – mostly due to weak Smart sales. Toyota slipped from seventh to ninth strongest manufacturer in Europe although Toyota continued to dominate the Japanese car market in 2010.
List of the Top 20 Best-Selling Car Brands in Europe in 2010
The top 20 best-selling automobile brands in Europe in 2010 according to the ACEA were:
| • Car Brand (Manufacturing Group) | Cars Sold in 2010 | % Market Share | % Change from 2009 | |
| 1. Volkswagen (VW) | 1,541,279 | 11.2 | -6.6 | |
| 2. Renault | 1,147,486 | 8.3 | 3.4 | |
| 3. Ford | 1,109,588 | 8 | -13.3 | |
| 4. Opel / Vauxhall (GM) | 1,006,832 | 7.3 | -5.5 | |
| 5. Peugeot (PSA) | 1,005,916 | 7.3 | -0.4 | |
| 6. Citroen (PSA) | 838,147 | 6.1 | -4.5 | |
| 7. Fiat | 825,376 | 6 | -18.8 | |
| 8. Audi (VW) | 623,536 | 4.5 | 1.7 | |
| 9. BMW | 609,196 | 4.4 | 6.5 | |
| 10. Mercedes (Daimler) | 586,146 | 4.3 | -0.1 | |
| 11. Toyota | 582,457 | 4.2 | -16.5 | |
| 12. Skoda (VW) | 468,034 | 3.4 | -3.2 | |
| 13. Nissan | 402,654 | 2.9 | 9.7 | |
| 14. Hyundai | 358,284 | 2.6 | 4.7 | |
| 15. Seat (VW) | 301,931 | 2.2 | -4.7 | |
| 16. Dacia (Renault) | 262,777 | 1.9 | 10.2 | |
| 17. Kia | 262,627 | 1.9 | 4.5 | |
| 18. Volvo | 230,307 | 1.7 | 12.6 | |
| 19. Suzuki | 195,458 | 1.4 | -21.7 | |
| 20. Honda | 187,408 | 1.4 | -23.4 |
Top Automobile Brands in Europe in 2010
Volkswagen easily remained the strongest car brand in Europe in 2010 despite a small contraction in sales and a loss in market share. Volkswagen suffered from the very weak German car market in 2010, although the Volkswagen Golf remained Europe’s favorite car in 2010 and the VW Polo selling very well throughout the continent, too.
Renault replaced Ford as the second strongest car brand in Europe in 2010. Fiat had a weak year and lost two positions and a percentage in market share to French car brands Peugeot and Citroen.
German premium car brand manufacturers had a relatively good year with BMW strongly increasing sales. Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz rounded out the top-ten list of best-selling car brands in Europe in 2010.
Toyota had a weak year in Europe in 2010 and slipped out of the top-10 list but remained the strongest Japanese car brand in Europe. Nissan had a relatively good year but both Suzuki and Honda saw sales slipping by over 20%. Mazda dropped out of the top-20 list to position 21.
Volvo, previously part of the Ford Group, had a strong 2010 and returned to the top-20 list. Dacia, part of Renault, further increased sales and gained three positions on the best-selling car brand list.
See also the listing of car sales in European countries in 2010 and detailed statistics for the German, British, and Swiss car markets.
