The Renault Clio was the top-selling car model in France in 2013 while the VW Polo remained the favorite imported car model of the French.
The Renault Clio was again the most popular car model in France in 2013. The Peugeot 208 and Citroen C3 were also selling well in a still shrinking French passenger vehicle market. The Volkswagen Polo was the best-selling foreign-branded car model and the only non-French owned car model on the top-ten list of best-selling cars in France in 2013.
Top 20 Best-Selling Car Models in France in 2013 (Full Year)
The twenty most popular car models in France according to new passenger vehicle registration statistics released by the CCFA were as follows:
| Position 2013 | Position 2012 | Car Make & Model | Â Cars sold in 2013 |
| 1 | 1 | Renault Clio IV | Â 103’172 |
| 2 | 5 | Peugeot 208 | Â 90’484 |
| 3 | 3 | Citroen C3 II | Â 53’376 |
| 4 | New | Renault Scenic III | Â 50’968 |
| 5 | 2 | Renault Megane III | Â 43’070 |
| 6 | 16 | Dacia Sandero | Â 42’841 |
| 7 | New | Renault Captur | Â 39’629 |
| 8 | 8 | Volkswagen Polo | Â 39’068 |
| 9 | 10 | Renault Twingo II | Â 39’032 |
| 10 | 9 | Peugeot 3008 | Â 38’427 |
| 11 | 4 | Citroen C4 II | Â 36’244 |
| 12 | -11 | Volkswagen Golf VII | Â 35’148 |
| 13 | 19 | Toyota Yaris | Â 29’207 |
| 14 | 14 | Nissan Qashqai | Â 28’379 |
| 15 | New | Peugeot 2008 | Â 28’012 |
| 16 | 6 | Peugeot 207 / 206+ | Â 26’146 |
| 17 | 13 | Ford Fiesta | Â 26’118 |
| 18 | 12 | Dacia Duster | Â 25’879 |
| 19 | 7 | Peugeot 308 | Â 25’418 |
| 20 | 18 | Citroen DS3 | Â 23’484 |
Source: CCFA / AA Data
Best-Selling Car Models in France in 2013 (Full Year)
The Renault Clio IV remained the most popular car model in France in 2013. Although comfortably ahead of the competition, Renault sold 15,000 fewer Clios in France in 2013 than a year before and market share slipped from 6.3% to 5.8%.
In its first full year on the market, the Peugeot 208 took second place, up from 5th last year, and selling 24,000 cars more than in 2012. The Citroen C3 maintained third place.
Last year’s second most popular car model in France, the Renault Megane, slipped to 5th place this year, as Megane and Scenic sales are now listed separately. Other models such as the Citroen C3 and C4, similarly have their Picasso derivatives listed separately from 2013 onwards.
The Dacia Sandero improved ten places to sixth this year. Dacia, Renault’s budget brand mostly manufactured in Romania, saw sales grow by 11% in 2013 – the strongest improvement of any major car brand in France in 2013.
The Renault Captur, a new car launched during 2013, took 7th place this year. The VW Polo maintained its position as France’s favorite imported car model, although unit sales slipped by more than 10%.
The Renault Twingo improved one position at the expense of the Peugeot 3008 that slipped one place from a year ago.
The VW Golf VII, Europe’s favorite car model, was the 12th most popular car in France in 2013. The Golf would have been in 7th place if Golf VI sales were added.
Similarly, the Peugeot 308, which slipped from 7th last year to 19th would have been on the top-ten list if the new Peugeot 308 II sales were added. The 207 has now been largely replaced by the 208.
See also: Best-Selling Car Manufacturers and Brands in France in 2013.
