2013 (Full Year) France: Best-Selling Car Models

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.

Renault Clio at Geneva Auto Show 2013

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  Cars sold in 2013
1 1 Renault Clio IV  103’172
2 5 Peugeot 208  90’484
3 3 Citroen C3 II  53’376
4 New Renault Scenic III  50’968
5 2 Renault Megane III  43’070
6 16 Dacia Sandero  42’841
7 New Renault Captur  39’629
8 8 Volkswagen Polo  39’068
9 10 Renault Twingo II  39’032
10 9 Peugeot 3008  38’427
11 4 Citroen C4 II  36’244
12 -11 Volkswagen Golf VII  35’148
13 19 Toyota Yaris  29’207
14 14 Nissan Qashqai  28’379
15 New Peugeot 2008  28’012
16 6 Peugeot 207 / 206+  26’146
17 13 Ford Fiesta  26’118
18 12 Dacia Duster  25’879
19 7 Peugeot 308  25’418
20 18 Citroen DS3  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.

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.

About the author:

Henk Bekker

Henk Bekker is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience in online writing. His best-selling cars website has been reporting car sales statistics since 2008 with classic car auction prices focusing on the most expensive automobiles sold at public auctions in the past decade. He also owns the travel websites European-Traveler.com and Lake Geneva Switzerland. Henk holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School and an MSc in Finance from the University of London.