In February 2023, Tesla Model Y recorded 18,446 registrations in Europe and narrowly overtook Dacia Sandero (18,431 units) and became the best-selling car on the Old Continent.

The top spot in the 28-country European ranking by Jato Dynamics isn’t a first for the Model Y, but it’s for the month of February, when fewer Teslas are typically registered. Indeed, just looking at the percentage growth of the Tesla Model Y compared to February 2022 (+173%) we note that deliveries have tripled compared to last year for the same period.

But as you know, Tesla deliveries are quite cyclical and vary greatly from month to month depending on production, deliveries and arrival by truck or ship.

Dacia Sandero is inferior to about fifteen units

The Dacia Sandero continues to be a hit with sales up 40% in February 2023 compared to the same period last year. This does not prevent her from narrowly losing the first place, which she returned in January 2023.

In third position we find another sales star in recent months, the Peugeot 208, registered at 16,180 units last month, an increase of 10%. Volkswagen T-Roc registrations also increased by +68% to 15,760 vehicles. The fourth place is occupied by a German SUV.

The Toyota Yaris Cross and Ford Focus, both up 54%, and the Nissan Qashqai (+68%) also rose in price. Volkswagen Golf (-11%), Peugeot 2008 (-6%), Citroën C3 (-14%) and Fiat Panda (-12%) recorded a slight decrease in the number of registrations.

European registration in February 2023

1. Tesla Model Y: 18,446 (+173%)
2. Dacia Sandero: 18,431 (+40%)
3. Peugeot 208: 16,180 (+10%)
4. Volkswagen T-Roc: 16,760 (+68%)
5. Opel/Vauxhall Corsa: 15,120 (+29%)
6. Toyota Yaris Cross: 14,772 (+54%)
7. Dacia Duster: 14,038 (+33%)
8. Fiat/Abarth 500: 13,542 (+35%)
9. Volkswagen Golf: 13,399 (-11%)
10. Skoda Octavia: 12,296 (+14%)
11. Toyota Yaris: 12,067 (+12%)
12. Renault Clio: 11,938 (+1%)
13. Peugeot 2008: 11,861 (-6%)
14. Hyundai Tucson: 11,342 (+2%)
15. Renault Captur: 11,102 (+5%)
16. Citroën C3: 11,057 (-14%)
17. Fiat Panda: 10,229 (-12%)
18. Ford Focus: 10,140 (+54%)
19. Kia Sportage: 9,974 (+34%)
20. Ford Puma: 9,973 (-5%)
21. Toyota C-HR: 9,822 (+22%)
22. Volkswagen Tiguan: 9,775 (+21%)
23. Nissan Qashqai: 9,494 (+68%)
24. Volkswagen T-Cross: 8,991 (+14%)
25. Peugeot 3008: 8752 (-23%)

Plug-in hybrids are losing ground

The increase in sales of electric vehicles in February 2023 (+33%), which was mainly driven by the markets of Germany, France, the UK and the Netherlands, contrasts with a further drop in the number of plug-in hybrid car registrationswhich fell by 5% compared to February 2022.

In the European ranking of the best-selling plug-in hybrid cars in February 2023, the Ford Kuga (+16%) leads, followed by the Volvo XC60 (+17%) and the Lynk & Co 01 with +136%.

1. Ford Kuga: 3396 (+16%)
2. Volvo XC60: 3123 (+27%)
3. Lynk & Co 01: 2623 (+136%)
4. Kia Sportage: 1971 (new)
5. Volvo XC40: 1704 (-34%)
6. BMW 3 Series: 1,686 (-44%)
7. Mazda CX-60: 1636 (new)
8. Hyundai Tucson: 1620 (-19%)
9. Mercedes C-Class: 1,618 (+222%)
10. Jeep Compass: 1,588 (-11%)