According to market research firm Dataforce, BMW and Renault emerged as the biggest winners in the European car market in March this year, while Chinese automakers also surpassed a 4% share in the European market for the first time.
Specifically, last month, BMW's brand sales in Europe increased by 8.2% year-on-year, reaching 77,912 units, rising from 6th place in the same period last year to 3rd place this year. Among them, sales of the BMW 1 Series surged by 13% year-on-year to 10,704 units.
Renault brand's new car sales increased by 5.9% year-on-year to 66,327 units, rising from 8th place in the same period last year to 5th place. Among them, sales of the Clio compact car soared by 28% month-on-month to 22,098 units, becoming the sixth best-selling model in Europe in March.
In contrast, Audi and Tesla performed poorly in March. Audi's sales decreased by 20.2% year-on-year to 63,688 units, dropping to 7th place, compared to 3rd place in March 2023. Tesla's sales plummeted by 36.2% year-on-year, falling from 10th place in March 2023 to 16th place.
In March, the total sales of Chinese automakers in the European market reached 57,400 units, exceeding last year's 53,871 units; their market share was 4.3%, up from 3.9% in the same period last year.
Among them, BYD was one of the winners, with sales skyrocketing from 430 units in March 2023 to 2,620 units last month; Xiaopeng Motors' sales increased from 11 units in the same period last year to 462 units. However, MG, a brand under SAIC Group, remained the best-selling Chinese brand in Europe, with sales in March increasing by 10% year-on-year to 25,642 units.
Additionally, 10 automakers including Chinese brands Omoda and Jikene, as well as Ineos Automotive, Lucid, and Mitsubishi, recorded triple-digit or higher percentage growth.
In terms of models, according to preliminary data from Dataforce, the Tesla Model Y became the best-selling model in Europe for the first time this year in March, but its sales experienced a 42% year-on-year decline. The Volkswagen Golf sold 25,423 units, ranking second and achieving a significant 45% year-on-year growth. Several years ago, the Volkswagen Golf consistently topped European sales charts. In January this year, Volkswagen announced a major redesign for the Golf to extend its lifecycle before transitioning to a pure electric system.
The Dacia Sandero ranked third in March sales, but it was the best-selling model in Europe in January and February this year. Looking at the first quarter, the Dacia Sandero remains the top-selling model in Europe.
Whether in March or the first quarter of this year, the MG ZS is the only Chinese brand model on the top 50 best-selling models list in Europe, and both its monthly and quarterly sales achieved triple-digit growth. Last month, the MG ZS ranked 27th in sales, just 68 units behind the 26th-ranked Toyota C-HR.
