Dacia Sandero topples Volkswagen Golf
Long-time best-seller outsold in Europe by Romanian hatchback that could come to OzThe evergreen Volkswagen Golf was outsold in Europe last month by a model you might never have heard of – and it could come to Australia.
Renault-owned Romanian car-maker Dacia, which is readying itself for launch Down Under next year, edged out the perennial top-selling Volkswagen Golf with its new Dacia Sandero, which claimed top spot in Europe’s new-car sales charts for July.
It was the first time the Dacia Sandero, the third generation of which was launched late last year, has topped Europe’s monthly sales chart since it debuted in 2008.
It came in a month when European new-car sales fell by 24 per cent overall, following four months of growth, as the semi-conductor shortage and COVID-19 pandemic continues to effect the market.
According to Automotive News, Europe’s new-car market fell to 967,830 vehicles in July, compared to 1.27 million in July 2020.
The biggest sales declines were in France (-35%), the UK and Spain (both -30%), Germany (-25%) and Italy (-19%), while the brands that suffered most were Renault (-54%), Ford (-46%, Nissan (-37%), Peugeot (-34%) and Citroen (-31%).
And while Volkswagen – Europe’s biggest auto brand – was down 19 per cent and Dacia down only 16 per cent, budget brands like Hyundai and Suzuki lifted.
The VW ID.3 hatchback was Europe's top-selling electric car in July, while the Ford Kuga/Escape was the best-selling plug-in hybrid.
Small cars continue to reign supreme in Europe, where sales remain up 24 per cent for the first seven months of 2021, and where four of the top five best-selling new vehicles in July were hatchbacks.
Following the Sandero and Golf were the Toyota Yaris, Volkswagen Polo, Volkswagen T-Roc, Hyundai Tucson, Volkswagen T-Cross, Dacia Duster, Ford Puma and Peugeot 2008.
However, the Golf remained Europe’s top-selling new car in the first half of this year, out-selling the Peugeot 208, Yaris, Renault Clio, Opel/Vauxhall Corsa, T-Roc, 2008, Fiat 500, Sandero and Citroen C3.
Many of these models are no longer available in Australia, where former top-sellers like the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 have been overtaken by dual-cab 4x4 utes, and where Dacia will be launched in 2022 via Renault’s new independent Australian distributor, Ateco Automotive.
There’s no guarantee the Sandero – or its crossover sister model, the Sandero Stepway – will be sold here, where the new Dacia Duster compact SUV could be the brand’s core model, perhaps eventually assisted by the Duster Oroch ute.
The Dacia Sandero is a light-sized hatchback (think Mazda2) based on the same CMF platform that underpins the latest Renault Clio.
The Romanian-made hatch is available in Europe with a trio of three-cylinder petrol engines including 48kW 1.0-litre, 68kW 0.9-litre turbo and 75kW 0.9-litre dual-fuel LPG.
If Renault’s budget brand adopts the same market position it holds in Europe, the Sandero would be priced from well under $20,000 in Australia, where the Oroch ute could start from under $25K.
Top-selling models in Europe: July
Dacia Sandero
Volkswagen Golf
Toyota Yaris
Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen T-Roc
Hyundai Tucson
Volkswagen T-Cross
Dacia Duster
Ford Puma
Peugeot 2008
Top-selling models in Europe: June year to date
Volkswagen Golf
Peugeot 208
Toyota Yaris
Renault Clio
Opel/Vauxhall Corsa
Volkswagen T-Roc
Peugeot 2008
Fiat 500
Dacia Sandero
Citroen C3
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