A whopping 790,177 cars were sold in Europe last month, representing a 5-percent increase compared to the same month in 2024. Volkswagen sold 14,639 units of its T-Roc SUV, making it the best-selling car in Europe for the month and one of the most popular cars of the year so far.
This figure reflects a 14-percent increase for the outgoing generation of the T-Roc, just as the new model debuted at the end of August. Meanwhile, its closest competitors—the Dacia Sandero and Toyota Yaris Cross, ranked second and third, respectively—saw declines compared to August 2024.
Following the Volkswagen T-Roc, the Dacia Sandero (13,834 registrations, down 11 percent) and the Toyota Yaris Cross (12,201, down 8 percent) secured second and third place, respectively, on the list of best-selling cars in Europe in August 2025.
The Volkswagen Tiguan followed closely behind in fourth with 12,094 units sold, marking a 23-percent increase compared to August 2024. In contrast, the Renault Clio slipped to fifth place with 12,091 registrations—possibly impacted by anticipation for the new generation that debuted at the 2025 Munich Motor Show. The rest of the top 10, compiled by JATO Dynamics, includes the Hyundai Tucson in sixth, followed by the Dacia Duster, Toyota Yaris, Opel Corsa, and Volkswagen Golf. Here's the full list:
| Model | Sales (August 2025) | Year-Over-Year Change |
| Volkswagen T-Roc | 14,693 | +14% |
| Dacia Sandero | 13,834 | -11% |
| Toyota Yaris Cross | 12,201 | -8% |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 12,094 | +23% |
| Renault Clio | 12,091 | -1% |
| Hyundai Tucson | 11,350 | +28% |
| Dacia Duster | 9,813 | -16% |
| Toyota Yaris | 9,666 | -6% |
| Opel Corsa | 9,585 | +2% |
| Volkswagen Golf | 9,444 | -2% |
China's European Growth
Chinese car brands made significant gains in Europe in August, with total sales exceeding 43,500 units—a 121-percent increase compared to the same month in 2024. This surge allowed Chinese manufacturers to surpass well-established brands such as Audi (41,300 units) and Renault (37,800).
It's worth noting that around 40 different Chinese brands are currently active in the European market. However, the top five—MG, BYD, Jaecoo, Omoda, and Leapmotor—accounted for 84 percent of all Chinese-branded vehicle registrations.
On a brand-by-brand basis, MG has overtaken both Tesla and Fiat, while BYD has moved ahead of Suzuki and Jeep. Meanwhile, emerging names like Jaecoo and Omoda are outperforming several established brands, including Alfa Romeo and Mitsubishi.
Among the major automotive groups, BMW (+11.4%), Renault (+7.8%), and Volkswagen (+4.8%) posted solid growth in August. Hyundai (+3.3%) and Stellantis (+2.2%) also performed well.
However, none matched the explosive growth of Chinese manufacturers. SAIC Motor—the parent company of MG—posted a 44.5% increase, while BYD nearly tripled its year-over-year sales with a staggering 215.7% gain.
In contrast, several major brands saw declines. Toyota slipped by 1.5%, Ford by 1.4%, and Volvo experienced a sharp drop of 21.2%. Most notably, Tesla sales fell by 22.5% in August, highlighting the growing competitive pressure in the EV market. Here's how each of those groups fared last month:
| Group | Sales (August 2025) | % Change Vs August 2024 | Market Share (August 2025) |
| Volkswagen Group | 219,048 | +4.8% | 27.7% |
| Stellantis | 106,078 | +2.2% | 13.4% |
| Renault Group | 75,328 | +7.8% | 9.5% |
| Hyundai Group | 68,923 | +3.3% | 8.7% |
| BMW Group | 61,402 | +11.4% | 7.8% |
| Toyota Group | 59,677 | -1.5% | 7.5% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 44,225 | +1.4% | 5.6% |
| Ford | 25,930 | -1.4% | 3.3% |
| Volvo | 16,101 | -21.2% | 2.0% |
| SAIC Motor | 16,000 | +44.5% | 2.0% |
Electric Vehicles On the Rise
Even with electric car sales down in the US, EVs continued their upward trend in Europe in August 2025, recording a 27-percent year-over-year increase with 159,756 new registrations. The Tesla Model Y remained the best-selling EV model, despite a 37 percent decline in sales to 8,330 units.
However, Tesla has lost its lead in overall battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations. In August, Tesla recorded 14,753 registrations, while Volkswagen took the top spot with 16,523 units sold.
