The Motor1.com website has put together data on the best-selling cars in 2021, breaking them down by country.
The results highlight the differences in the preferences of motorists on a global level, but in general they confirm the trends of previous years. In fact it is no mystery that in North America, the best-selling vehicles are SUVs and pickups, while in Europe, perhaps thanks to the traffic in big cities smaller cars are preferred, such as sedans and compact crossovers.
While last year will be remembered as the “great chip crisis” that hit the market along with the pandemic, the markets of each nation have changed little in terms of car type preference.
The best-selling cars in Europe in 2021
The situation in Europe is interesting. In Germany, the first market in terms of sales, for a change, dominates Volkswagen Golf but it is also true that in the last 3 years it has lost a lot of market share. In fact, in 2021 it marks a 3.5% share of the total market, the worst result since 1980. Volkswagen can still be consoled, given that there are two other vehicles on the podium, namely the T-Roc and the Tiguan.
The second market in terms of numbers of cars sold is France, and in the country beyond the Alps, motorists have chosen “national” models. The first place is in fact occupied by Peugeot 208 that overthrows the Renault Clio which since 2004 has always been at the top of the rankings. The most striking result is recorded by the Dacia Sandero, third place, which saw sales up 44% compared to 2020.
In Italy, city cars dominate and the first three places are occupied by the same models that had excelled in 202o. On the top step is the Fiat Panda which dominated the country’s sales with 112,298 units, which earned it a market share of 7.6%. In second and third place are placed respectively Fiat 500 and the Lancia Ypsilon which together account for 13.8% of total new car sales in Italy.
Spaniards like crossovers. In fact, the first two places in the standings are occupied by the Seat Arona and the Hyundai Tucson, while it is a sedan, the Dacia Sandero, that takes the lowest step of the podium.
Change at the top, for 2021, among the best-selling cars in the UK. The first place, for the first time since 2009, sees the Vauxhall Corsa which broke the hegemony of Ford Fiesta which ranks second. In third place here for the first time Tesla Model 3, which in the UK boasts the highest number of sales within the 10 main car markets globally.
Ford dominates in the USA and Canada
Crossing the Atlantic Ocean, we discover that the Ford Serie F it is the preferred car in the United States with 726,004 units sold in 2021 (the total includes the F-150, F-250, F-350 and F-450 models). In second and third place again the many beloved pickups, or the Frame and Chevrolet Silverado. Together they have a market share of 11.9%. Note that the Ford Serie F was the best-selling car in Canada, chosen by 111,332 motorists.
Going down to South America and precisely to Brazil, which is the largest car market in Latin America, the first place is won by the Fiat Strada with 109,107 units, which are worth 5.5% of the total market. In second place two city cars, the Hyundai HB20 hatchback and the Fiat Argo.
All the results of the remaining countries where the survey was conducted are available at this link.