Europe August 2017: Mercedes #2, Octavia on podium, Sandero in Top 5

Mercedes is the #2 brand in Europe in August and the GLC is up to a record 22nd place.

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New car sales in Europe (27 markets excluding Russia and Turkey) are up 5.4% year-on-year in August to 899.272 units, lifting the year-to-date total up 4.2% to 10.517.629 sales. Traditionally the weakest month of the year in the midst of Summer, European sales are biased towards Germany which accounts for 28% of total sales vs. 22% year-to-date, while France (106.976), Italy (83.806) and the UK (76.433) are well below their monthly average. Lithuania (+34.3%), Latvia (+25.8%), Hungary (+23.9%), Greece (+23.1%), Poland (+21.8%) and Italy (+15.4%) are the most dynamic markets this month while the Czech Republic (-0.3%), Luxembourg (-0.9%), Romania (-3.3%), the UK (-6.4%), Belgium (-8.1%), Denmark (-12.2%) and Ireland (-21%) are the only ones in negative.

First ever European podium ranking for the Skoda Octavia.

In the brands ranking, Volkswagen leads but drops 3.8%, but the hero of the month is Mercedes, up 11.1% to a record 2nd place overall, beating its previous best of #4 established a year ago in August 2016. This fantastic score places Mercedes above Renault (+12.3%), Opel (-0.2%) and Ford (-5.6%) while Audi (+6.4%) and BMW (+6.8%) are 10.000 units below. It also reinforces Mercedes’ European #1 premium spot year-to-date at 605.515 units (+11.1%) vs. 558.247 (+0.6%) for Audi and 538.997 (+2.1%) for BMW. Skoda (+15.7%) and Toyota (+15.4%) post the largest year-on-year gains in the Tip 10. Below, Dacia (+21%) surges to #12, the brand’s best-ever ranking in Europe, beating its previous best of #14 first hit in August 2014. Dacia outsells Hyundai, Citroen and Nissan, the latter up 17.6%. Notice also Suzuki (+28.9%), Volvo (+29.3%), Alfa Romeo (+43.2%), Abarth (+65.3%), MG (+82.8%), Aston Martin (+100%) and Lada (+141.2%) all posting spectacular gains.

Model-wise, the VW Golf (+4.5%) and Renault Clio (+36%) remain the two best-selling nameplates on the continent, but for the second month running the Top 10 is the theatre of a couple of record-breaking performances. Firstly, the Skoda Octavia beats its previous best of #4 established just last month and steps up to the European podium for the very first time in the nameplate’s 22 year-career in third place overall thanks to sales up 13.2% year-on-year to 15.857. This is the first time in history a Skoda manages to rank on the European podium. Below, the VW Tiguan is back up 8 spots on July to equal its best ranking at #4, also reached last April.

The Dacia Sandero breaks into the European Top 5 for the first time in history. 

Finally, after breaking into the European Top 10 for the very first time last May and lifting that record to #7 last month, the Dacia Sandero completes the perfect Summer season by breaking into the European Top 5 for the first time in August and landing at #5 thanks to deliveries up 24.2% to 13.828 units, sanctioning a pole position in Spain and third place in France. Even more impressive: the Sandero ranks 2nd in its segment below only the Renault Clio but above such traditional blockbusters as the VW Polo (#6), Opel Corsa (#8), Peugeot 208 (#9) and the Ford Fiesta lost in oblivion at #33. The Toyota Yaris (+17.8%) manages a second consecutive month in the Top 10 (a first) and the Mercedes GLC signs its first Top 40, Top 30 and Top 25 European ranking by soaring 127.2% to #22 – sanctioning a record 6th place at home in Germany. The Opel Mokka (+20.7%), Fiat 500 (+24.6%), Renault Scenic (+41%), Fiat Tipo (+52.1%), Citroen C3 (+77.9%), Volvo XC60 (+86.6%) and Peugeot 3008 (+208.7%) also post spectacular gains.

Previous post: Europe July 2016: Discover the Top 340 models and Top 57 brands

Previous month: Europe July 2017: Octavia, Sandero and Yaris break ranking records

One year ago: Europe August 2016: VW Tiguan breaks into Top 10 for the first time

Full August 2017 Top 50 brands and models below.