New Clio knocks Golf off Europe’s top spot

Renault ’mini outsells VW’s icon – for one month, at least

THE Renault Clio became Europe’s bestselling car last month, knocking the Volkswagen Golf off the top spot, according to the latest European car registrations.

New versions of both cars have been launched recently, but the Clio has been available for longer than the new Golf. So some 24,914 Mk5 Clios were registered in February, while the Golf (a mix of Mk7.5 and Mk8) was narrowly behind, with 24,735.

Both nameplates saw an overall reduction in registrations last month, according to data from JATO Dynamics. There was a four per cent year-on-year drop in Clio registrations, while the Golf was down by 21 per cent over the last 12 months.

Other notable results in the monthly figures include a 10 per cent rise in sales for the Fiat Panda, pushing it up to fifth place, and the absence of any SUVs from the top 10 sellers. New models such as the Toyota Corolla and VW T-Cross also broke into the top 25 list for the first time.

Overall, it was another month of decline for the European car market. Registrations fell by seven per cent year on year, from 1,143,852 in February 2019 to 1,063,264 in February 2020. In fact, last month was the worst February for registrations since 2015, when 955,113 units were sold.

More positive news came in the uptake of electrified vehicles. EV registrations (made up of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and EV sales) doubled in France and Germany, where these vehicles now make up 14 per cent and 11 per cent respectively of the countries’ monthly car registration figures.

The UK has an EV penetration rate of 13 per cent – the second-highest of the five largest European car markets – but even France pales next to Norway, where 75 per cent of all new cars are fully electric.

“Latest Clio has been on the market for longer than new Golf, so the VW’s sales were narrowly behind ”