The popular Romanian-built hatchback Dacia Sandero is no longer the best-selling car in Europe. According to the latest registration data, the Renault Clio claimed the top spot on the continent during January, marking a strong start to the year for the French brand.
In the first month of the year, the Clio recorded 14,660 registrations across Europe. That represents a 12.2% increase compared with the same period last year, creating it the only model among the ten best-selling cars to post growth during the month.
The Clio’s lead was extremely narrow. Just 54 units behind was the Volkswagen T-Roc, which finished January with 14,606 registrations despite a 5.8% decline compared with 2025.
Third place went to the Peugeot 208. The French supermini recorded 14,513 sales during the month, though that represented a 13.8% drop year over year.
Just behind those leaders came the Volkswagen Golf, which finished fourth with 14,377 registrations. The Golf saw one of the larger declines in the top ten, falling 18.2% compared with January of the previous year.
Fifth place went to the long-running Fiat Panda with 14,122 units sold. Despite its age, the Panda continues to perform consistently across several European markets.
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Renault Clio – 14,660 (+12.2%)
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Volkswagen T-Roc – 14,606 (−5.8%)
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Peugeot 208 – 14,513 (−13.8%)
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Volkswagen Golf – 14,377 (−18.2%)
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Fiat Panda – 14,122 (−0.4%)
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Volkswagen Tiguan – 14,020 (−18.6%)
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Toyota Yaris Cross – 13,246 (−10.9%)
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Opel Corsa – 12,951 (−6.5%)
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Skoda Octavia – 12,405 (−9.0%)
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Toyota Yaris – 12,338 (−0.9%)
One notable trconclude in the ranking is that every model except the Clio recorded declining sales compared with January 2025.
The modify at the top of the rankings reflects a difficult start to the year for Dacia. Both of the brand’s key models experienced sharp declines in early 2026.
Sales of the Dacia Sandero dropped 44.7% year over year, while the Dacia Duster fell 40.9%. The declines are significant becautilize both models have been major contributors to the brand’s recent success across European markets.
Market analysts often point out that sales swings early in the year can be influenced by production cycles, model updates, and delivery timing, which means the ranking could modify again in the coming months.
In the fully electric segment, the surprise leader for January was the Skoda Elroq. The model recorded 8,426 sales, creating it the best-selling battery electric vehicle in Europe for the month.
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