Europe’s best-selling car barely visible in the Netherlands

Dacia Sandero best-selling car in Europe

The Dacia Sandero is Europe’s best-selling passenger car for the second year in a row. According to figures from Dataforce, the brand managed to sell more than 240,000 units throughout 2025. In addition, for the eighth year in a row, the Dacia Sandero has been the best-selling model to private individuals in Europe, or customers buying a car with their own money.

In the Netherlands, the Dacia Sandero plays only a minor role. In all of 2025, 1,636 new Sanderos were registered in our country. This puts it in 34th place in the ranking of best-selling cars in the Netherlands. The fact that the Dacia Sandero is not popular here is mainly due to the extreme tax regime, which has made new cars far too expensive, especially for private individuals.

With a retail price starting at 19,900 euros, the Dacia Sandero may be one of the cheapest new cars in the Netherlands, but for that money, individuals prefer to choose a (young) used car that is more spacious, more modern and/or more luxurious. By comparison, in Germany you can buy a new Dacia Sandero for as little as 12,790 euros.

Electric cars heavily outnumbered

Zooming in further on the best-selling cars in Europe in 2025, we also see that 100% electric cars still have a long way to go. According to Dataforce, although sales of new EVs increased by 30%, there is no electric car in the entire top 10. Europe’s best-selling EV, the Tesla Model Y with over 151,000 units by 2025, does not move beyond spot 15 in the rankings.

Also notable is the markedly different preference of Dutch car buyers compared to the rest of Europe. The Toyota Yaris and Toyota Yaris Cross are the only two models from Europe’s top 10 best-sellers that also show up in the Dutch top 10. And apart from the Tesla Model Y, four of the five best-selling cars in the Netherlands – the Skoda Elroq, Kia EV3, Kia Picanto and Toyota Aygo X – even fall outside the European top 25 best-selling models.

In short: European bestsellers are not automatically a hit in the Netherlands, where the market is heavily influenced by BPM, additional taxable income and attractive lease deals. More than half of all new cars sold in the Netherlands (388,000 in 2025) are leased cars.

READ ALSO: Tesla knocked off throne as most popular EV brand in Europe

Top 10 best-selling cars in Europe in 2025

1. Dacia Sandero
2. Renault Clio
3. Volkswagen T-Roc
4. Volkswagen Tiguan
5. Volkswagen Golf
6. Toyota Yaris Cross
7. Peugeot 208
8. Peugeot 2008
9. Dacia Duster
10. Toyota Yaris

For comparison, top 10 best-selling cars in the Netherlands in 2025

1. Skoda Elroq
2. Kia EV3
3. Tesla Model Y
4. Kia Picanto
5. Toyota Aygo X
6. Toyota Yaris Cross
7. Kia Niro
8. Tesla Model 3
9. Toyota Yaris
10. Volvo EX30