May sales figures: the best-selling car is absolutely no surprise

Electric Skoda Elroq at number one

With 1,093 new registrations, the compact SUV from the Czech Republic tops the sales list. In doing so, the Skoda Elroq leaves behind not only direct competitors such as the Kia EV3 (751 registrations), but also established models such as the Kia Picanto (800 registrations) and the Tesla Model Y. The fact that Skoda was going to score with the Elroq was clear for all to see. We even made a video about it:

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Kia remains most popular brand

So although Skoda delivers the month’s best-selling model, Kia as a brand remains as popular as ever. The South Korean brand also topped the brand rankings in May: one in 10 new cars sold had a Kia logo. Skoda follows closely in second, with Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo in its wake.  

Tesla sinks further

The position of Tesla is remarkable. The American brand delivered 1,057 new cars in the Netherlands in May – a respectable number on paper, but a 36 percent drop from May 2024. The once-dominant Model Y and Model 3 still manage to just keep up at the top of the EV segment, but are clearly feeling the pressure of younger competition. Brands such as Skoda, Kia and Volvo are firmly moving up and snatching market share.  

Most newcomers are hybrid

Also extremely popular: hybrid cars. Nearly six in 10 new cars in May had a hybrid powertrain. Fully electric models are also gaining ground, accounting for about 35 percent of the market. Classic gasoline engines continue to decline in share, still accounting for only 14 percent of new sales. Diesel and LPG are now negligible niches.

Car sales recover, but remain below level

Growth in May is welcome news after a rough start to the year. Still, there is no full recovery yet. A total of 148,610 new cars were registered in the first five months of 2025. That is still about 6 percent less than the same period last year. Which cars depreciate the least, read below:

Also read: Top 10: cars that depreciate the least according to ANWB