According to foreign media reports, the shortage of chips has shaken the traditional ranking of Europe's best-selling models. In October, there was an unexpected winner on Europe's best-selling Top 10 list-the Peugeot 2008 small SUV, and Volkswagen Golf (Golf), long the best-selling Volkswagen Golf (Golf), fell out of the top 10, according to JATO Dynamics.
Car sales in Europe fell 29 per cent in October from a year earlier due to a shortage of chips, according to ACEA, the European automakers' association. The shortage of chips has also affected sales of best-selling models in Europe. In October, sales of nine of the 10 best-selling models in Europe fell compared with the same period last year. Among them, Opel / Vauxhall Corsa was the most affected, falling by more than 40%; sales of Renault Clio, Renault Captur and Fiat Panda fell nearly 1/3 from a year earlier.
Peugeot sold the crown with the smallest decline of 2008. Peugeot 2008 is a model launched in 2019, which can be equipped with internal combustion engine or pure electric transmission system. In October, Peugeot 2008 sold 18109 vehicles in Europe, just 877 fewer than in the same period last year.
Of the ten best-selling models in Europe in October, only the Fiat 500 saw an increase in sales compared with the same period last year. Sales of the all-electric New 500 have risen in Europe this year with the launch of the new Fiat 500. In October, Fiat sold 12555 vehicles, up 12% from a year earlier and ranked sixth.
At a time when there is a shortage of chips, carmakers are giving priority to higher-margin models that can reduce emissions, which means SUV, all-electric and plug-in hybrids could cost thousands more than hatchbacks and sedans of the same type.
In October, golf, which has long been the best-selling golf, fell out of the top 10. Volkswagen Golf sold just 11174 units in Europe that month, down 59 per cent from the same period last year. Golf is mainly made at Volkswagen's Wolfsburg plant, which faced a brief shutdown and slowed production because of chip shortages. A report in October showed that production at the Wolfsburg plant was at its lowest level since 1958. However, Volkswagen still has models on the list, and the Volkswagen mini SUV T-Roc ranked ninth with sales of 12116 vehicles, making it Volkswagen's best-selling model in Europe in October.
Although Volkswagen Golf fell out of Europe's best-selling model Top 10 in October, Volkswagen Golf still topped the list with cumulative sales of 186444 vehicles in the first 10 months of this year, down 18% from a year earlier, but 22000 more than Toyota's Yaris, which ranked second. Peugeot 2008 ranked fifth and Fiat 2008 ranked tenth.
