Volkswagen Sales Data, Trends & Analysis for the European Automotive Market
VW sales and market share in Europe have fluctuated in an upward trend in recent years. Sales peaked in 2015 at just over 1.7 million cars, only in 1999 did the brand sell this many cars in Europe. VW’s market share peaked at 12.83% in 2012 and has been sliding since, losing 2 percentage points as the overall market has grown faster than the German brand.
The Golf compact car is not only the brand’s best seller, but also traditionally the best selling car in Europe overall with sales fluctuating around half a million annual units. Even the success of the second generation Tiguan midsized crossover/SUV has been unable to really cannibalize sales from the Golf. Sales of the Tiguan jumped past 200,000 in 2017. The Polo subcompact was replaced by a new generation in late 2017 and should be able to get back above 300,000 annual sales again, despite some internal competition from the T-Roc subcompact crossover.
Volkswagen Europe Sales Figures & Recent Highlights
Besides the compact segment with the Golf, VW also dominates in the shrinking midsized car segment with the Passat and in the midsized MPV segment with the Touran and Golf Sportsvan. The Up! minicar adds another 100,000 sales annually, while the brand’s other models account for lower volumes. The Jetta compact sedan may be the VW’s best selling car in the United States, in Europe it sells at just a portion of Golf sales, even dropping below 10,000 annual sales in recent years. The Beetle may not even be replaced, a fate that also happened to the Eos convertible, Scirocco coupe and Phaeton limousine, all due to their low sales volumes. And even though the Sharan large MPV is also aging quickly, there have been no hints of a possible successor. The (Passat)CC was replaced in 2017 with the Arteon and a third generation Touareg large SUV hit showrooms in 2018. Its crossover line-up was then expanded to the lower end with the T-Roc and T-Cross.
Volkswagen sold 1,010,272 vehicles in Europe in 2022, down 1.73% from 2021. The company’s market share in Europe is 9.8%. Some other recent highlights include Volkswagen launching the all-new ID. Buzz electric van in Europe in 2022. The ID. Buzz is the company’s first fully electric van. Volkswagen also launched the all-new Taigo SUV in Europe in 2022. The Taigo is a small SUV that is based on the Polo hatchback. Volkswagen plans to launch a new electric SUV in Europe in 2023.
Volkswagen plans to electrify its entire lineup by 2035. The company also plans to introduce a new range of electric SUVs in Europe in the coming years. Volkswagen is the largest automaker in Europe, and it has been a major player in the region for many years. The company’s sales in Europe have been declining in recent years, but it is still the market leader.
Volkswagen Annual Sales, Growth and Market Share in Europe
Below we have a table that shows total Volkswagen sales volumes for the European automotive market, broken out by year. This data captures all Volkswagen vehicle sales for the entire European automotive market.
| Year | Sales | YOY Change | US Marketshare | Marketshare Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 995 | 0.00 | 37.18 | 0.00 |
| 1997 | 794,019 | 79,700.90 | 9.61 | -286.96 |
| 1998 | 841,251 | 5.95 | 8.88 | -8.17 |
| 1999 | 996,719 | 18.48 | 8.80 | -0.99 |
| 2000 | 945,082 | -5.18 | 8.07 | -8.96 |
| 2001 | 952,609 | 0.80 | 7.67 | -5.27 |
| 2002 | 909,219 | -4.55 | 7.27 | -5.52 |
| 2003 | 928,742 | 2.15 | 7.39 | 1.67 |
| 2004 | 963,813 | 3.78 | 6.91 | -6.97 |
| 2005 | 1,008,454 | 4.63 | 7.23 | 4.47 |
| 2006 | 1,119,725 | 11.03 | 8.12 | 10.93 |
| 2007 | 1,069,024 | -4.53 | 7.73 | -4.99 |
| 2008 | 985,497 | -7.81 | 7.65 | -1.13 |
| 2009 | 977,330 | -0.83 | 7.42 | -3.03 |
| 2010 | 975,940 | -0.14 | 7.72 | 3.79 |
| 2011 | 1,124,924 | 15.27 | 8.94 | 13.69 |
| 2012 | 1,109,126 | -1.40 | 9.78 | 8.61 |
| 2013 | 1,016,956 | -8.31 | 8.97 | -9.02 |
| 2014 | 1,019,829 | 0.28 | 8.46 | -6.02 |
| 2015 | 1,076,448 | 5.55 | 8.35 | -1.37 |
| 2016 | 1,124,000 | 4.42 | 8.12 | -2.86 |
| 2017 | 1,121,668 | -0.21 | 7.73 | -5.00 |
| 2018 | 1,217,520 | 8.55 | 8.50 | 9.05 |
| 2019 | 1,303,894 | 7.09 | 8.84 | 3.87 |
| 2020 | 1,028,213 | -21.14 | 9.17 | 3.56 |
| 2021 | 1,028,089 | -0.01 | 9.28 | 1.24 |
| 2022 | 1,010,272 | -1.73 | 9.83 | 5.56 |
Volkswagen Europe Annual Sales Units & Growth Chart
Below is a visual representation of Volkswagen Europe sales units over time. We have both the Volkswagen sales units and the market share in the European market. Click on the items in the legend to see each series by itself.
Volkswagen Europe Growth Rate & Market Share Chart
Below is the annual growth rate for the Volkswagen brand in Europe, shown against the Volkswagen’s marketshare changes in Europe. This gives you a good look into how Volkswagen has faired against the other brands in terms of absolute sales and effect on marketshare. Click on the items in the legend to see each series by itself.
The Best-Selling Volkswagen Cars & SUVs in Europe
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