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VW leads the EU new-car market as newcomers make their mark
The EU’s leading automotive brands and manufacturer groups performed strongly in March. But how is the rise of new entrants to the market diluting the shares of established carmakers? Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry examines the figures. The EU’s new-car market is starting to find its footing following a difficult start to the year. But as some established brands returned to growth in March, the volume from new entrants jumped considerably. The latest ACEA data reveals a market still dominated by traditional names, while also seeing volumes shared across more manufacturers. But which brands came out on top in March? VW returns to growth Volkswagen (VW) remained the EU’s best-selling brand in the month. The German carmaker secured 115,612 registrations in the month, giving it a 10% market share. The performance meant registrations increased by 2.2% year on year, the marque’s first improvement of 2026. While VW’s share of the EU total was commanding, it was also one percentage point (pp) down on March 2025. This symbolised the increasing competition in the bloc’s automotive market. Group stablemate Skoda kept its position as second-best-selling brand in March, thanks to 75,104 registrations. The carmaker has been the most consistent performer of the VW Group marques across the first quarter. It was the only one to see growth in each month. March represented its best volume of 2026, with a 21.2% increase year on year. This was enough for a 6.5% hold of the EU market. Renault had its strongest period of the year in terms of volumes. With 72,193 units, the 3.6% increase during March 2025 saw it jump to third. The carmaker secured 6.2% of the market, although this was a drop of 0.6pp. Toyota was the fourth-best-selling brand in the month, thanks to 70,638 deliveries. Volumes increased by 6.7% compared to the same point 12 months prior, while its 6.1% market share was down 0.3pp. Ending the month in fifth was BMW. The carmaker saw 67,102 deliveries in the month, an increase of 18.5%. This meant its market share increased, albeit by just 0.3pp, to 5.8%. A rise and fall market In total, 25 of the EU’s major brands saw volumes increase year on year. However, 13 marques suffered registration decreases in March. Peugeot was the highest-volume brand to record a decline. Despite leading the Stellantis Group in terms of deliveries, its 54,454 units was 10.6% down year on year. This meant its market share fell from 5.9% in March 2025 to 4.7% last month. Ford also struggled in March, recording its third volume drop of 2026. With 26,029 units, deliveries fell 14.5%. Meanwhile, both Alfa Romeo and Mitsubishi saw drops of 17.2% and 33%, respectively. BYD saw the greatest year-on-year registration growth. The Chinese brand delivered 21,158 units to customers across the EU, a 155.2% increase in volumes. This was enough for a 1.8% market share, up 1pp. It ended March as the 21st best-selling brand in the EU. Tesla also saw a jump in fortunes. In total, the carmaker recorded 36,868 deliveries, a rise of 101.9%. With a 3.2% market share, up 1.4pp, it placed 13th in the month. New entrants making gains The latest ACEA data covers the results of 38 carmakers, with some smaller-volume brands grouped together. However, according to Autovista24 analysis, there were 50,337 registrations in March that were not attributed to brands in the available data. This grouping likely includes marques such as Xpeng, Omoda and Jaecoo, as well as other new brands to the EU. These brands had a strong presence in the European electric vehicle (EV) market during February, according to the latest data from EV Volumes. This category is steadily increasing. Non-attributed registrations increased by 209.3% in March, based on Autovista24 calculations. This gave the grouping a 4.3% share of the market, up from just 1.6% a year prior. After three months of 2026, this grouping saw an increase of 65.3%, with 119,999 units delivered to EU customers. This was enough for 4.3% of the market, a rise of 1.6pp. With more brands entering the EU market, the increased competition is diluting the shares of more established carmakers. While many saw year-on-year increases in volumes, their market shares fell. As the popularity of these new entrants rises, increasing choice for buyers, it is likely that more share dilution will occur. Strong results in first quarter Across the first quarter of the year, VW was the leading brand in the EU, with 292,231 deliveries. However, this was a drop of 3.5% year-on-year. Yet the carmaker’s market share was 10.4%, down by 0.8pp, but still 3.6pp ahead of its nearest competitor. Jumping into second after its strong performance in March was Skoda. With 191,657 units, it saw volumes jump 16.9% in the first quarter. The carmaker overtook Toyota, which dropped third with 188,140 deliveries in the three-month period. Once again, BYD saw the greatest registration increase. Across the first three months of 2026, its EU volumes improved by 169.7%, as the Chinese carmaker found its stride. As it did in March, BYD took 1.8% of the market. It was followed by Tesla, which took second in terms of growth thanks to its strong March performance. Its volumes increased by 59.6% compared with the same period last year, as 57,792 units were delivered. The US brand therefore took a 2% share of the total EU market in the month. Ford’s struggles continued in the first quarter. Deliveries were down by 18.9%, as 67,068 units were registered. Dacia also posted a decline in the period, as its 115,418-unit tally was 18.7% down year on year. VW Group dominates in March Thanks to the performance of VW, Skoda and Audi, VW Group was the dominant manufacturing group in March. With 296,431 registrations, it saw volumes rise by 7.8%. It held 25.6% of the market in the month, although with increasing competition, this dropped by 1.1pp. The result was not helped by declines for the Cupra, SEAT and Porsche brands. However, the Group’s top three marques made up 82.9% of the German carmaker’s total, powering it to an improvement. Despite counting more brands under its umbrella, Stellantis was still some way off the top spot. Its 184,842-unit tally was up 6.8% compared to March 2025, while its 16% market share was down 0.8pp. The group’s volumes were not helped by the poor result for Peugeot, which made up 29.5% of Stellantis’ total deliveries in the month. This was slightly countered by Fiat, including Abarth, which saw volumes increase 26.7%, in another strong performance for the Italian marque. Citroën also helped, with an 18.3% increase, while registrations from Opel improved 22.9%. Renault Group experienced its first monthly improvement of the year, with registrations up 3.9%. For the first time in 2026, Renault, Dacia and Alpine all posted simultaneous growth. With Renault making up 57.7% of the group’s deliveries, its strong performance in March helped boost overall volumes. A difficult pattern for some The manufacturing group results for the first quarter mirrored those of March. VW Group led the way with 745,828 deliveries, up 2.5% compared to the same period of 2025. However, its market share fell by 0.4pp, to 26.4%. While the VW brand saw a decline, the combined totals of Skoda and Audi, making up 44.1% of the group’s total, were enough to keep the overall delivery volume positive. Stellantis was the second-biggest volume group after three months of the year, with 489,081 units, up 8.5%. While Peugeot struggled, with a 7.2% drop, Fiat, Citroën and Opel, making up 58% of volumes, were able to aid the group’s growth. While sitting in third, the rollercoaster results from Renault Group meant that its 286,296 registrations were down 8.4% year on year. Two of its marques saw losses after the first quarter of 2026 was complete, with Renault dropping 0.1%, while Dacia fell 18.7%. Only Alpine registered an increase, of 20.9%, but the brand made up just 0.8% of the group’s volume total.
