Belgium Passenger Car Sales : 2025 (Jan-Aug)

Registrations were down 11% for August and -10% YTD.  That doesn't sound too good and it isn't as 2024 wasn't very good compared to better years.  

BMW became the best selling marque in 2021 and hasn't reliquished it since. The 11% for 2025 is its second best best ever market share (after 2024) in Belgium. VW is in second place, a brand that has had the lead on and off for many years.  

Mercedes-Benz moved up a place to third at the expense of Audi. The latter recently ended car manufacturing in the country which may have had a slight bearing on that. Tesla looks not too bad at 16th...until it's compared to last year's 10th ranking. With sales down 56% YTD, it's not going well. 

For the eight months so far Volvo was down 41% and Mazda dropped 58%. MINI was up 40%, Polestar improved its numbers by 37% and BYD gained 75% volume. Chinese brands haven't been that successful here so far and while some of their increases are impressive they are from a low level of sales in 2024.  

For the 2024 article, simply click on the link below:

By brand.

Data source: FEBIAC. Picture Source: BMW & MINI Belgium.

Belgium Passenger Car Sales : 2024

Registrations in December down 9% and the figure for the complete year is likewise down, 6%. BMW is in its fourth year as market leader and is in no mood to lose that position. Premium marques do well here so it should be of no surprise for one of their number to be at the top.

The leading four brands aren't moving around to any degree but below that, some volatility can be observed. Fifth to eighth all had gains in market share with Dacia and Volvo in particular doing well. Peugeot has not had a good year as is true of sibling brand Citroën. Ford and Opel are not doing well in Europe generally.   

Data source: FEBIAC.

Belgium / Netherlands Brand Comparison : 2023

Two of the lowest lying car markets in Europe are compared in a brand head to head. Market share is compared and a percentage figure favouring one country appears in that country's side of the charts. Some predictable outcomes and the odd surprise.

Overview: Belgian registrations in 2023 were 475,000 and the Netherlands 370,000 Belgium has more brands on its side because it excels in winning with many smaller brands. 

German brands: VW is big in both markets and has about the same penetration in both, with Belgium winning by fractions, literally. 

All German brands fall on the Belgian side of the ledger. German owned Škoda, smart and SEAT do better in the Netherlands.

UK Brands: They are much better supported in Belgium. Bentley and Rolls Royce are on the other side though. 

French Brands: Renault is just in the Netherlands but its budget brand with Peugeot and Citroën in Belgium.

Japanese brands: Definitely more popular in the Netherlands, especially Mitsubishi. Subaru, Lexus and Honda are on the other side but they are not big volume brands. 

The rest: The popular Hyundai and Kia makes are very much favored by the Dutch. Chinese brands are massively more sought after there as well. a is stronger in the UK. Volvo has strong links to both countries and is evenly split while Opel is a win for the Netherlands.  

Summary: Many brands are similar but with some extreme variances too. British brands are very much on the Belgian side while the Chinese are much more established in the Netherlands. 

Belgium Passenger Car Sales : 2023

Belgians love their cars so the last few years must have frustrated many with limited supplies. The restraints are now off and sales have taken off. December was up 5% and for the full year the figure is +30%. The 'Diff' column shows market share change. Nearly all brands actually increased sales.

BMW achieved its third year at the top of Belgian registrations. VW will have a challenge to change the situation. Audi came up to third, passing Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot in doing so. Volvo has done well so far and now entered the top ten list. 

Tesla isn't as successful here as many other comparable countries in Europe but is getting there. Land Rover is cracking on nicely as is Cupra. Chinese brands are slowly making their way up the chart but for now, are not having that much impact although MG has had a good year. 

Data source: Febiac. 

Belgium Brand Sales : 1964

Over the past five years, passenger car registrations had doubled as prosperity gained momentum. Ford Europe held the top position for the fourth consecutive year. It took nearly 18% of the market, well ahead of Opel.  

Most of the brands were European if one counts Ford's and GM's subsidiary brands from that region. One Asian brand squeaked in but it would be a lone effort until others started to arrive two to three years later.

Data source: Statbel. 

Belgium 1,000 Club : 1964

There were at least 37 models that exceeded 1,000 sales in 1964. I say "at least" because I couldn't get a model breakdown for Volvo which would have had representation here otherwise. Chevrolet may have too. 

The chart is rather colourful but they are broken down by where the brand originated. It's handy if you want to focus on a country of origin in particular. All the cars listed would have been made in Europe and there were no sales of Asian brands at all, a contrast with today. 

The data wasn't presented on a platter so some work was required in some cases to sort it out. That's not a criticism by any means, it's nice to have access to it at all. It's just occasionally a bit of estimating was used. 

I'll mention a few examples. The Ford Taunus had about 1,100 sales not differentiated between models so using data from surrounding years, I estimated how to allocate them. The NSU figure was just a total and I think only one model was available at the time so all sales went to the Prinz model. Škoda also had some unallocated units but likely for the 1000 model. 

Overall, an insight into a time when many of you were very young or not yet born. The model ranges were less extensive, the cars far less complicated and owning a car at all was still a relatively new experience for many. 

The pictures are at top the Renault 4, then the BMW 1500 and finally the Škoda 1000. In the last pic, an interesting way to flag down a passing motorist.  

Data source: Statbel. Pictures: Netcarshow.

Belgium Brand Sales : 1959

                                        Refining this information has had its challenges but overall an accurate portrayal of the situation back then in Belgium. For brands was surprisingly stable considering things were still settling down after an horrific conflict was still having an impact, albeit less so as each year passed.

                                          Trends were evident though. Passenger cars imported from the US dropped from 12,000 in 1955 to 5,375 in 1959 despite overall sales increasing. That was a drop from 15.4% to 5.3%. I assume that was due to European supply improving and since US manufacturing was not as disrupted, it inflated US penetration after WWII for a period of time. 

Over the same period, Geman brands increased from 33,600 to 45,275 (43% to 45% of the total). England went from 11,200 to 9,100 (14.4% to 9%). With a commonwealth of nations eager for cars, England had to balance the two with the ability to supply a challenge.

France increased strongly over this period, up from 16,800 to 32,300 units (21.7% to 32%). Peugeot and Simca increased the most of the leading French brands. Even so, Citroen was much stronger in Belgium than Peugeot was back then.

Of the other countries (mainly Sweden), sales went up over the five years being considered here from 1.8% to 3.9% and reached 3,900 units by 1959. In total sales went up from 77,800 in 1955 to 100,800 in 1959. That wasn't outstanding but solid nonetheless and the next five years would see registrations double. 

Data source: Statbel. Pics: netcarshow.com

Belgium Brand Sales : 1955

I've been scratching around Statbel and found some interesting historical data. So a big call out to them for making this available. It's not often older data is accessible. I have a lot more but I don't know how much statistical information on Belgium is of interest.  

As for the chart to the right, some obvious and predictable things are there but also things to surprise. I've shaded the USA in a different colour and they were more popular than I expected. Belgium wasn't protected like the larger European markets were at the time so that would have helped.

I'm not sure if supply was an issue for some brands as they rebuilt after the war and sourcing materials may have still been problematic even ten years after hostilities ceased. 

I did think of combining brands belonging to the same company but then thought seeing the brands separate would be more enlightening anyway. 

Ford Europe was one brand, sourcing cars from England, France and Germany. Opel and Vauxhall were both owned by GM but both brands were sold their products which were quite different. 

Some brands are now only found in history books (and blogs like this). DKW became Audi. Austin, Morris and several other English brands were merged and became MG Rover which was eventually killed off altogether. Shameful.

Enjoy the data. It took a while to assemble. The source seems to have total sales slightly higher than is generally found elsewhere. It could be down to what constitutes a passenger car or even if new cars imported privately are counted or not. 

The car above is the Ford Taunus, sourced from Germany. The name used from 1939 to 1994 and unusually covered two different sized models. The above is the smaller car which went from 1952-59.

Toyota Model Sales - Belgium : 1970-74

I always thought that Toyota came of age at the beginning of the 1970s. They may have already achieved that earlier but I think the series two 1970 Corolla (pictured right) was a huge step up on the first one in terms of styling at least. 

The fourth generation Corona of the same era was likewise a much better looking car in my eyes at least. Sales reflected greater acceptance around this time in Belgium. The 1000 (picture to the left) was a solid if not a spectacular performer.

Numbers gathered pace quickly from the brand's introduction in 1966. Most sales were for the Corolla several other models did reasonably well too. The Crown was very popular in 1970 but fell away sharply but other models more than made up for that. This was a successful five years for Toyota Belgium. 

Data source: Statbel.

Triumph Model Sales - Belgium : 1970-74

The Triumph brand was one I always liked. One model I really took a fancy to was the Dolomite Sprint, sporty yet not flashy. The 2500 was a class act and of premium quality. The range was eclectic with basic, premium and sports cars. Yet they all came together nicely.

In 1970, they were still selling quite well in Belgium but with the mainstream Herald range (above) and 1300 models coming to an end without replacement, the numbers fell dramatically. 

The 2000/2500 (above) was aging too and it likewise was without a replacement. The only bright spot, for now at least, was the Spitfire sports car (right). The GT6 was retired while the TR6 and Stag were selling in numbers one would expect. 

The new Dolomite was delayed due to industrial unrest (surprise, surprise) but registrations were already suggesting it wasn't going to make up for what was lost. Triumph was sadly heading the same way as many other British brands.

Data source: Statbel.

Simca Model Sales - Belgium : 1970-74

Simca was started by Fiat and its early cars were based on models from that company. Chrysler gradually took control and by this time here being considered was part of Chrysler Europe which included the former Rootes car company in the UK. 

Chrysler Europe wasn't successful but Simca was selling well in Belgium. The small hatchback 1100 was the most popular model by 1974, with the 1300/1500 medium/large sedan was consistent in volume. The small 1000 (picture above) was coming toward the end of its life and I presume the 1200 was a sports coupe which was in runout mode at this time.

The Chrysler-Simca 160/180/2L is listed here, although not a Simca product. It was mainly designed in the UK and built in France and then later in Spain. It was also the basis for the Centura model in Australia. European sales were affected by strong competition from more established manufacturers such as Ford and GM. 

Data source: Statbel.

Austin/Morris Model Sales - Belgium : 1970-74

Thanks to Statbel, I was able to piece together some data from years gone by. It's basically accurate although some of the entries needed deciphering so I believe I got it right. It doesn't quite line up with total figures I've seen elsewhere so that will come down to how they are counted.

The Mini was the main selling model which isn't surprising as it was assembled here. It exceeded 50% of the total each of the years below and sometimes well over that. 

The Allegro model arrived in 1974 so its sales impact in the country was still undetermined. It was assembled in Belgium (150,00 in total) and exported so high hopes were held for its success. It replaced the 1100/1300. 

Although the title says Austin and Morris, in 1973 the name Leyland was mostly - but not entirely - replacing them both in the data source. I don't know if that was simply how they were recording it or if it was reflected on logos on cars. Austin and Morris did duplicate models. Either way, sales were quite strong in Belgium.

Picture source and for all things BL (but too many ads) : AROnline.

Belgium Sales : 2022

Registrations for December were +21% but that wasn't enough to  stop 2022 ending on -4%. The '+/- diff' column below is for market share change.  

BMW showed that 2021 was no fluke by continuing at number one for the 2022. After that, it's fairly tight with VW, Peugeot, Mercedes and Audi in reasonably close proximity. Toyota is looking as a potential disrupter as it presses toward the top placings. Mitsubishi sales have ceased during the year.

For the month, BMW was the best selling brand with an increase of 86% on the corresponding month in 2021. The last time 10.4% share was bettered was a decade ago in 2012 when VW took 10.7%. 

Data source: FEBIAC.

Belgium Sales : 2021

Registrations for December were -32% and -11% YTD. The '+/-' column below is comparing market share variance for 2021 with 2020. That's a poorer result than others we have had up until now. The 383,000 sales are well shoer of the 550,000 of 2019. Still, Belgians can think of all the money they are saving. 

BMW has bumped VW aside as it took a strong lead at the top. In an even market that doesn't usually have any one brand exceed 10% of the total, BMW has just broken that barrier. Renault continues its policy on pulling back on volume while down the bottom of the list some new entrants are starting to make their mark. 

Point of interest: Traditionally, VW has been the top brand, but over the decades, Opel, Renault and Peugeot have had turns leading the way. Never has a premium done so before so this is new. 

BMW did recently state it was going to focus less on volume in the future. It will be interesting to see if that is carried out. For now, I have to say their chip supply seems pretty good.  

Data source: FEBIAC.

Belgium Premium Comparison: 2018-20

BMW took back lost ground from the previous year, now well ahead combined with MINI. Volvo didn't have a good year, Tesla and Lexus likewise. Land Rover clawed back some of the share it conceded in 2019. Polestar arrived but too early to see what impact that new brand will have.    

Data source: FEBIAC.

Belgium Car Sales : 2020

Belgium was only down 10% in December but the YTD figure was -21.5%, so things have improved but not enough to claw back lost sales. So we can't escape the fact that for the year registrations were still very much at a depressed level.

The list below shows who lifted their sales (green) and those that didn't (yellow). Some brands were close to positive territory such as BMW (-1%), which moved up to second place. Škoda (-3%) upped its ranking by five, Toyota (-7%) and Land Rover (-2%). Renault (-34%), Opel (-38%), Hyundai (-33%), Mazda (-42%) and Suzuki (-36%) were all lost ground substantially. 

Data source: Febiac.

Belgium Pick Up Sales : 2015-19

While not a huge class of vehicle in Belgium, it is certainly a growing one. In some countries, they are the best selling models but not in Europe and never will be. So which models do best here?

It really is a case of the Ford Ranger first, daylight second. Such is the gap between it and the chasing pack. The Amarok manages to edge a Japanese trio but you could throw a blanket over all four of them, such is the closeness of the registration figures.

	Belgium Pick-Up Sales
	Make	Model	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
	Ford	Ranger	2,154	2,124	2,010	1,782	1,186
	VW	Amarok	790	858	897	589	547
	Toyota	Hilux	773	789	841	844	885
	Nissan	Navara	770	870	1,033	914	409
	Mitsubishi	Triton	748	971	981	706	614
	Mercedes	X-Class	487	375	46	-	-
	Isuzu	D-Max	406	369	380	595	577
	Fiat	Fullback	86	161	253	106	-

For more on pick-ups, try these if you wish.

2019: Australia/New Zealand/South Africa 

2015-19: Belgium Denmark France Iceland Italy Sweden United Kingdom

Argentina Brazil Indonesia Thailand

2015: World Top 50

Belgium Premium Brand Comparison : 2017-19

The BMW Group does well here and Volvo having an assembly plant here probably creates some goodwill. Otherwise it's self-explanatory and uneventful so I guess those who are even bigger statistical nerds than myself will enjoy the data.

In the % column, the total row number is increase or decrease but for all the marques it represents market share.

Years			Brands/Year	2019	%	2018	%	2017	%
17	18	19	Total	165,528	0.1	165,427	-2.1	168,953	4.1
1	1	1	BMW Group	44,718	27.0	48,273	29.2	49,718	29.4
			BMW	36,643	22.1	40,072	24.2	42,188	25.0
			Mini	8,075	4.9	8,201	5.0	7,530	4.5
2	2	2	Mercedes	37,938	22.9	35,526	21.5	37,419	22.1
3	3	3	Audi	31,183	18.8	28,710	17.4	33,323	19.7
4	4	4	Volvo	21,302	12.9	20,155	12.2	18,024	10.7
5	5	5	JLR	7,934	4.8	10,231	6.2	9,169	5.4
			Land Rover	4,760	2.9	6,274	3.8	5,944	3.5
			Jaguar	3,174	1.9	3,957	2.4	3,225	1.9
9	9	6	Tesla	3,690	2.2	878	0.5	1,151	0.7
6	6	7	Porsche	2,754	1.7	3,222	1.9	3,450	2.0
7	7	8	Alfa Romeo	1,935	1.2	3,011	1.8	2,610	1.5
8	8	9	Lexus	1,479	0.9	1,468	0.9	1,656	1.0
11	10	10	Maserati	174	0.1	222	0.1	317	0.2
10	11	11	Infiniti	21	0.0	166	0.1	382	0.2
-	12	12	Cadillac	1	0.0	11	0.0

For the 2016-18 period, simply click here.
For the 2010-16 mega comparison, simply click here.
Data source: FEBIAC.
Picture source: NetCarShow.