Nederland Passenger Car Sales : 2026 (Jan-July)

Registrations were down 3% in July and down 4% YTD. The 2025 share figure below is for a full year.

A reduction in EV incentives hit the market early in the year but ev registrations have come back strongly as the year has progressed, influenced by higher fossil fuel prices. 

Kia leads Toyota but with reduced share but is maintaining a comfortable lead. on top of poor sales overall. VW and Škoda are experiencing a loss of their share as too Tesla and Ford. The Chinese are coming but still with plenty of work to do.

Data source: Bovag. Photo: Leapmotor (T03) & BYD (Seal U)

Netherlands Top 50 Models: 2025

Things are most variable here when it comes to car buying. Government incentives coming and going affect the car industry. A change in bijtelling, or a company car tax, is helping push up PHEV and BEV sales leading up to January 2026 when the change takes place.

Colour coding shows that European models are popular but not as much as many other European markets. Kia is a surprising top brand in the Netherlands. It has three models in the top ten. I do prefer them to Hyundai overall and they do here too.

Korean models have nine of the Top 50 and Japan only four which is unusual outside of Korea. The US does reasonably well with five models. China had one listed below.

Photo source: Škoda (Elroq) and Tesla (Model Y) Nederland.

Netherlands Passenger Car Sales : 2025

Registrations were up 3% in 2025 so very steady at 391,000. It was 1% up on the average for the last ten years! That's very consistent. Despite the total sales evenness, change with in the market can be extremely variable. 

Looking at the movement in the Ranking and +/- columns, things are fluid. Some of that may be down to periodic changes to incentives and perhaps a penchant for the new and interesting. 

Kia first went to the top in 2022 for a one off success, then returned in 2024. It has established an overwhelmingly strong case for remaining there for 2026. 

With the Netherlands encouraging electric cars, one may have expected more from some of them. Tesla is down at 10th after finishing 4th in 2024. Where are the Chinese brands that have put so much into electric cars? Well, they aren't proving as popular in the Netherlands as they could have, so far at least. 

For 2024 articles, simply click on the links below:

By brand.

Top 50 Models.

Data source; BOVAG. Photos: Kia & Skoda. 

Netherlands Top 50 : 2023-24

 

      The Tesla Y enjoyed its second year as the best selling model. With the Model 3 in fourth place, this is a happy hunting ground for the brand. 35% of cars sold in the Netherlands were electric. That electric cars are subsidised obviously helps and the size of the country must also encourage their adoption too. 

The subsides will apparently end in 2025 and that would most likely lead to a drop off in electric car sales. I question any product that relies on incentives because it cannot achieve much success based on natural market forces alone. Hybrids will no doubt remain popular.

The colour coding shows that Europe is the main supplier of cars but Asian offerings are also popular. 

Data source: Bovag.

Netherlands Passenger Car Sales : 2024

Registrations were up 40% in December and 3% for the complete year so a positive end to the year, pushing the market into a plus position for the year. Some of the shifts in sales and ranking are extreme. Volvo leaps into second place from tenth while VW slumps down to fifth from first place. Incentives may be part of the reason as new environmentally friendly models arrive they prosper. But there is more to it. Many in the Netherlands seem to want the latest. 

One new brand is Voyah from China which sells premium electric cars. It has 24 models sold here so far, the Dream and Free. Will they succeed? Hard to say but the premium market is a hard one to crack. I guess dreams are free although the dream may be about to end. Lotus is however having a good run.

Data source: Bovag.

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. 

Netherlands Top 50 Sales : 2023

The Tesla Y leads the way with a substantial lead now established and the Model 3 has raced up the charts. The Lynk & Co's 01 (picture below) is well positioned in 8th. Many of the issues holding up deliveries have been dealt with and stock is flowing. Colour coding is used to show the region a car brand is associated with. 

Data source: Bovag. Tesla pic: pzc.nl

Netherlands Passenger Car Sales : 2023

Sales were down 14% in December but the YTD result was an 18% uplift. Stock came through and back orders were met so the increase for the year was expected. Now that full stock levels are back to normal, the question is how will 2024 go?

The 'Diff' column below shows market share change, comparing 2023 with 2022. Most brands actually increased sales but those at the lower end of the increase lost market share. VW was top but the margin back to second was narrow so no complacency.

Kia's brief stay at the top came to an abrupt end but was close to another podium finish. Tesla had a good year although with its usual roller coaster ride. Land Rover got the stock required to sate pent up demand. 

Electric cars took 31% of the market thanks mainly to incentives. The large "Others" figure at the bottom of the list is probably mainly for small kei car like Brommobiels.

Data source: Bovag.

Netherlands Top 50 Sales By Model : 2022

Things tend to move around quite a bit in the Netherlands and these uncertain times only add to that. As for this year it was no different.

In the chart below, the colours show which region or country a brand is associated with. Asian brands are well reprsented at the higher end of the list. 

Peugeot had the best selling model with nearly 10,000 examples registered. The Kia Niro has been bumped into third place from first but at least another model from that company moved into second. The Lincoln... I mean Lynk & Co 01 must be some car to be in the top ten. 

Data source: Rai Bovag.

Netherlands Sales : 2022

Registrations for December were -12% and for the full year of 2022 -3%. Sales in the Netherlands dip at the end of the year and this one more so than 2021. The '+/- diff' column below is for market share change. 

Kia is now top and by a decent margin so a striking change. VW is pushed back to second and it was top from 2005 to 2021, displacing Opel all those seventeen years ago. Toyota and Peugeot are not far behind so there is potential for more change with no brand in clear control. That's often the case when no one reaches double digit market share.  

A large number of 'Others' may be tiny cars that are classed differently and not included in the data provided. New electric brands, particularly of Chinese origin are showing up and enjoying the incentives on offer.  

Data source: Rai Bovag.

Netherlands Top 50 Sales By Model : 2021

Kia is charging along in the Netherlands

With total registrations down 9%, there were always going to be more downs than ups. Added to that the usual volatility of the market, government incentives and supply issues, it was always going to be an interesting list. 

I colour coded the list to show where brands historically originated. From that we see brands with European heritage the main ones represented in the top 50 list. Ford is still quite a popular brand so it created a smattering of purple. Kia took top place with the Niro for the second consecutive year, not a common occurrence here. 

Point of interest: Over recent years I have noticed a new electric model arrives in the Netherlands and it is extremely popular and in the next year or two not at all. The Tesla 3 went from 7th to 40th. The Ford Mustang Mach-E is a new model that is immediately selling well. What about 2022? The VW ID.3 was 2nd (10,900 customers) in 2020 but barely made this list in 2021. The ID.4 is the new kid on the block. It seems those that lease cars jump models and also brands whenever a new model arrives. 

 Data source: Bovag.

Netherlands Sales : 2021

Registrations for December were -16% and -9% YTD. 2020 was poor and 2021 was even worse. The data below compares market share variance, not sales increase or decrease. So a brand would have to better than a -9% reduction in sales to get into market share positive territory in the '+/- Diff' column. Green shading shows which brands achieved that.

VW has a late flurry of registrations to hold onto the top spot, Kia of all brands the pretenders. Who would have thought that even a few years ago. VW has been the best selling brand since 2005 so a change would have been something of note. With supply issues still continuing, it's hard to predict anything with much certainty for 2022. 

Point of note: Lynk & Co is a Chinese brand owned by Geely, the same company that controls Volvo. It benefits by using the same architecture as Volvo. It offers membership in addition to ownership, which has proven to be a popular option. Registrations in the Netherlands have gone well in its first year of operation but it will be interesting to see if that initial surge will be sustained. 

 Data source: Bovag.

Netherlands Premium Comparison : 2018-20

The BMW Group is the most popular company in the premium segment. It was deposed in 2019 by a typical Tesla aberration but normal service has now resumed. Jaguar had a big hit in 2018 when the i-Pace was a new entrant in the fledgling electric premium arena but the market is quickly filling with competition. 

Brands like Alfa Romeo that are still ICE exclusive find markets that have incentives for the electric or hybrid car difficult to have much relevance in. If you don't react to such changes can soon be in serious trouble. I'm sure new owner Stellantis will accelerate that programme. Meanwhile the new electric marque Polestar hit the ground running. 

Data source: Bovag.

Netherlands Top 50 Models : 2020

The Kia Niro topped the sales by model in the Netherlands with just under 800 were sold in December. Second spot went to VW, who must have frantically shipped cars to sell before new tax rates apply in 2021. The ID.3 exceeded 6,000 units in December, nearly enough to be #1. 

The Hyundai Kona accounted for 4,500 sales in the last month, but it too couldn't reach the Niro's tally. While close to 4,000 Tesla 3s were registered in the last 31 days, it still feel from first to 7th. Jaguar sold just over half its annual total of i-Pace in December (400), it's YTD number of a shade under 800 meant that as far as this chart is concerned, it was well off the pace. 

Data source: Bovag.

Netherlands Car Sales : 2020

The Netherlands was -20% but up 3% In December. The final tally of 356,000 was the lowest since 1969 when just under 350,000 units were registered! That reflects the consistency of the Netherlands market but also highlights how even a stable country like this has been rocked by the pandemic.

About two-thirds of the last month's sales were electric cars compared with 20% for the full year. That was due to a change in tax liability for electric passenger cars starting January 2021. Models such as the VW ID.3 and 4, Tesla 3, Polestar 2 (pictured above) and Audi E-Tron all did very well in December.

Kia is a big winner, jumping from 8th to 2nd. Opel, Nissan and Mazda didn't do that well. Fiat, MG and Porsche all managed increases in these challenging times. Polstar (Volvo) and Aiways (Chinese brand) are two new electric brands to hit the market in 2020. 

Data source: Bovag.

Snapshot : Netherlands 2000

The Opel Astra was top in 2000

We go back in time to the beginning of the century. Below are sales by all the main brands, the 60 best selling models and a bonus section of the 18 best selling premium models. The data comes from various sources, none of which fully agree with each other. I decided to put Opel as a German brand as it started that way and the name reflects that.

Brands: European brands unsurprisingly figured strongly, German and French in particular. Fiat, SEAT and Volvo also acquitted themselves well. Chrysler was not going too bad with the Voyager and Neon models most popular.

Models: The Opel Astra led the way from the VW Golf and Ford Focus. Europe had 22 models of the 60 listed, German brands 16, the rest of  Europe 20, Japan provided 14 and both Korea and the USA 4 each.

Premium: This information is not included in the figures I've been mentioning above. All were from Europe and maybe a few were fortunate to be classified as premium.

Brand				Model
1	Opel	76,962	Europe	1	Opel	Astra	31,641
2	VW	71,097	Brands	2	VW	Golf	29,002
3	Renault	52,620	15	3	Ford	Focus	25,633
4	Ford	50,716	Models	4	Peugeot	206	22,489
5	Peugeot	45,524	22	5	Renault	Scénic	15,780
6	Toyota	29,896		6	VW	Passat	15,415
7	Fiat	25,157	Germany	7	Opel	Corsa	14,785
8	SEAT	21,221	Brands	8	VW	Polo	14,647
9	Citroën	19,568	6	9	Opel	Zafira	13,577
10	Mercedes	17,361	Models	10	Renault	Mégane	11,054
11	Volvo	17,203	16	11	Toyota	Yaris	10,767
12	Nissan	15,817		12	SEAT	Ibiza Cordóba	10,141
13	Mazda	15,628	Japan	13	Fiat	Pinto	10,030
14	Hyundai	14,659	Brands	14	Opel	Vectra	9,750
15	Suzuki	14,173	9	15	Peugeot	407 / 406	9,743
16	Daewoo	13,707	Models	16	Ford	Ka	9,282
17	BMW	12,857	14	17	BMW	3-Series	8,753
18	Mitsubishi	12,620		18	Volvo	80/70 Series	8,456
19	Audi	12,082	Korea	19	GM Korea	Matiz	8,212
20	Alfa Rom	8,117	Brands	20	Volvo	40/50 Series	8,208
21	Daihatsu	6,962	4	21	Peugeot	306	8,130
22	Škoda	5,494	Models	22	Ford	Mondeo	8,041
23	Honda	5,416	4	23	Fiat	Seicento	7,861
24	Chrysler	5,379		24	Renault	Clio	7,515
25	Kia	5,172	USA	25	Toyota	Avensis	6,912
26	MG Rover	4,450	Brands	26	Renault	Twingo	6,895
27	Saab	4,360	3	27	Hyundai	Atos	6,296
28	smart	2,842	Models	28	SEAT	León / Toledo	6,166
29	Lancia	2,835	4	29	Nissan	Almera	5,922
30	Subaru	2,365		30	Mercedes	C-Class	5,755
31	Land Rover	1,474		31	Citroën	Xsara Picasso	5,676
32	Jaguar	1,427		32	Renault	Laguna	5,626
33	GM US	815		33	Ford	Fiesta	5,589
34	Lexus	503		34	VW	Bora	5,312
35	Porsche	292		35	Audi	A4	5,087
36	Lada	177		36	Toyota	Corolla	5,059
37	Ssangyong	109		37	Alfa Rom	156	5,015
Premium				38	Hyundai	Accent/Excel	5,000
1	BMW	3-Series	8,753	39	Suzuki	Alto	4,992
2	Volvo	80/70	8,456	40	Citroën	Saxo	4,949
3	Volvo	40/50	8,208	41	Mitsubishi	Space Star	4,741
4	Mercedes	C-Class	5,755	42	Mazda	323	4,484
5	Audi	A4	5,087	43	Citroën	C4 / Xsara	4,310
6	Alfa Rom	156	5,015	44	Mitsubishi	Carisma	4,279
7	Mercedes	E-Class	4,007	45	Nissan	Micra	4,108
8	Mercedes	A-Class	3,585	46	Mercedes	E-Class	4,007
9	BMW	5-Series	3,162	47	Nissan	Primera	3,873
10	Saab	9-3	3,079	48	Mazda	Demio / 121	3,750
11	Audi	A3	2,868	49	VW	Lupo	3,644
12	Audi	A6	2,605	50	Mercedes	A-Class	3,585
13	Alfa Rom	146	2,385	51	Peugeot	106	3,584
14	Lancia	Lybra	1,862	52	SEAT	Arosa	3,523
15	MG Rover	75 / ZT	1,778	53	Škoda	Fabia / Felicia	3,499
16	Saab	9-5	1,281	54	Mazda	626	3,490
17	Mercedes	S-Class	1,091	55	Kia	Rio / Pride	3,478
18	Jaguar	S-Type	986	56	Opel	Agila	3,403
				57	Mazda	Premacy	3,368
				58	BMW	5-Series	3,162
				59	Saab	9-3	3,079
				60	Suzuki	Wagon R	2,996