Tesla Model Y's rebound stopped by Dacia Sandero in race for No. 1 in August sales

The Dacia Sandero is on track to be Europe's best-seller in August, which would give the small hatchback the top spot in monthly sales for the sixth time in the first eight months of this year.

Sandero sales rose 9.7 percent last month to 15,050, according to preliminary figures from market researcher Dataforce.

The Sandero was ahead of its closest competitor, the second-place Tesla Model Y, by nearly 1,800 sales, based on data representing 96 percent of sales in the European Union, the EFTA countries and the U.K.

The Model Y finished in the top two despite sales slipping 37 percent to 13,258 last month. It had a less dramatic decline of 16 percent in July but finished that month as Europe's No. 24-selling vehicle.

The Volkswagen T-Roc SUV was poised to finish the month in third place, down from second place in July, after its sales slipped 15 percent to 12,562.

The Toyota Yaris Cross small SUV and Renault Clio small hatchback rounded out the top five. Sales of the Yaris Cross rose 22 percent to 12,512 while Clio demand slipped 7.5 percent to 11,744.

There is a tight race going on for sixth place, with the VW Tiguan just 133 sales ahead of the Dacia Duster, according to Dataforce's preliminary figures.

An even tighter race is taking place between the VW Polo and Peugeot 208 small cars for the No. 8 slot, with the Polo just 120 sales ahead of its segment rival.

Just five of the top 15-selling vehicle last month had sales increases compared with August 2023 (joining the Sandero and the Yaris Cross were the Duster, +8.2 percent; Polo, +27 percent; and Kia Sportage, +11 percent).

8-month leaders

The Sandero leads the pack with eight-month sales of 183,183, followed by the VW Golf with 149,211 and the T-Roc in third place with 131,364 sales. The T-Roc extended its lead over the Clio in August to 2,788 from 1,936 in July, when the T-Roc passed the Clio to enter the top three, according to Dataforce's numbers.

Rounding out the top five was the Yaris Cross (130,278), which edged past the Peugeot 208, bumping it out of the top five.

The Model Y, which was last year's eight-month sales leader, finished the period in eight place. That was up from ninth place overall after seven months, according to Dataforce's figures.

VW brand had seven models in the top 50 in August, led by the T-Roc. A new VW entrant into the top 50 was the Passat midsize car at No. 49.

Skoda had six models in the top 50, led by the Octavia at No. 14. A new entrant for Skoda was the full-electric Enyaq at No. 36. Toyota had five models in the top 50.