Europe March sales by brand and model: MG, Polestar, Cupra report strong gains

MG Motor increased sales in Europe nearly 145 percent in March, helped by strong demand for the HS compact crossover.

Polestar also had a triple-digit percentage sales increases on demand for the Polestar 2.

Cupra, Tesla, Bentley, Kia, DS, Dacia and Porsche had double-digit sales percentage increases in an overall European market that was down by 19 percent.

Also among the 25 brands that recorded gains during the month were Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini and Honda, according to figures from market researcher Dataforce.

The semiconductor shortages and supply constraints caused by the war in Ukraine were the main reason for the region's sales decline.

Cupra rose 99 percent, boosted by sales of the Formentor compact SUV, the Volkswagen Group subsidiary's flagship model.

Tesla was up 75 percent, helped by strong demand for the Model 3 and Model Y, which were Europe's No. 1 and No. 2-selling EVs, respectively, in March.

Other brands that gained volume were Bentley (35 percent), Kia (32 percent), DS and Dacia (both 20 percent) and Porsche (14 percent).

Brands that recorded declines but still beat the market included Hyundai, Mazda, Lotus and Toyota.