Europe sales by model, August: MG, Tesla, Ferrari, Lexus report big increases; Dacia Sandero No. 1-seller, Dacia Duster No. 4

MG, Tesla, Ferrari and Lexus had triple- or double-digit sales percentage increases in August while 11 other brands including Lamborghini, Suzuki, Bentley, Polestar and Rolls-Royce had volume gains in an overall European market that was down by 17 percent.

Among the 11 brands that beat the market were Toyota, DS Automobile, Kia, Dacia, Audi, Seat, Aston Martin and BMW, according to figures from market researcher JATO Dynamics.

The shortage of microchips was the primary reason for the region's sales decline.

MG increased sales 328 percent, helped by the arrival of the MG5 full-electric compact station wagon; Tesla was up 54 percent because of strong sales of the Model Y SUV; and Ferrari rose 23 percent, boosted by sales of the F8 supercar.

Other brands that recorded gains last month were Lexus (+17 percent), Lamborghini and Suzuki (both +13 percent), as well as Bentley and Mazda (both +12 percent), according to JATO.

Models that increased sales sharply in August included the Seat Mii full-electric minicar (+109 percent): Audi Q5 SUV (+101 percent), BMW X3 SUV (+58 percent) and the Land Rover Defender, which rose 50 percent to 904 sales.

The Dacia Sandero was Europe's No. 1 seller for the second consecutive month in August. In July the small hatchback ended the Volkswagen Golf's winning streak at four straight months.

The Sandero topped the Golf by 745 units thanks to a sales increase 9.4 percent in August, while the Golf's volume fell 36 percent during the month. In July, the Sandero outsold the Golf by just 197 units.

The Toyota Yaris finished August in third place, helped by a 15 percent sales increase. The Yaris was Europe's top-selling car in January.

The Dacia Duster small SUV was fourth thanks for a 3 percent sales gain, while the VW T-Roc small SUV rounded out the top five.

Four of the top 10-sellers for August finished with sales gains compared with the same month last year, including the Fiat 500 (+27 percent).

Along with the Golf, the models that lost sales in August were the T-Roc (-6.3 percent), Skoda Octavia (-29 percent), Toyota Corolla (-13 percent), VW Polo (-19 percent) and Renault Clio (-41 percent).

Through eight months, the Golf was Europe's No. 1 seller with a volume of 160,349, followed by the Yaris (146,049) and VW T-Roc (133,801). The Peugeot 208 was No. 4 (131,996) while the VW Tiguan rounded out the top five (130,727). The Sandero ranked sixth through August with a volume of 130,033.