Volkswagen Group started the year strong, taking the top slot in eight out of 10 key volume segments in January.
Brands from Europe's largest automaking group were also No. 1 in three out of 11 premium segments tracked by Automotive News Europe and market researcher Dataforce.
VW brand accounted for seven of the segment No. 1s, according to Dataforce's preliminary data, which represents about 93 percent of sales in the European Union plus ETFA countries and the UK.