Douglas A. Bolduc

The Tesla Model Y overtook the Dacia Sandero by a razor thin margin to finish the month of February as Europe's top-selling model.

Dacia and MG were big winners in France, where inflation is steering private car buyers toward less expensive models.

Twenty-three brands increased their February European sales by more than the market, which was up 12 percent, while 35 brands ended the second month of the year with volume gains.

The Dacia Sandero is poised to be Europe's No. 1 seller for the second consecutive month, if it can hold off Tesla's popular SUV.
 

Volkswagen Group continued its strong start to 2023, taking the top slot in 12 out of 21 European segments through February.

Moves by Germany, Italy and Eastern European nations to weaken the EU's proposed 2035 engine ban are "a deeply worrying and disappointing development," Volvo's Jim Rowan said.

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume sees no conflict between the sports-car maker's electric ramp-up and the push for e-fuels to be exempted from the EU's planned ban of internal combustion engines.

The new SUV above the Cayenne is part of Porsche's goal of delivering more than 80 percent of its new vehicles as full-electric models in 2030.

Continental tech boss Gilles Mabire has a unique way of explaining the difficulty of the industry's move to software-defined vehicles. "We are not climbing the Alps anymore. We are in the Himalayas."

Polestar Chief Financial Officer Johan Malmqvist said the company expects its 2023 gross profit to be in line with last year, adding that the automaker expects to increase global sales 60 percent to 80,000.

Toyota models appeared 56 times in the top 10 rankings of 30 European markets through 1 month. That is up from 54 placements after 12 months of 2022.

Volvo will add its third technology hub in a year as CEO Jim Rowan makes in-house software development a priority.

Volvo's decision to hire an industrial design expert as its global styling boss will be watched by other brands with interest -- and possibly apprehension.

Toyota is benefiting from a shift toward more fuel-efficient powertrains in Poland, where overall sales rose 21 percent in January.

Thierry Koskas, 58, will succeed Vincent Cobee, 54, who will leave the company. The changes take effect March 1.