The Peugeot 208 was the biggest selling car model in Europe in 2022, writes Brian Byrne. Some 206,816 units were registered. The car toppled from the top spot the Volkswagen Golf (177,203) which had been the most popular vehicle in Europe since 2007. Also ahead of the Golf were Dacia’s Sandero (200,550), VW’s T-Roc (181,153) and Fiat’s 500 (179,863), according to the latest analysis released by motor industry consultants Jato Dynamics. Their report noted a third year of decline in overall sales across Europe, but a surge in sales within that for Chinese makers as well as Korea’s Hyundai-Kia and Japan’s Toyota. Tesla’s Model Y was Europe’s best-selling electric vehicle, much of it cannibalising sales from the brand’s own Model 3. The further drop in sales was caused by a combination of product availability and a loss of consumer confidence following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and related high economic inflation.