People tend to fall into the trap of assuming crossovers reign supreme. Although these vehicles are a dominant force in the United States, cars are still a hot commodity globally. For those who haven't been bitten by the SUV bug, there's still an excellent variety of regular cars. Well, assuming you don’t live in the US…
Sales figures through the first half of 2024 prove my point. In Europe, only three crossovers made it into the top 10 best-selling vehicles through June. In fact, the podium was occupied exclusively by cars. According to JATO Dynamics, the Dacia Sandero came in first with 143,596 units, followed by the Volkswagen Golf with 126,993 units and the Renault Clio with 114,623 units. The VW T-Roc is the highest-ranked SUV, finishing in fourth place, slightly ahead of the Peugeot 208.
| Model | Units Sold | YoY |
| 1. Dacia Sandero | 143,596 | +16% |
| 2. Volkswagen Golf | 126,993 | +43% |
| 3. Renault Clio | 114,623 | +15% |
| 4. Volkswagen T-Roc | 111,381 | 0% |
| 5. Peugeot 208 | 107,097 | +1% |
| 6. Skoda Octavia | 102,945 | +25% |
| 7. Citroen C3 | 102,304 | +25% |
| 8. Tesla Model Y | 101,181 | -26% |
| 9. Toyota Yaris Cross | 99,694 | +3% |
| 10. Toyota Yaris | 93,576 | +10% |
| 11. Peugeot 2008 | 93,436 | +11% |
| 12. Dacia Duster | 89,435 | +3% |
| 13. Kia Sportage | 87,164 | +13% |
| 14. Opel / Vauxhall Corsa | 87,102 | -18% |
| 15. Ford Puma | 83,972 | +9% |
| 16. Nissan Qashqai | 82,816 | +13% |
| 17. Hyundai Tucson | 80,948 | -2% |
| 18. Renault Captur | 80,778 | +4% |
| 19. Fiat Panda | 76,450 | +25% |
| 20. Volkswagen Tiguan | 74,675 | 0% |
| 21. Fiat / Abarth 500 | 72,026 | -20% |
| 22. Toyota Corolla | 70,701 | +15% |
| 23. Audi A3 | 70,149 | +15% |
| 24. Volkswagen Polo | 67,125 | +3% |
| 25. Volkswagen T-Cross | 62,225 | +8% |
Not only are many cars up double digits but just look at the variety of models. But one notable model is missing from the top 25. Yes, the Fiesta, which Ford inexplicably killed last year. The Focus will be gone as well in 2025. The two models follow the demise of the Mondeo (Fusion in the US) a few years ago.
Of course, there's more to the world than just the European continent. China is the biggest car market in the world, and a sedan was the most popular model in H1 2024. At the risk of boring you with sales figures compiled by the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the BYD Qin Plus sedan came ahead of the Tesla Model Y and the BYD Song Plus crossovers. The BYD Seagull hatchback finished fourth. The Nissan Sylphy and VW Lavida sedans were fifth and sixth, respectively.
In India, industry figures show that three out of the five most popular nameplates in early 2024 were cars. The Maruti Wagon R and Baleno hatchbacks finished second and third, followed by the Maruti Dzire sedan in fourth place. The Tata Punch was the leader through June.
And I didn't cherry-pick these regions to prove my point. China and India are the most populous countries in the world while Europe is a massive automotive hub. Beyond sales figures, let's not ignore the fact companies still offer a rich mix of cars. The reality is that only a handful of crossovers and SUVs have fully replaced the cars on which they’re based.
Even in an SUV-hungry market such as the US, the Toyota Camry, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are in the top 10 this year. It's hard to believe people will fall out of love with these no-nonsense cars, and the same goes for models not available in North America.
The reality is that only a handful of crossovers and SUVs have fully replaced the cars on which they’re based.
A world without the Golf or the Clio is not a world I want to live in. Even though I've never been a Ford fan, seeing the Blue Oval's car lineup being wiped out hasn't been easy. Most of the other brands have realized there will always be customers shopping for a traditional body style, be it a sedan, hatchback, wagon, or minivan. SUVs might continue to eat into car sales but as things stand, the car in its many shapes is still going strong.
I'm fortunate to be living in Europe where there are plenty of cars to choose from across virtually all segments of the market. We have everything from tiny hatchbacks like the Hyundai i10 and Fiat Panda to big wagons such as the Skoda Superb or Volkswagen Passat. Business is business, and automakers wouldn't hesitate to kill these models if they weren't making money.
That's not to say we haven't lost some noteworthy cars in recent years. Aside from the Fords I mentioned, the Grim Reaper has also taken plenty of two-door cars. In a short timeframe, Audi has phased out the TT, R8, A5/S5/RS5 Coupe, and A5/S5/RS5 Convertible. The A4 Sedan is dead, and so will the A1 after the current generation runs its course. Mercedes killed the SLC and AMG GT convertibles and merged the C-Class Coupe/Convertible with the E-Class Coupe/Convertible to create the CLE duo.
America is losing the Chrysler 300, Subaru Legacy, and Chevrolet Malibu while Europe waved goodbye to the adorable Honda E and the oddball BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo. The Volkswagen Arteon is still sold in some parts of the world, strictly as a wagon, but it too will die in 2026.
Considering decades of continuous growth, it's safe to say crossovers and SUVs are not a fad. Sales are still strong and automakers continue to offer a multitude of models. But it would be wrong to assume cars are on their way out.
