Dacia Sandero has been the best-selling car in Europe since 2024, report shows

Since 2024, Dacia Sandero has been the best-selling automobile in Europe, according to an analysis by the specialists of Romanian Economic Monitor (RoEM)-UBB FSEGA, a research project of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FSEGA) within Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB) in Cluj-Napoca. According to the report, Dacia and Ford, the other car manufacturer present in Romania, generate 9% of Romania’s annual exports.

According to final data, in 2024, approximately 268,000 units of Dacia Sandero were sold in Europe, and another model of the brand, Dacia Duster, returned to the top 10 of the best-selling models, occupying ninth place, with about 175,000 units delivered, after it had held the same place in 2022.

The most recent available data for 2025, for the period January–November, show that Sandero maintains its position as sales leader at the European level, while Duster also remains in the top 10.

Overall, Dacia surpassed the threshold of 10 million vehicles sold globally since the launch of the first Logan in 2004.

“Even if in Romania the popularity of the Dacia brand has always been high, due to the favorable price–quality ratio and the adequate technical level, the brand has meanwhile managed to consolidate a strong position also on the European market, winning the trust of a broad public,” said Levente Szász, vice-rector of UBB Cluj-Napoca, coordinator of the RoEM-UBB FSEGA team.

The first-generation Dacia Sandero was launched in 2008. In 2018, with the vastly improved second generation, it entered the top 10 best-selling cars in Europe in seventh position. At present, the model on the market is the third generation, placed in segment B of small-class passenger cars.

“The third generation continued this evolution, at the same time preserving one of the most important competitive advantages: the affordable price. This aspect has become increasingly relevant in recent years, seeing as in the last five years, the average price of automobiles in segment B increased by almost 22% in Europe,” explained Ottó Csiki, researcher of the RoEM-UBB FSEGA team.

Dacia is vital to the Romanian economy. The company ranks second among the largest companies in Romania, with sales of over EUR 5.5 billion in 2024, immediately after the leader of the ranking, OMW Petrom. It employs roughly 11,000 people and contributes to Romania’s exports.

Although most Sandero models are produced in the plant in Morocco, approximately two-thirds of Duster production is done in Mioveni, southern Romania.

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