The new-generation Toyota Yaris was a winner early in the year, becoming Europe’s best-selling car in January but it finished at No. 6 through November after chip shortages forced Toyota to prioritize other models in the second half including its newly launched Yaris Cross small SUV.
VW’s T-Roc small SUV passed the brand’s Polo small hatchback in the top 10 with sales up 20 percent to 168,256 to finish at No. 7.
The Fiat 500 had a good year in 2021, breaking into the top 10 to reach No. 9 with sales of 147,695 through November, up 36 percent. The long-running model added a new full-electric version in the year, which boosted sales.
Other top 10 finishers through November were the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa, at No. 8 with sales of 163,568, down 8 percent and the Renault Captur at No. 10, with sales of 145,505, down 8.2 percent.
Traditional strong-selling models that did badly were the Ford Focus and Fiesta, neither of which made the top 10 after Ford struggled with chip supply. Through November, Fiesta registrations fell 44 percent to 80,133 while Focus sales dropped 45 percent to 87,104.
Ford’s best-selling model was the Puma small SUV, which sold 122,529, up 17 percent.
The Skoda Octavia was another normally strong seller that finished outside the top 10 in the first 11 months with sales down 20 percent to 130,270. In 2020, it was No. 7.