Dacia Sandero leads Portugal’s car sales in August as Mercedes-Benz surges

Dacia Sandero was Portugal’s best-selling car in August, with 511 registrations, although two Mercedes-Benz models made the biggest impression among the top 10.

The GLC recorded growth of 113.6%, reaching 282 units, while the CLA surged by 155.8% to 220 units. Both models have recently received new generations or updates, which helps explain their sharp increases.

Their results are even more notable in the year-to-date rankings, where the two models currently sit in 34th and 28th place respectively.

In a month when Portugal’s passenger car market expanded by 8.4% to 14,086 units, the Sandero took first place after its sales rose by 6.5%.

Citroën C3 followed with 435 units, marking a substantial 55.9% increase compared with August last year. The Dacia Duster completed the podium, with growth of 1.6%.

The Renault Clio ranked fourth, registering 302 units and an 8.6% rise, helping Renault Group secure the lead in August. The Toyota Yaris Cross rounded off the top five despite a 3% decline.

Mercedes-Benz and other strong performers

In addition to the two Mercedes-Benz models, several others also stood out for their sales growth. The Citroën C3 Aircross climbed by 83.8% to 204 units, while the Toyota Yaris rose by 75.7% to 267 units.

The Peugeot 208 also delivered a positive result, with sales increasing by 23.5% to 289 units. That was still not enough to secure a podium place. However, it remains second among Portugal’s best-selling models in the year-to-date standings.

Other highlights from Portugal’s car market

The list of Portugal’s 50 best-selling models in August points to a clear trend: electric cars are gaining ground, while combustion-only models are losing space. Last month, electric vehicles accounted for 36.1% of the market, while petrol and Diesel cars represented 16.5%. In total, 5,079 electric cars were registered in August, 65.2% more than in the same month last year.

One of the clearest examples of this shift can be found within BMW’s own range. The BMW iX1 posted growth of 192.4%, with 193 units registered, while the BMW X1, in its combustion-engined version, saw sales fall by 44% to just 163 units.

Hybrids (full and mild-hybrid) accounted for 20.2% of the market, while plug-in hybrids represented 17.5%. However, hybrid car registrations remained broadly stable (0.4%), whereas plug-in hybrid sales fell by 9.1%.

Outside the top 10, the CUPRA Formentor (+153.1%), Dacia Bigster (+154.2%) and SEAT Arona (+165%) also delivered notable performances. The BYD Atto 2 DM-i entered the market at the beginning of this year, but has been a regular presence among the best-selling models in recent months, including August.

Among the steepest declines, the Tesla Model 3 dropped by 99.4%, with only one unit sold. It was followed by the MG ZS (-70.4%) and Volkswagen T-Cross (-60.2%). Nevertheless, the Tesla Model Y recorded 96% growth, with 147 units registered.