The Ford Kuga has long been a popular entity among European new vehicle shoppers, landing on the list of the best-selling such models on numerous occasions over the years. That success continued throughout the duration of 2024 as well, with the Kuga proving to be a top target for those in the market for a new vehicle across Europe. In fact, the plug-in hybrid version of the crossover closed out the year as the second best-selling PHEV in that region, and in general, the Ford Kuga was also once again among the overall top selling new models as well.
According to data from JATO Dynamics, the Ford Kuga ranked as the 29th best-selling new vehicle in Europe in 2024 after recording 105,143 sales, which is 15 percent fewer than 2023, but still good enough to rank among the best of this bunch, which was led by the Dacia Sandero and its 268,101 units sold. The Kuga was also bested by one of its lineup mates – the Puma – which ranked as the 17th best-selling car in Europe in 2024 after that model racked up 149,112 sales last year.
As for the overall European car market, it posted a 0.9 percent year-over-year increase with 12,909,741 units sold, but as JATO Dynamics points out, the automotive market in that region has shrunk by nearly 2.9 million units since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020. Ford has faced its own fair share of struggles in Europe as of late too, posting a 17 percent sales decrease compared to 2023 amid weak demand for its passenger vehicle and EVs, prompting it to focus more on its successful Ford Pro commercial business moving forward.
“Overall, when you consider the range of challenges facing Europe’s automotive industry, the results for 2024 are not overly negative,” said Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at JATO Dynamics. “However, you would expect any other industry to have shown significant signs of recovery by now, and there is very little evidence that the automotive industry will return to the pre-pandemic reality. The higher cost of vehicles, the rise of working from home, inflationary pressure on wages, and the emergence of new transportation solutions are among the reasons why Europeans have stopped buying brand new cars.”
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