The Twingo E-Tech is shaping up to be another neo-retro smash hit for Renault.

It’s another satisfying month for new car sales in France, now up 11.6% year-on-year in September to 156,629 units. This way, the year-to-date tally is up 4.1% to 1,234,952. Enthusiasm needs to be contained however as 2025 was the worst in 50 years in France. Hurt by extravagant prices, petrol sales sink -39.2% to 16,389 and 10.5% share vs. 19.2% a year ago and 25.9% in September 2024. Diesel sales implode -61.8% to just 2,412 and 1.5% share vs. 4.5% last year and 5.8% in 2024, HEVs drop -7.8% to 57,248 and 36.6% share vs. 44.2% a year ago and 38.2% in 2024 and PHEVs gain 10.8% to 10,101 and 6.5% share, unchained on September 2025 and vs. 7.3% in 2024. Finally the event of the month is once again the EV surge. New electric vehicles found 65,243 buyers in France in September, up an extravagant 108.1% year-on-year for a record 41.7% share vs. 22.3% a year ago which was a record at the time. Year-to-date EV sales are up 78.8% to 387,345 and 31.4% share vs. 18.3% at the same stage a year ago.

The Tesla Model Y is the best-selling vehicle in France for the second month running.

Looking at the brands ranking, Renault (+22.4%) posts a splendid score to 18.4% share vs. 17.2% year-to-date, helped by a wave of successful neo-retro EVs as we’ll see further down. Peugeot (+1.5%) fares much worse at #2 with just 12.2% share vs. 13.1% so far this year. Citroen (+21.2%) is also in excellent shape and reclaims the third spot overall off Dacia (-14.4%) in great difficulty. Tesla (+61.9%) is the best performer in the Top 10 and climbs two spots on July to a record 5th place with over 9.000 sales and 5.8% share. This is a new ranking record for the American carmaker (previous best #6 in March and December 2023) but not a volume record (9,572 in December 2023) nor a share record (6.1% in November 2023). As a result Toyota (-4.6%) and Volkswagen (-10.3%) are pushed down to #6 and #7 respectively. Meanwhile BYD is estimated to grow 270% YoY to a record #11 also reached last June with Kia (+62.2%) and Fiat (+52.1%) also very healthy. Newcomer Jaecoo continues to progress, up to #18 with 1.6% share.

The Renault 5 sees its sales double year-on-year in September.

Over in the models charts, the Tesla Model Y (+68.9%) manages the huge feat of repeating at #1 for the month with an improved 5.2% share. It distances the Peugeot 208 (+15.8%) at 5% and the Citroen C3 (+27.1%) at 4%. The Renault Clio VI, almost one year after appearing on French roads, is still way off its expected level at #4 with 3.6% share, its best performance so far being 4% last March and having not managed better than #3 (in March, April and June). It’s a surprise as I spotted many of them in the streets during my 2.5 months stay in the country. Adding 5th generation volumes would place the Clio nameplate at a paltry #3 with 4% share. The Renault 5 (+105.9%) continues to impress in 5th place while the Dacia Sandero (+2.2%) falls to #6. The second event of the month is the record 7th place of the Renault Twingo IV with 3.2% share, only 236 sales below the 5 and shaping up to be yet another EV success for the French carmaker. The Renault Scenic V (+92.5%) lodges a third straight Top 10 finish at #10 while the new Jaecoo J5 breaks into the Top 25 at #25 (+6) and the Jaecoo 7 is up to #34 (+6).

Complete brands and models data will be uploaded to this article when made available to us.

Previous month: France August 2026: BEVs up to record 38.3% share, Tesla Model Y overall best-seller

One year ago: France September 2025: BEVs at 22.3% share, Renault 4 (finally) into Top 50

Full September 2026 Top 25 brands and Top 50 models below.

France September 2026 – brands:

PosBrandSep-26%/25Aug2026%/25PosFY251Renault   28,84418.4%+ 22.4%1212,51217.2%+ 3.3%112Peugeot  19,15312.2%+ 1.5%2161,29413.1%– 5.2%223Citroen  11,8977.6%+ 21.2%493,9267.6%+ 9.5%444Dacia  10,3986.6%– 14.4%396,4047.8%– 10.8%335Tesla9,0385.8%+ 61.9%745,1993.7%+ 124.4%7186Toyota8,1665.2%– 4.6%577,0606.2%– 4.7%567Volkswagen8,0525.1%– 10.3%676,1786.2%– 3.3%658Skoda  4,9743.2%+ 7.5%839,3453.2%+ 9.3%989BMW  4,5482.9%+ 7.6%942,1033.4%– 1.5%8710Mercedes  4,1342.6%– 4.9%1130,0392.4%– 1.0%111111BYD (est)3,8482.5%+ 270.0%1322,5421.8%+ 155.6%182412Kia  3,5742.3%+ 62.2%1025,9552.1%+ 6.9%131313Audi  3,5632.3%– 19.7%1532,9362.7%– 1.6%10914MG (est)3,4152.2%– 8.0%1425,1702.0%+ 20.9%151415Hyundai3,3012.1%+ 1.9%1626,8862.2%– 14.6%121016Fiat  2,7671.8%+ 52.1%1224,1372.0%+ 67.9%162017Ford  2,7331.7%– 10.9%1823,0661.9%– 18.5%171218Jaecoo2,5751.6%new209,6180.8%new246219Opel  2,2821.5%– 19.9%1725,6892.1%+ 1.5%141520Mini2,1961.4%– 24.8%1918,5131.5%– 0.1%191721Nissan  1,8691.2%– 6.3%2118,3121.5%– 5.9%201622Suzuki1,7921.1%+ 0.3%2314,1341.1%– 2.9%222123Volvo1,4660.9%+ 26.4%278,9130.7%+ 15.9%262524Cupra1,4420.9%– 23.2%2214,4851.2%– 9.9%211925DS9410.6%– 28.2%259,6950.8%– 12.9%2323

France September 2026 – models:

PosModelSep-26%/25Aug2026%/25PosFY251Tesla Model Y8,1835.2%+ 68.9%137,8413.1%+ 141.5%5152Peugeot 2087,8605.0%+ 15.8%256,5154.6%+ 3.7%123Citroen C36,2274.0%+ 27.1%342,3743.4%+ 1.0%344Renault Clio VI5,6183.6%new638,6933.1%new41415Renault 55,2243.3%+ 105.9%731,9962.6%+ 47.2%776Dacia Sandero5,2123.3%+ 2.2%446,4893.8%– 5.6%237Renault Twingo IV4,9883.2%new1214,4791.2%new193448Peugeot 20084,1912.7%+ 21.2%537,6993.1%– 8.1%659Peugeot 30083,1842.0%– 6.7%826,5062.1%– 14.6%8610Renault Scenic V2,7381.7%+ 92.5%1020,5221.7%+ 89.1%152211Dacia Duster III2,6251.7%– 17.1%1122,4321.8%– 25.4%10912Citroen C3 Aircross II2,5711.6%+ 36.7%1322,9171.9%+ 121.6%91813Renault Captur2,3701.5%– 27.0%3022,1231.8%– 22.6%11814Toyota Yaris2,3381.5%– 14.0%921,8951.8%– 6.3%121015Renault Symbioz2,2141.4%– 8.9%2419,6001.6%– 17.2%171216Toyota Yaris Cross2,1701.4%– 1.3%1621,4641.7%– 11.8%141117Citroen C5 Aircross II2,0291.3%+ 292.5%2615,7111.3%+ 1795.2%189918Peugeot 3081,9091.2%– 38.1%1719,8221.6%– 14.5%161319Renault Austral1,5671.0%+ 6.9%4912,4501.0%– 14.6%241620Hyundai Kona1,5461.0%+ 88.3%2310,7520.9%+ 18.6%273721VW Polo1,4730.9%– 27.5%3514,3841.2%– 11.2%201422Skoda Elroq1,4570.9%+ 52.7%1410,3190.8%+ 114.4%305823Peugeot 5008 III1,4280.9%+ 5.2%2113,9671.1%+ 3.5%211724VW ID.41,4140.9%+ 135.3%1510,4720.8%+ 169.1%297225Jaecoo 51,4080.9%new314,8320.4%new71 –26BYD Atto 21,3390.9%+ 2025.4%417,4480.6%+ 1551.4%4720027Ford Puma1,2560.8%– 12.0%489,5710.8%– 22.3%341928Renault Megane E-Tech1,2540.8%+ 81.0%2010,5520.9%+ 82.7%285029Kia EV21,2520.8%new283,9310.3%new86 –30VW T-Roc II1,2050.8%new3312,4931.0%new2315931Dacia Bigster1,1980.8%– 40.7%2512,6341.0%+ 12.8%222132Mini Hatch1,1850.8%– 11.8%199,6320.8%+ 2.3%333533Renault 41,1800.8%+ 27.3%637,9840.6%+ 187.1%386434Jaecoo 71,1670.7%new404,7860.4%new7237335Suzuki Swift1,0790.7%+ 3.2%538,3430.7%– 12.2%373636Mercedes CLA1,0360.7%+ 179.2%626,5120.5%+ 233.6%5111237BMW X11,0230.7%+ 126.3%518,4480.7%+ 7.6%364038Toyota C-HR II1,0100.6%– 19.3%1812,3201.0%+ 15.9%252939Kia EV49530.6%+ 337.2%395,7210.5%+ 2524.3%6120240MG 39490.6%– 13.9%507,4790.6%+ 11.6%454241Dacia Jogger9170.6%– 12.1%428,8090.7%– 24.8%352842Mercedes GLC8970.6%+ 49.3%454,1710.3%+ 25.0%857743Fiat Grande Panda8900.6%– 1.2%476,1350.5%+ 115.4%578344Opel Corsa8700.6%– 15.8%2711,1200.9%– 11.1%262645Tesla Model 38550.5%+ 15.9%677,2780.6%+ 65.6%487346Ford Kuga8280.5%– 17.9%666,4840.5%– 28.6%523847Nissan Qashqai8270.5%– 24.0%589,6430.8%+ 6.8%323048Skoda Fabia8050.5%– 19.9%447,6420.6%– 12.5%424149VW Tiguan III8040.5%– 35.5%557,4840.6%– 33.4%442450VW Golf8000.5%– 18.3%347,8110.6%– 11.3%4032

Source: PFA