The 10 most popular diesels of the moment

In times when the Tesla Model Y is regularly the most popular car over a certain period of time and when one electric model after the new electric model flies past you, it is not surprising that the popularity of diesel cars has fallen enormously. What seems? The Top 10 most popular – or least unpopular – diesels is dominated by German models and commercial vehicles.

Most popular diesels January – July 2023

In the first seven months of this year, 323 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters were registered in the Netherlands. That relatively small number of newly registered units was enough to bombard the large commercial vehicle into the ‘most popular diesel’ of 2023. In second place we find the Mercedes-Benz B-class. The high rating of the B-class may be related to the role that the model plays in the Dutch police. Anyway: 210 B-classes with diesel engines have been registered. In third place we find another model from Mercedes-Benz: the Vito. In the first seven months of this year, 123 copies of that commercial vehicle version of the V-class were registered. The V-class is also in the top 10 and, despite only 26 registered units, was still good for fifth place. The Volkswagen Golf – which can no longer be ordered with a diesel engine since the beginning of this year – knows how to separate the Vito and the V-class and is in fourth place with 34 registrations.

The Golf is not the only diesel Volkswagen to secure a place in this top 10. In places six to eight we find three more Volkswagens with TDI machines. Two of these are a company car: the Transporter (24 units) and the Caddy (23 units). The Volkswagen Passat – still available with 2.0 TDI – manages to stay ahead of them, although the 25 copies that have been registered are certainly not impressive. The Ford Focus and Seat Leon – both no longer available with diesels – are consecutively in ninth and tenth place.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter: twice as high.

Most popular diesels January – July 2022

What did the Dutch diesel situation look like in the first seven months of last year? Otherwise, although the numbers remain low. The Ford Focus with self-ignition unit, which could still be ordered last year, was then good for second place in the top 10. The Sprinter, B-class and Vito were also in it, just like this year. Cars that are popular with both electric powertrains and petrol engines also scored a place in the top 10 in the diesel corner of the Netherlands last year. After all, the Peugeot 2008, Opel Corsa and Opel Mokka are all three in it.

The most common diesel cars in the Netherlands – Top 15

The Dutch fleet still has a total of 40,718 Volkswagens Polo with a diesel engine in the nose. This makes the Polo the most common diesel in the Netherlands. Big brother Golf follows in second place with 33,192 copies. The Volvo V40 – which was especially difficult to get as a D2 – closes the top 3 with 21,110 copies registered in the Netherlands.