These 10 vehicles were the best-selling this year

Chinese manufacturers are arriving, e-mobility is finally becoming affordable, and new electric vehicle premieres are generating excitement at the IAA Mobility – these were the major headlines of the automotive year 2025. However, German car buyers remained largely unimpressed, as a look at the registration figures from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) reveals.

Not a single purely electric model, nor any from a Chinese manufacturer, appears in the top 10 best-selling vehicles up to and including November. The Volkswagen Group remains the dominant force in the German automotive market. Six of the ten best-selling models are manufactured by brands within the VW Group. GQ presents an overview of the most popular cars of 2025.

#10: Mercedes GLC

Mercedes-Benz has a significant year ahead, as the brand will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026. The Stuttgart-based company is already feeling the positive momentum this year thanks to strong sales figures for its GLC SUV . With 33,685 units sold, the vehicle ranked 10th among the most popular models in Germany. Registrations could increase further next year, when the new electric GLC with EQ technology (range: up to 713 kilometers) will be launched, having made its public debut at the IAA Mobility show in Munich. Prices for the new GLC start at €67,717.

#9: BMW 5 Series

Perhaps no other brand has pushed for technological openness in the debate about the future of vehicle propulsion as much as BMW. This is also reflected in the sales figures. The eighth generation of the BMW 5 Series – with 33,720 sales, it ranks ninth among best-selling cars in Germany – is available as a mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and the electric i5 model. Prices for the BMW 5 Series mild hybrid gasoline engine with 153 kW (208 hp) start at €59,300. The all-electric variant (250 kW/340 hp, range: 627 kilometers) costs at least €70,200.

#8: Seat Leon

Since 1999, the Spanish VW Group brand Seat has been producing the Leon compact car. The model shares its technical platform with the VW Golf. The car enjoys great popularity in Germany. In the first eleven months of 2025, 35,469 car buyers opted for the Leon, which is now in its fourth generation. This places it eighth in the ranking of the most popular cars of the year. The base Style trim level, with an 85 kW (116 hp) engine , costs €28,530 and includes features such as a leather steering wheel, fog lights, and 16- inch alloy wheels.

#7: Škoda Octavia

Next year, the Škoda Octavia will celebrate its 30th anniversary. Just like the Seat Leon, the Octavia shares its technology with the VW Golf. And indeed, the Octavia is as important to Škoda as the Golf is to VW. It's the Czech brand's best-selling car. It's also the most popular Škoda model in Germany. The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) recorded 41,305 new Octavia registrations by the end of November, placing the model seventh in the ranking of best-selling cars in Germany. The sedan is available from €29,140, ​​while the Octavia Combi starts at €29,840.

#6: VW Passat

The VW Passat is a classic on the German car market. The model has been in production since 1973. The ninth generation, available since 2024, is expected to be the last. The car is now only offered as the Variant station wagon. The Passat, particularly popular with company car drivers, is slated to be replaced by the all-electric ID.7, but that's not yet the case. The Passat starts at €42,540, equipped with a mild-hybrid drive and 110 kW (150 hp).

#5: BMW X1

The second BMW model and the second SUV on the list of the year's most sought-after cars is the BMW X1. This compact SUV has been part of the Munich-based manufacturer's product portfolio since 2009 and is now in its third generation. The current version has been on the market since 2022 – also available with a fully electric drive. Of the 41,782 buyers of the model, 16,353 opted for the electric iX1. The gasoline version with 100 kW (136 hp) starts at €44,600. Those who choose the electric model with 150 kW (204 hp) and a range of up to 473 kilometers will pay at least €48,800.

#4: Opel Corsa

The only small car to make it into the top ten most popular new car models in Germany this year is the Opel Corsa. The model boasts a long history: the Corsa has been around since 1982. The sixth generation has been on the market since 2019 – and has also been available with an electric drive since then. So far this year, 44,481 units have been sold; 6,355 of these are purely electric. Prices for the combustion engine Corsa with 74 kW (100 hp) start at €22,890. The electric Corsa, with a range of up to 429 kilometers, costs at least €29,990.

#3:VW Tiguan

Another SUV, this time from Volkswagen. It's the VW Tiguan. Worldwide, this model is the brand's best-selling car. Since its debut in 2007, more than eight million Tiguans have been delivered. In Germany, 58,553 people opted for the compact model by the end of November, placing it third on the list of the year's most popular vehicles. The third generation has been available since the beginning of 2024. Prices for the mild-hybrid model with 96 kW (131 hp) start at €39,175. The car is also available with a plug-in hybrid drive, offering a system output of up to 200 kW (272 hp) and an electric range of up to 119 kilometers.

#2: VW T-Roc

In Germany, only one SUV is more successful than the VW Tiguan – the VW T-Roc. So far this year, 73,551 people have opted for the car. The vehicle has been available since 2017, and the second generation of the model series was just recently unveiled. Now, the T-Roc is the first VW model to be available exclusively with electrified powertrains. Initially, the car is available as a mild hybrid with front-wheel drive and either 85 kW (116 hp) or 110 kW (150 hp). A mild hybrid all-wheel-drive variant with 150 kW (204 hp) and a full hybrid will follow in the new year. Prices start at €30,845.

#1: VW Golf

An icon for over 50 years and still a bestseller in Germany: With 77,779 units sold, the VW Golf remains the most popular model in the country. VW has come a long way from the original starting price of 7,995 DM at the Golf's premiere in 1974. The cheapest Golf today costs €29,395. For that price, you get the gasoline engine with a manual transmission, front-wheel drive, and 85 kW (116 hp). Significantly more expensive is the special edition GTI Edition 50 (€54,540) with 239 kW (325 hp), which VW added to its lineup to celebrate the GTI's 50th anniversary in 2026.

Via GQ Germany