The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling car in 2023, but further down the top 20 the elderly population is high. Including a model that has been for sale since 2007. How can old models remain so popular? We highlight five golden oldies.
Kia Picanto (2017, second place)
The number 2 in the sales lists has been for sale since 2017. Normally a model is replaced by a completely new generation after about 7 years. But Come on does it differently. The Kia Picanto which will come on the market in 2024, is actually a facelift in which some extra hours have been put into it. Anyone who bought a Picanto in 2023 will not immediately be driving a completely outdated car. For example, the 1.0-liter petrol engine with 68 hp will simply return. The reason for the popularity is obvious: the price. With its base price of 18,945 euros, a Kia Picanto is one of the most affordable cars in the Netherlands. Other brands, such as Peugeot and Volkswagen, pulled the plug on their smallest models. There are two reasons for the shrinking supply. The EuroNCAP safety requirements are so strict that a car manufacturer must invest heavily to ensure that a car meets the highest requirements. Over the restrict environmental requirements for combustion engines are added. Even a price increase of 500 euros has a significant impact on a small car. For buyers of a Picanto, the 7-year warranty is a comfort and a nice reassurance. Tip Well insured on the road Choose the coverage that suits your (electric) car with Interpolis Car Insurance. Standard €0 deductible and free choice of repairs.
Volvo XC40 (2018, fourth place)
Of Volvo XC40 It was already in the showroom at the beginning of 2018 and is therefore quite old in car years. But that has no influence on his popularity, because it has been enormous from day one. The XC40 is in the top 5 almost every year and in total Volvo The Netherlands has already sold 40,000. For a while, the Volvo XC40 was for sale with a petrol engine, as a plug-in hybrid and fully electric. The latter version initially owed its popularity mainly to the low additional tax, but it remains popular even without the gifts from the Tax Authorities. In 2023, more than three quarters of registrations were electric. The plug-in hybrid is no longer available, in the Netherlands you have to make do with the B3 MHEV (mild hybrid) or the electric XC40 with 238 hp, 252 hp or 408 hp. The Volvo XC40 is far from ready for replacement. In 2023, the electric XC40 received a major technical facelift, since then the power has been sent to the asphalt via the rear wheels. It was the first time in 25 years that Volvo offered a car with rear-wheel drive. The cheapest XC40 with plug is eligible for SEPP subsidy.
Volkswagen Polo (2017, sixth place)
Of Volkswagen Polo has been for sale in the Netherlands since 1975 and is therefore just as familiar as a broadcast from 2 for 12. Volkswagen is a master at designing cars that don’t offend anyone, which partly explains its popularity. This does not mean that the current Polo is a boring car; The great thing is that it (just like its predecessors) does not age. It is surprising that the technically identical and much cheaper Seat Ibiza (39e place) and Skoda Fabia (77e place) are much less popular. The Polo received a facelift at the beginning of 2021 and now it has to last for years. The electric ID.2all will be its successor, although it is possible that the Polo name will simply return by then.
Volkswagen Up (2011, seventeenth place)
While Kia decided to keep the Picanto, Volkswagen pulled the plug on the successful Up. It is only available from stock, but Volkswagen will undoubtedly lose the more than 300 cars that are still at dealers. Last year the Volkswagen Up still like 17e to end. Neat for a 12 year old car.
Fiat 500 (2007, nineteenth place)
We’re cheating a bit, of course, because there are two versions in circulation. The electric one Fiat 500 is quite new and has been available since 2022. However, it is not the new electric 500 that is the most popular, but the version that is already seventeen (!) years old! Of the 4,358 units sold in 2023, 2,997 will be the Fiat 500 with a hybrid drivetrain. And that is quite understandable. Anyone who visits the Botox clinic every month will be jealous of this model, because despite his advanced age he does not want to age. A few subtle interim facelifts and a new hybrid drivetrain (2020) were enough to make this very old model still look very young. Typically Italian.