Admittedly we don't give much thought to the Swedish auto market. It's a lot smaller than other world markets and, to put it harshly, much less significant. However, this story from the BBC did catch our attention. According to the Beebs, the car with the most sales in Sweden last year was the Volkswagen Golf. This is noteworthy because for the past 54 years a Volvo has claimed that title. In fact, the last car to out-sell a Volvo was the Volkswagen Beetle all the way back in 1962.

Of the 372,000 new cars sold in Sweden in 2016, 5.9% (21,948) were Golfs. This trounced the latest Volvo products, with the V70, S90 and V90 combining to make up just 5.7% (21,204) of the year's sales. According to the BBC the discontinued V70 was the most popular car in Sweden for two decades, a fact which could explain the rise of the Golf in 2016. Another explanation could be Volvo's move upmarket. The Swedish automaker has firmly placed itself in the luxury sector, driving up prices in the process and potentially pushing Swedes towards cheaper options.