The Ford Focus was the biggest-selling vehicle nameplate in the world last year, according to a collation of new vehicle registrations by Polk.
It’s the second consecutive year the Blue Oval’s small car has proved to be the most popular nameplate globally.
The Ford Focus’s 1,020,410 sales in 2012 beat the Toyota Corolla, which amassed 872,774 sales but is also sold under different names – such as Auris – in some markets.
The Ford Focus was helped by increased sales in the US and China, where it became the No.1 passenger car in the world’s biggest car market.
Ford’s F-series ute (third, 785,650) and Fiesta city car (6th, 723,130) gave Ford the biggest brand representation in the top 10.
Small cars dominated the big-sellers list, which also included the Volkswagen Golf, Chevrolet Cruze (built as a Holden locally), and Honda Civic.
The mid-sized Toyota Camry sat in 5th, while the Honda CR-V was the only SUV to feature in the top 10.
A nameplate that will have far less recognition in Australia is the Wuling Zhijuang minivan that’s sold in China but placed fourth in the list with 768,870 sales.
Top 10 vehicle nameplates 2012
1. Ford Focus 1,020,410
2. Toyota Corolla 872,774
3. Ford F-series 785,650
4. Wuling Zhijuang 768,870
5. Toyota Camry 729,793
6. Ford Fiesta 723,130
7. VW Golf 699,148
8. Chevrolet Cruze 661,325
9. Honda Civic 651,159
10. Honda CR-V 624,982
