After giving you my monthly World Roundup for November a few days ago, I will now rewind back one month (detailed data by model worldwide takes some time to compile…) to offer you an estimate of the Top 150 best-selling models in the world in October…
Had enough of the world and you just want to know which cars sell best in your own backyard? Easy. You can visit 171 countries and territories in my blog in the comfort of your own lounge. Just like that.
Back to our the world…
VW Passat
The Ford F-Series (+1), VW Golf (-3) and Chevrolet Cruze (-2) follow, while the VW Polo is back in the Top 10 at #9 (+2) and the Ford Fiesta is stable at #10.
Best-selling cars in the world – October 2012:
You can check out the worldwide Top 150 models ranking here
| Pos | Model | Oct | Sep | 10m 2012 | Pos |
| 1 | Ford Focus | 88,096 | 1 | 835,324 | 2 |
| 2 | Hyundai Elantra | 74,386 | 5 | 641,198 | 5 |
| 3 | Toyota Corolla | 73,833 | 2 | 938,507 | 1 |
| 4 | VW Jetta | 70,633 | 3 | 610,380 | 9 |
| 5 | VW Passat | 70,063 | 9 | 623,479 | 8 |
| 6 | Ford F-Series | 66,488 | 7 | 636,394 | 6 |
| 7 | VW Golf | 65,848 | 4 | 648,469 | 3 |
| 8 | Chevrolet Cruze | 63,188 | 6 | 634,360 | 7 |
| 9 | VW Polo/Vento | 61,557 | 11 | 585,189 | 11 |
| 10 | Ford Fiesta | 53,522 | 10 | 609,950 | 10 |
You can check out the worldwide Top 150 models ranking here
Outside the Top 10, the Toyota Hilux stays extremely robust in 12th position with just under 50,000 sales, the VW Gol/Voyage surfs on a very dynamic Brazilian market, up 12 spots on September to #15, as does the Fiat Palio/Siena up 19 to #26. The Chevrolet Silverado continues to progress at #17 and should finish the year upwards given the strong incentives GM will offer to get rid of stock of the current model before the 2014 generation launches early next year.
Kia K3
The Hyundai Tucson/ix35 is up again at #19 vs. #32 year-to-date, the Wuling Rongguang smashes its monthly record at 34,220 units and #27 (+17), the Kia Cerato/K3 starts to enjoy the effects of the K3 launch in South Korea and China at #28 (+21), the BMW 3 Series is up a further 4 ranks to #31 vs. #47 year-to-date, the VW Lavida is up 20 to #37 vs. #71 YTD and the Renault Duster, helped by fantastic performances in Russia and India, is up 22 spots to a best-ever #33.
Toyota Aqua
Further down, the Toyota Prius c/Aqua breaks into the worldwide Top 50 for the first time at #43 and 27,720 sales, helped by a historical win in Japan. It now also outsells the Prius for the first time (#53). The Peugeot 208 is getting closer the Top 50 at #54, while the Hyundai Santa Fe stays solid at #68 vs. #90 year-to-date and the Hyundai i20 takes off at #76 (+23) vs. #110 YTD.
Fiat Viaggio
The BYD F3 is the best-selling Chinese Passenger Car in the world for the 2nd month running at #82 with 16,957 sales, just above the Emgrand EC7 at #83 and 16,753 units, the Suzuki Ertiga continues to climb at #125, the VW Up! breaks into the worldwide Top 150 for the first time at #128 thanks to a very strong showing at home in Germany and the Dodge Dart/Fiat Viaggio appears at #178 with 8,347 sales.
You can check out the worldwide Top 150 models ranking here
The detail of what is included in the sales of each nameplate is on the footnote of the linked article onto BestSellingCarsBlog.
You can also check out:
World September 2012: Ford Focus #1 ahead of Toyota Corolla!
World 9 months 2012: Discover the Top 180 best-selling models!
“Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: Toyota Corolla Now #3 In The World!”
This headline is more excited than the Corolla could ever be to its owners.
Hyundai and the Elantra are doing very well in 2nd place.
Hmm. The #1 and #2 spots are occupied by liars and cheats. ;-) Cue the haters.
Is that a real 4-speed automatic? Nice.
When those GDI and Turbo engines start to cost their owners money and headaches we’ll see what happens.
What happens? Golf is still one of the most popular cars. A4 is also doing fine, thanks.
BTW you mention same old catastrophic scenario in every thread. We got it, no need to repeat. Afraid of new technology – do not buy cars.
That’s a nice big Fiat Viagina.
Not every Elantra and Focus is GDI.
Heck, the basic Focus model is a very practical and old-school non-GDI 1.6 with a standard manual transmission and a hydraulic steering rack. Should be less headache than 90% of the new cars out there ten years down the line.
The Elantra also comes with non-GDI engines in certain markets.
Matt, you do know that the “Focus” that Ford sells in China is actually two separate cars, right? Untangling that and getting a real total for the current-gen global car would be a real public service.
(Where by “public service” I mostly mean that it would spare me the trouble of trying to crowbar the real numbers out of Ford myself…)
Why only pick on Ford and not pick on Toyota as their North American Corolla is not the same as JDM and European? And one even has no Corolla name on it, yet counted as one – Matrix.
And VW has at least 2 different Jettas in China also.
At least the Corolla and the Matrix are pretty much the same car.
The two Jettas are two completely different cars.
It would be interesting to see where these top sellers rank vs. the top profit generating. Volume isn’t everything. Here’s the top 12.
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2011/11/top-12-most-profitable-vehicles.html
http://www.autonet.ca/auto-news/new-car-models/2011/11/28/12-most-profitable-vehicles/
Thank you Mike, interesting article. It seems like Porsche and Detroit 3 found successful formula for making profits – using essentially the same platforms for decades and earning cult status. I wonder why Porsche, Daimler and BMW do not make pickups – they would rake in even more profits. It is interesting also to note absence of VW from the list – you might think they are extremely profitable.
@Inside.. – Good points and despite the obscene profitability of pickups, luxury cars are close behind while selling only a tiny fraction of those trucks.
I would like to know what Big Three CEOs were thinking when they let Germans so easily to take over the most profitable niche in their own backyard. They have to be lucky that Germans did not figure out yet that they can also take over pickup market.
“I would like to know what Big Three CEOs were thinking when they let Germans so easily to take over the most profitable niche in their own backyard”
Well the Germans and the Scandinavians are the movers and shakers in the extremely profitable HDT/MDT market. The Pickup market makes up 90% of the Global profit of both GM and Ford. Any downturn in that market can severally affect the outcomes of both companies.
Its amazing that Ford sells that many F series. Other than the USA, how many other countries buy the F series in any big quantities?
Besides Mexico, none.
You forgot your northern neighbours, Mike.
Correcto, and we usually don’t consider the Camaro, Silverado or others as ‘imports’ even when they’re Hecho en Canadia. So when it comes to commerce, the line is pretty much blurred.
Basically NA only, which does include Mexico. Very vital segment for the “Big 3” in the US.
The highly regarded Consumer Reports just ranked:
Worst value for a small hatchback: Ford Focus SE
Best value for a small sedan: Toyota Corolla LE
Sound about right. Always use the WSN method. Look at 10 year old copies of two models to compare and predict for new ones.
I guess phrases “highly regarded Consumer Reports” and “Best value for a small sedan: Toyota Corolla LE” are sarcastic. Only CR can call piece of garbage “the best value”.
Now that’s some boring cars at the top.
Cars at the top are boring by definition. If you see 1M sales of Ferrari Enzos at the top, followed by 0.9M of 911s, those cars will be the very definition of boring cars.