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10 Most Popular Automobiles Worldwide

10 Most Popular Automobiles Worldwide

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Worldwide, more than 80 million new automobiles are produced each year. The majority are manufactured in China. The U.S. is the second-largest producer of automobiles, manufacturing about 10 million vehicles in 2012. Japan, Germany, and South Korea are next on the list.

The U.S. topped the list for most of modern history, but was overtaken for the first time in 2009.

With this recent change in global automobile trends, we thought it might be interesting to see what the world’s most popular passenger vehicles are. Here’s what we found:

Toyota Corolla

Toyota Corolla
Though the Corolla has yet to penetrate the Chinese market, the Japanese automaker’s “world car” was the most popular car in 2012, with about 1.2 million sold worldwide.

Ford Focus

Ford Focus
The Ford Focus is the U.S. top seller abroad, popular in Europe and in China. About 1 million were sold globally in 2012.

Hyundai Elantra

Hyundai Elantra
One of the most popular cars in both the U.S. and China, the Hyundai Elantra had about 830,000 sales worldwide.

Toyota Camry

Toyota Camry
Though it is a relative newcomer to the Chinese market, the Camry is Toyota’s number one seller there. If you don’t count pickup trucks, the Camry is almost tied with the Honda Accord for most popular car in the U.S.

 

Ford F-Series

Ford F-Series
Ford F-Series pickups have been the most popular vehicle sold in the U.S. for more than 30 years, and they are also some of the most popular models sold worldwide.

Chevrolet Cruze

Chevrolet Cruze
Sold as the Chevy Cruze in the U.S. but as the Daewoo Lacetti Premiere in Korea, about 784,000 units of this model were sold worldwide. The car is manufactured in the U.S., China, Russia, and in South Korea.

VW Passat

Volkswagen Passat
Extremely popular in Germany, the current Passat is the model’s seventh generation, though earlier models are still in production in some countries, helping Volkswagen sell about 782,500 units worldwide.

Nissan Tiida

Nissan Tiida
Sold as the Versa in the U.S. and Canada, the Nissan Tiida is most popular in Japan and Europe. About 775,000 were sold globally in 2012.

VW Golf

Volkswagen Golf
The Golf is the most popular car in Germany and generally the most popular in all of Europe. About 755,000 were sold worldwide, and about one-third of those were sold in Germany.

Ford Fiesta

Ford Fiesta
Classified as a “supermini” by Ford Motor Co., the Fiesta has been in production more than 35 years. The Fiesta was re-introduced in the U.S. in 2010 and has quickly become one of the automaker’s top sellers.