Best Selling Cars – Matt's blog

The DongFeng S30 is #1 in Venezuela this month…

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Now that most December data is in, it’s time for our much anticipated World Roundup. Last month, all spotlights were on Brazil where Hyundai broke into the monthly models Top 10 for the first time with the locally-produced HB20. This month the focus is on Chinese carmakers abroad, with no less than 3 countries crowning a Chinese model this month – something the car industry had never seen before!

… while the Great Wall Steed is #1 in Bulgaria…

In Venezuela, on the back an unprecedented 4,000-unit batch specifically exported to the country, the DongFeng S30, distributed by Civetchi, takes off and gains huge 25 spots on November to take the lead of the models ranking there with 583 sales and 7.1% share! But wait there’s more: in Bulgaria, now that Great Wall has established its very first European factory in the country, the Great Wall Steed jumps to #1 in the Bulgarian models ranking thanks to a very impressive 161 sales for a 6% market share.

…and the Geely CK is #1 in Ukraine.

Finally in Ukraine, while we thought its July performance would be an exceptional one-off, the Geely CK manages to climb into the models ranking pole position once again in December thanks to an outstanding 907 sales and 4.4%, over one percentage point above the #2, the Skoda Octavia, #1 in the country over the Full Year…

BMW 1 Series

Just as its archenemy the new gen Mercedes A-Class is starting to get traction, the BMW 1 Series takes the brand into uncharted territories this month. First at home in Germany where it is up to a best-ever #2 and 3.2% share, enabling BMW to place two models in the German podium for the first time ever with the 3 Series at #3. Then in the UK where the 1 Series is up to a record 5th place after already beating its ranking record in October (#8).

BMW 3 Series

Here too BMW breaks a record as a brand, placing two models in the Top 6 (like Ford and Vauxhall!) for the first time ever in the country. As a result the BMW 3 Series manages to climb into the overall European Top 10 for the third time this year after April and June but only the 4th time in the last 4 years after December 2008, up 21% year-on-year to #8 at 15,171 units, its highest European ranking in over 5 years, since September 2007 exactly…

Dacia Sandero

Renault continues to thank the heavens for its low-cost range, kicking goals again worldwide this month: the Duster breaks into the monthly Russian Top 5 for the first time this month, the new generation Sandero is back within the French monthly Top 10 for the first time since August 2010 at #7 is also up to a record third place in Spain. The Sandero could surprise many in 2013 and rank much higher than the #11 spot I have predicted for France…

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Previous World Roundups:

World November 2012 Roundup: When Hyundai cracked Brazil

World October 2012 Roundup: China, Japan and Austria in focus

World September 2012 Roundup: Ford Focus shines in China

World August 2012 Roundup: Subaru XV topples almighty Golf in Switzerland

World July 2012 Roundup: Geely CK writes history in Ukraine

World June 2012 Roundup: Hyundai Santa Fe and Ford Focus shine

World May 2012 Roundup: GM and Toyota Etios make headlines

World April 2012 Roundup: Maruti Swift and Mazda CX-5 impress

World March 2012 Roundup: Toyota Prius breaks a leg

See the Full World December 2012 Roundup below.

The Fiat 500L, already one of the worldwide stars in November, goes further up this month: it ranks #6 in Italy with 2.248 sales and 2.6% share – only 82 units below the ‘normal’ Fiat 500! It has however not popped up very high in any other European market so far…

The Ford Focus is the best-selling Passenger Car in China for the 5th month in a row and the 6th time in the last 7 months with an enormous 36,868 sales, its 2nd highest monthly volume after the 38,362 units it sold in November. In the UK, the Focus manages to take the lead for the 2nd consecutive month, the third time this year and only the 5th time in the last 3.5 years. In Russia, the Focus he Ford Focus climbs onto the podium for potentially the first time since 2007 at #3 with 9,831 sales and 3.9%, passing the Hyundai Solaris to become the best-selling foreign model in the country for the first time since March 2011.

The new generation VW Jetta (specific to the country and actually based on the VW Polo platform) is up to a shiny 2nd place in China at 24,056 units.

In other Chinese news, after struggling for the last 3 months as a result of China-Japan tensions, Japanese brands are back in the game in December: the Honda CR-V is up 18 ranks to #6 at 18,977 units, its 2nd highest ranking after the #4 it hit last March, the Nissan Sylphy is up 22 to a best-ever #7 with 18,610 sales, the Toyota Corolla EX up 19 to #16, Toyota Corolla up 14 to #23 and the Toyota Camry up 7 to #24.

In the US, the Ford F-Series lodges its highest monthly volume in over 5 years (since August 2007!) at 68,787 units, the Chevrolet Silverado delivers a huge 50,699 units, its first time above 50,000 monthly sales since August 2008, and the Honda Civic lodges another outstanding month, holding the title of best-selling Passenger Car in the country for the 2nd month running and only the 3rd time ever after May 2008 with 33,118 sales, up a massive 61% year-on-year.

In Brazil, the Hyundai HB20 is up 32% on November to #7 with 10,665 sales and 3.1% and to my knowledge the very first time a Hyundai model manages to sell more than 10,000 units in a single month in Brazil, and the highest ever monthly ranking for a Hyundai in the country… Up to #6 at mid-month, the Chevrolet Onix retracts somewhat to finish December at #8, still up 3 ranks and 42% on last month with 10,500 sales and 3.1%.

The Peugeot 208 reclaims the top spot in France, grabs the pole position for the first time in Spain jumps into the podium in Greece for the first time and is up to #5 in the Netherlands, resulting in a best-ever second spot overall in Europe in December behind just the VW Golf with 19,407 sales.

The VW Up! continues to win new customers, landing directly #4 in the Imports ranking in Japan over the last quarter of the year – already head of all other models from Volkswagen there, #1 in Denmark for the 6th time in the last 7 months and up to a record #5 in Switzerland.

In Australia, the Toyota Camry remains the country’s best-selling locally produced model for the third time in a row and only the 4th time ever after January 1995, now a huge 1,388 units above the Holden Commodore. In Italy, the Toyota Yaris climbs on the podium for the first time since December 2008, while the Renault Clio IV helps the nameplate reach a 10-year high at #4. In Japan, boosted by very strong sales of the XV variant, the Subaru Impreza is up to a record #5, the highest ranking lodged by any Subaru model in the country in over 13 years, since the Legacy hit #4 in July 1999…

The Dacia Lodgy and Dokker are starting to get good traction at home in Romania, reaching world-bests #7 and #27 there respectively while in South Africa, the Ford Ranger beats its ranking and market share records, up to #5 and 3.5%. Brand-wise Volkswagen places 6 models in the Top 6 in Austria, a performance it had never achieved before in any country in the world including Germany. It also monopolises the podium in Croatia, whereas in South Korea there are 5 Hyundais in the Top 5.

Source: All usual sources for each country mentioned here.