World Full Year 2016: Discover the Top 1000 best-selling cars

The Toyota Corolla is the best-selling car in the world for the 12th year running. 

* See the Top 50 best-selling brands and Top 1122 models by clicking on the title *

Better late than never! As a teaser for 2017 data we can share with you today worldwide brands and models rankings for 2016. The delay is due to 2016 exclusive Chinese import data that was scheduled to be delivered to us last month but never did. They have been estimated for this ranking. However we will shortly have access to full monthly 2017 Chinese import data which is a great improvement. We won’t dwell too much on this ranking as a lot has happened since 2016 came to an end, but we will spend a lot more time on the 2017 data when it becomes available in early 2018. This ranking was compiled with the help of Austin Rutherford.

The Ford F-Series is up two spots to rank #2 worldwide in 2016. 

Brand-wise, the podium is unchanged with Toyota reigning supreme (+0.8%) above Ford (+1.7%) and Volkswagen (+2.3%). Nissan (+4.7%) overtakes Hyundai (+0.5%) to rank 4th overall while Honda (+6.6%), Chevrolet (-4.4%), Kia (+4.4%), Renault (+13.8%) and Mercedes (+10.5%) retain their position vs. 2015. Below, Peugeot (+0.1%), BMW (+2.2%) and Audi (+3.7%) follow while Mazda (+0.7%) passes Fiat (-4.2%) to rank #14. Buick (+16.1%) and Jeep (+15.2%) post the two largest year-on-year gains in the Top 20.

Changan becomes the most popular Chinese brand in the world (#19). 

Changan (+7.8%) becomes the most popular Chinese brand in the world, edging past Wuling (-7.9%). There are 13 Chinese brands inside the worldwide Top 50, one more than in 2015. Haval (+41.8%) shoots up 4 spots to #27, followed by Dongfeng (+17.4%), Geely (+29.9%), Baojun (+47.8%) and BAIC (+37.1%). If you have been following the Chinese market as closely as we have, you will know that a lot of changes in this ranking are in store for 2017… Towards the tail end of the Top 50, we welcome Zotye (+90.4%) and GAC (+80.2%) among the world’s 50 most popular car brands.

The Hyundai Elantra climbs onto the worldwide podium in 2016.

Over in the models ranking, we have a familiar face on top: the Toyota Corolla snaps the world’s pole position for the 12th consecutive year, doing so with stable sales amounting to 1.5 million including the Auris (1.326 without) but excluding the Japanese Corolla. The rest of the Top 10 however gets a good shake: thanks to solid deliveries up 8% in North America, the Ford F-Series is up to #2 worldwide with just under 1 million units, above the Hyundai Elantra (-4%) and VW Golf (-10%), the latter down two spots on 2015. Excellent performance of the Renault Logan (+6%) climbing three ranks to #5 (including Sandero and Symbol sales).

The Nissan X-Trail is the best-selling SUV in the world in 2016.

The rest of the Top 10 is symbolic of the main trend affecting the worldwide carmaker: the SUV boom. Absent from the 2015 Top 10, they are no less than 3 among the world’s 10 most popular nameplates in 2016, and 5 in the Top 13! The segment is dominated by the Nissan X-Trail (+11%), ahead of the Hyundai Tucson (+29%), Honda HR-V (+36%), Toyota RAV4 (+8%) and Honda CR-V (+1%). Other great performers near the top of the ranking include the Honda Civic up 11 spots to #15, the Ram Pickup up 7 to #20, the Haval H6 up 23 to #22 and the Kia Sportage up 9 to #23. The Wuling Hongguang remains the #1 Chinese at #17 while the BMW 3/4 Series is the #1 premium nameplate (#26) above the Mercedes C Class (#30)

The Chery Arrizo 5 is the most popular new nameplate launch in the world in 2016. 

If you were still unconvinced of the increasingly dominant role the Chinese market is playing worldwide, one figure might sway you: out of 94 new nameplates entering this 2016 ranking, 50 are Chinese, including the four most successful launches. Holding the trophy of the most successful new nameplate launch in the world in 2016 is the Chery Arrizo 5 landing at #207, whose success had already spread to Iran by the end of 2016. It is followed by the Geely Boyue (#238), Roewe RX5 (#284) and Dongfeng Fengguang 580 (#292). Most successful non-Chinese new fare, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza lands at #297 while the Cadillac XT5 ranks  7th new launch at #321, below another Chinese: the Changan CX70. All the data is below the jump.

Previous year: World Full Year 2015: Discover the Top 1400 best-selling cars

Two years ago: World Full Year 2014: Discover the Top 1000 best-selling cars

Full Year 2016 Top 50 brands and Top 1122 models vs. Full Year 2015 figures below.