According to numbers compiled by Bloomberg, the Toyota Corolla is the world's best selling car for the first quarter of this year, selling 300,800 units, 23,800 more than the Ford Focus in second place.
Global top selling models for Q1 2012, according to Bloomberg.
The figures also meant that the Toyota Prius is the world's top selling hybrid, selling in more numbers than Europe's top selling model the VW Golf. Since its inception in 1997, Toyota has sold over 4 million hybrids, making the Japanese automaker the world leader in hybrid vehicles.
The Toyota Corolla has held the title of the world's best selling car for many decades. However, the numbers here are cumulative of all Corollas sold worldwide and does not take into account that Corollas sold in Asia, USA and Europe have so little in common that they might as well be considered as an entirely different model.
There are at least four different models using the Corolla nameplate.
First there is the global Corolla sedan (which we all know as the Corolla Altis), sold in Asia, Ocenia (New Zealand and Australia), Africa and South America.
A variation of this model is sold in the USA, but with significant changes under the skin to accommodate US FMVSS regulations.
Second is the Auris, also sold as the Corolla hatchback in some markets like Australia.
Third is the Corolla Axio and lastly, the Corolla Fielder. Both the Corolla Axio and Corolla Fielderare only available in Japan.
The Ford Focus is available in sedan, hatch and estate, but unlike the Corolla variants mentioned above, they are all derivative models based on the same car.
The Corolla sedan, Auris hatch and the Japanese market Corolla Axio and Fielder are so distinct from one another that they ought to be considered as independent models rather than derivative models.
However, as numbers tabulations are based on the nameplate used, it is almost impossible to tabulate the global sales figures in such distinct manner, so we will never know for sure where the Focus stands, but with only less than 24,000 units separating the Focus and Corolla, we are inclined to believe that the Focus is the world's best selling car.
The numbers tabulated by Bloomberg are only to be used as a guide as such numbers can never be verified at the ground level. These numbers are most probably provided by manufacturers rather than independent third party agencies (like MAA in Malaysia). Obviously it is impossible to gather sales data from every country.
The problem with taking manufacturer's supplied data is that some manufacturers will include CKD packs delivered to overseas countries as part of the figure, doesn't matter if the CKD packs have been finished into a complete car, delivered to a dealer and registered to a customer. Other companies like Mazda, will exclude these numbers entirely even from their annual report.
As for models exported in CBU form, a car is considered sold by a manufacturer once it leaves the factory, bound for the importing country. In reality, the actual car may remain on the stock yard for many more months.
Within the industry, only data compiled by OICA (Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles) is considered as a reliable reference. OICA only releases its data around mid-year, after all manufacturers have released their annual report, which follows the financial calendar ending March, rather than a typical Jan-Dec cycle.