Skip to main content

Three tech-centered Fords top list as world’s ‘best-selling’ vehicles

Ford Focus It seems that when it comes to putting out some of the world’s best-selling cars, it’s tough to beat Ford.

According to data from the 2012 Polk global market research company, Ford tops the list with three vehicles including the Ford Focus as the world’s best-selling passenger car, the Ford F-Series pickup as the third best-selling vehicle and the Ford Fiesta as the best-selling subcompact.

Sales of the compact Focus totaled 1,020,410 cars worldwide according to Polk with significant market gains for Focus in China and the US.

In China, the vehicle registrations used to tally the data were up 51 percent last year. Overall, the data showed that just more than one out of four Focus vehicles sold globally were in China.

Ford Focus interiorDriven by a number of high-tech features ranging from the latest-generation of Ford’s SYNC system to Active Park Assist, the Ford Focus saw a US sales boost of 40 percent in 2012.

Ford even exceeded sales expectations for a new manual transmission combination offered in 2012 for the Focus derived from the compact’s Titanium trim package.

In addition to being the world’s best-selling vehicle overall, the Polk data also ranks the Ford Fiesta, which features a new high-tech six-speed automatic transmission, as the best-selling subcompact car globally, with 723,130 registrations last year.  

Together, registrations of Ford’s small cars – Fiesta and Focus – totaled 1,743,540 vehicles in 2012, according to the research gathered by Polk.

Global new vehicle registrations for F-Series, which touts a gang of new technology features as well, totaled 785,630 trucks last year, putting it in the No. 3 spot among all vehicles sold worldwide.

Editors' Recommendations

Marcus Amick
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Marcus Amick has been writing about the world of cars for more than ten years and has covered everything from new automobiles…
Rivian R2 vs R1S: How will Rivian’s cheaper SUV compare?
The front three-quarter view of a 2022 Rivian against a rocky backdrop.

Rivian has finally unveiled the R2, its long-awaited attempt at a more affordable electric SUV. The new vehicle may not be available just yet, but fans of Rivian's design aesthetics and feature set are already looking forward to being able to order the new car. The R2 is targeted at being a more affordable take on the electric SUV and will sit alongside the flagship-tier R1S.

Let's get this out of the way right now: The R1S is most likely going to be a better vehicle than the R2. Rivian isn't replacing the R1S with the R2 — it's releasing the R2 as a more affordable alternative, and there will be some compromises when buying the R2 over the R1S.

Read more
Cybertruck production reportedly halted over pedal issue
Tesla CEO Elon Musk behind the wheel of a Cybertruck.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk behind the wheel of a Cybertruck. Tesla

Tesla’s Cybertruck has been hit by a production delay caused by an issue with a part of the vehicle, a number of media reports have claimed.

Read more
Don’t let the gimmicks fool you. The Ioniq 5 N is a serious track car
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N drifting.

We’re finally getting to the fun part of automakers’ methodical quest to replicate their lineups with electric cars.

Performance versions of ordinary cars have been a staple of the auto industry for decades. But while we’ve already seen some variants of EVs boasting more power and more impressive stats — think Tesla Model S Plaid or Lucid Air Sapphire — the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is the first to truly apply that format to an EV.

Read more