Top Selling Cars of 2011 Around the CarSpin World

[MexicoCityM3]

The thread about Chinese "domination" in LATAM got me thinking and I thought it would be interesting to know how the top sellers vary by country. For the U.S. we already know every month thanks to ifcar's great monthly breakdowns. But elsewhere?

We have spinners from Canada, Australia, the U.K., and down under as far as I know. I think Dubai as well. And of course a freak Filipino German   who might compile a list of best selling cars (land-yachts) in early 70?s mid-America.

In any case, these are Mexico?s top sellers for 2011. The list is of course dominated by subcompacts:

Number 10: Nissan March

One of the most modern cars on the list. Very cute subcompact. A bit more expensive than what follows.




Number 9: Nissan Sentra

A roomy (for our standards) sedan.




Number 8: Nissan Versa

It looks so far as an all-Nissan country, right? Well, Nissan lead the market in 2011 with 24.8% overall share. I believe this Versa is the same car you get in the U.S. It is built here in Mexico.




Number 7: Nissan "Chasis Largo"

Nissan domination continues. This is the only pickup in the top ten list. Very different from the U.S. where pickups own the top sales spots. And in the U.S. this would be considered a child?s toy, not a pick-up. But this Nissan is pretty much indestructible, sort of like the Toyota of Top Gear fame.



Number 6: Chevrolet Chevy

Finally, a different manufacturer on the list. And it is GM with a total share of 18.6% thanks in a big part to this old "Corsa" that is still being sold here. With a hideous facelift.




Number 5: VW Jetta

All Jettas are proudly built in Puebla, Mexico. And as you can see, this is easily the best car on the list. A very impressive showing for VW to have this car this high on the list. It is easily the most expensive car on the top 10 list by a lot. VW?s brand image in Mexico is beyond good. They are third in the country overall with 14.0% share.



Number 4: Chevrolet Aveo

I really don?t know much about this car. Is it sold in the U.S.? Is it of Korean origin?



Number 3: Nissan Tiida

Is this sold in the U.S.? I think it?s the previous gen Versa but I am not sure.



Number 2: Nissan Tsuru

Yep, this Sentra from 10+ years ago is still being sold in Mexico. And it is number 2 overall. The absolute favourite of taxi cab drivers because of super cheap maintenance and ultra high reliability. They however do not offer the GS-R version anymore that was available here for a few years. That was a purist?s FWD car.



Number 1: VW Jetta Cl?sico

Finally, we have the Jetta from two generations ago. But it has a facelift, take a look below. And a GLI version with the 1.8T @ 180hp. Continuing to build an older car and selling it at low prices is big business here in Mexico. VW invented the concept, building the Beetle here into this century, longer than anywhere else. Possibly the best marketing campaign for a car ever in Mexico was run by VW a few years ago for this Jetta. People would be shown fantasizing about a Jetta in all kinds of situations. A slogan that every Mexican remembers is: "Todo mundo tiene un Jetta..... al menos en la cabeza."




GLI Version:

[ifcar]

This should be interesting.

Number 8: Nissan Versa

It looks so far as an all-Nissan country, right? Well, Nissan lead the market in 2011 with 24.8% overall share. I believe this Versa is the same car you get in the U.S. It is built here in Mexico.

Yep, that's the new version that just launched for us last year.

Number 4: Chevrolet Aveo

I really don?t know much about this car. Is it sold in the U.S.? Is it of Korean origin?

Developed by Daewoo, sold in the U.S. from 2004 until last year. Just replaced by the Sonic.

In one difference, we only had that front end on the hatchback and another one for the sedan:

Number 3: Nissan Tiida

Is this sold in the U.S.? I think it?s the previous gen Versa but I am not sure.

Correct. The hatchback version is still sold here, but the sedan was replaced last year.

[TurboDan]

Very cool! I had no idea that they were still selling these older model cars, only new. I'm sure I've seen them on the street when I've been in Mexico and just assumed the owner maintained them well!

I recall the last time I was in Mexico, I saw a large number of French cars everywhere I went. I was surprised they didn't make the list. Also saw a good number of American pickup trucks driving around, but more of the Chasis Largos and Toyota Tacomas.

[MexicoCityM3]

Very cool! I had no idea that they were still selling these older model cars, only new. I'm sure I've seen them on the street when I've been in Mexico and just assumed the owner maintained them well!

I recall the last time I was in Mexico, I saw a large number of French cars everywhere I went. I was surprised they didn't make the list. Also saw a good number of American pickup trucks driving around, but more of the Chasis Largos and Toyota Tacomas.

Renault had a very strong few years a short while ago and Peugeot too (a bit less). What you must have seen are lots of Renault Clios (previous gen). We even got the Clio RS that is a fantastic N/A hot hatch:



We even got the V6!



Those were the "golden years" of Renault?s return to Mexico in the late 90?s. They imported the "true Renaults" from France. Now they sell mostly rebadged Nissans or Samsungs. Like this:

Renault Scala



Pegueot sells more modern French cars here, but they are more expensive and don?t make the list. Their CC (convertible models) are hugely popular for that segment:

American pick-up trucks are popular in the northern states, but not that much in the entire country.

[Colin]

I saw a Renault Scala last time I was in SoCal........ one of those cars where I had to peer at the badge to find out what on earth it was. Needless to say, it was on Mexican plates.

That Chevy Chery is indeed a rather unfortunate facelift of the original Corsa.

Despite a significant trend of globalisation in the car industry, there is still lots of local variety, with models unique to individual markets or regions, with many models that we tend to think of as obsolete living on for far longer than you might imagine, along with plenty of cars that you don't even recognise. I know when I went to Japan, I struggled to identify more than about 50 % of the vehicles on the road.  

[Autobahn]

Not much surprise in Germany

1 VW Golf / Golf Plus / Jetta (258.059)
2 VW Passat (103.507)
3 VW Polo (90.720)
4 Opel Astra (86.579)
5 Mercedes C-Klasse (79.820)
6 Opel Corsa (70.152)
7 BMW 3er (62.280)
8 Mercedes E-Klasse (61.371)
9 Ford Focus (61.157)
10 BMW 5er (59.756)

[93JC]

In Canada,

Cars:

1. Honda Civic (55,090)
2. Hyundai Elantra (44,970)
3. Mazda 3 (37,224)
4. Toyota Corolla (36,663)
5. Chevrolet Cruze (33,900)
6. Volkswagen Jetta (26,749)
7. Ford Focus (25,736)
8. Hyundai Accent (22,280)
9. Ford Fusion (18,403)
10. Hyundai Sonata (16,343)

"Light trucks":

1. Ford F-series (96,325)
2. Dodge Ram (62,929)
3. Dodge Caravan (53,406)
4. GMC Sierra (46,680)
5. Ford Escape (44,248)
6. Chevrolet Silverado (40,523)
7. Dodge Journey (29,021)
8. Honda CR-V (25,076)
9. Hyundai Santa Fe (24,121)
10. Chevrolet Equinox (22,468)


EDIT: Well, shit. Apparently Señor Rockraven beat me to the punch.


EDIT2: Except we have different numbers.

[Colin]

No surprises in the UK results, either.

1. Ford Fiesta
2. Ford Focus
3. Vauxhall Corsa
4. VW Golf
5. Vauxhall Astra
6. Vauxhall Insignia
7. VW Polo
8. BMW 3 series
9. Nissan Qashqai
10. MINI

[Payman]

In Canada,

Cars:

1. Honda Civic (55,090)
2. Hyundai Elantra (44,970)
3. Mazda 3 (37,224)
4. Toyota Corolla (36,663)
5. Chevrolet Cruze (33,900)
6. Volkswagen Jetta (26,749)
7. Ford Focus (25,736)
8. Hyundai Accent (22,280)
9. Ford Fusion (18,403)
10. Hyundai Sonata (16,343)

"Light trucks":

1. Ford F-series (96,325)
2. Dodge Ram (62,929)
3. Dodge Caravan (53,406)
4. GMC Sierra (46,680)
5. Ford Escape (44,248)
6. Chevrolet Silverado (40,523)
7. Dodge Journey (29,021)
8. Honda CR-V (25,076)
9. Hyundai Santa Fe (24,121)
10. Chevrolet Equinox (22,468)


EDIT: Well, shit. Apparently Se?or Rockraven beat me to the punch.


EDIT2: Except we have different numbers.

Re-checked my source and I fucked up. I posted YTD to August. M-derp.

Anyways, Japan 2011:

http://bestsellingcarsblog.com/2012/01/11/japan-full-year-2011-toyota-prius-leads-in-difficult-year/

[Colin]

That blog is absolutely brilliant............ I will waste many hours in there, I am sure, looking at all sorts of stats.

[Payman]

That blog is absolutely brilliant............ I will waste many hours in there, I am sure, looking at all sorts of stats.

Yeah, 160 countries there. I just looked at Iran and Russia... Russians really love Kias and Hyundais, and it's interesting the new Ford Focus is doing well there.

[mzziaz]

Norway '11:

VAG is really strong here too:

VW Golf
VW Passat
Ford Focus
Mitsubishi ASX
Volvo V70
Toyota Avensis
Nissan Quashqai
Toyota Auris
Skoda Octavia
Ford Mondeo

[cawimmer430]

Number 2: Nissan Tsuru

Yep, this Sentra from 10+ years ago is still being sold in Mexico. And it is number 2 overall. The absolute favourite of taxi cab drivers because of super cheap maintenance and ultra high reliability. They however do not offer the GS-R version anymore that was available here for a few years. That was a purist?s FWD car.

I drove one of these in the Philippines. They had a 1.3-l 4-cylinder engine in that market. The one I drove was run-down and in crap condition (belonged to a buddy). The steering wheel would automatically veer left despite the tire pressure being in order. The clutch was so vague and abused (the car had less than 60,000 km on it) and the 5-speed transmission was equally lifeless and vague. Overall the car left a poor impression on me in terms of quality and how it held up. 60,000 km was nothing back then, even if the owner abuses the car and neglects to maintain it properly.

[TurboDan]

Interesting that the 3er is on seemingly every country's list except the U.S. BMW would really benefit from giving Americans a variety of engine choices and trim levels, as they do everywhere else.

Selling the higher priced models only has to be affecting sales. Even though they're profitable, seems to me they could do much better if they liberalized their lineup offerings here.

[2o6]

Norway '11:

VAG is really strong here too:

VW Golf
VW Passat
Ford Focus
Mitsubishi ASX
Volvo V70
Toyota Avensis
Nissan Quashqai
Toyota Auris
Skoda Octavia
Ford Mondeo

For Europe's aversion to the SUV, I'm a little confused as to why the Quashqai does so well.

[TurboDan]

For Europe's aversion to the SUV, I'm a little confused as to why the Quashqai does so well.

Yeah, me too. And I wonder why they would sell this there over the Rouge, which is a hint smaller.

[2o6]

Yeah, me too. And I wonder why they would sell this there over the Rouge, which is a hint smaller.

Rogue is a newer design, just for the USA.


And you can get a 7-seat Quasquai, IIRC the only 7-seat model Nissan has for that market.

[93JC]

The Rogue is longer and taller than the Qashqai, but only by a couple inches. They're pretty much the same size.

I think a better question is: why did they design and build both vehicles when they could have built just one?

[TurboDan]

Rogue is a newer design, just for the USA.


And you can get a 7-seat Quasquai, IIRC the only 7-seat model Nissan has for that market.

Ahh, OK. A 7 seater in a small package explains it.

In that case, I wonder why they designed the Rouge for this market rather than just give us this car, which they already had. Huh.

[ifcar]

Maybe Nissan was worried about stepping on the Pathfinder or Murano's toes here, as I imagine both are more profitable.

[2o6]

The Rogue is longer and taller than the Qashqai, but only by a couple inches. They're pretty much the same size.

I think a better question is: why did they design and build both vehicles when they could have built just one?

Don't forget about the X-Trail!

[93JC]

Do they still make the X-Trail? If so that makes it even more stupid. We had the X-Trail in Canada for a few years: I don't understand why they'd replace it with the Rogue but still keep building the X-Trail for other markets.

I just don't get it. I can see why, for example, Ford built the Mondeo and Fusion. Hypothetically they occupy the same market segment but at the time it made sense to them to have products tweaked to suit separate markets. The Mondeo was smaller, made to fit smaller engines, had a different suspension, etc. A V6-powered front-drive mid-size car makes no sense in Europe: no one buys them. But when you get right down to it the Qashqai, Rogue and X-Trail do the exact same thing. They're all about the same size, they have similar powertrains, etc.

[Speed_Racer]

Argentina (I'm not Argentine, but I lived there two years and carspotted when there was nothing to do)

1. Chevrolet Classic
2. Peugeot 207 Classic
3. VW Gol Trend
4. VW Gol Power
5. Renault Sandero
6. Ford EcoSport
7. VW Suran
8. Toyota Hilux
9. VW Bora
10. Chevrolet Aveo

[2o6]

China

1. Buick Excelle (Might be the old Lacetti based model, though)

2. VW Lavida

3. Chevy Cruze
4. VW Jetta
5. VW Bora

6. Chevrolet Sail

7. FAW Xiali N3/N5
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8. Hyundai Elantra Yuedong

9. Ford Focus
10. BYD F3 (interesting that the Corolla is in 11th place)

[68_427]

Yeah the Excelle is the Lacetti based model.  I believe the Verano is Excelle GT? 

[2o6]

Yeah the Excelle is the Lacetti based model.  I believe the Verano is Excelle GT? 

I think it's simply Excelle and Excelle XT (hatch). I don't know for sure.

[MexicoCityM3]

Argentina (I'm not Argentine, but I lived there two years and carspotted when there was nothing to do)

1. Chevrolet Classic

7. VW Suran

What are those two?

The others I think we get here. Thanks for the list.

[MexicoCityM3]

China

1. Buick Excelle (Might be the old Lacetti based model, though)

What a good job by GM here, who would have thought that a Buick of all brands would be the best selling car in China?

[2o6]

What a good job by GM here, who would have thought that a Buick of all brands would be the best selling car in China?

IIRC, Buick is still the 1# best selling make in China. That's probably a huge reason why Buick was never axed.

What are those two?

The others I think we get here. Thanks for the list.

Suran = SpaceFox

Classic is an old Corsa II sedan, IIRC.

[Raza]

Wow.  Mexico sure loves its Nissans.