The Ford Focus appears to have toppled the long-running global best-seller, the Toyota Corolla.
Ford Motor Co. expects to sell 2.2 million Ford brand vehicles in the U.S. when sales numbers are totaled for 2012. It will make this the second straight year Ford has topped the 2 million mark. Ford is also the only automotive brand to top 2 million U.S. sales since 2007 – and the only auto brand expected to surpass that mark in America this year.
In addition, the Ford Focus is expected to remain the best-selling global vehicle nameplate, based on the latest available R.L. Polk new vehicle registration data through September, toppling long-time sales king the Toyota Corolla. Meanwhile, the Ford Fiesta is on track to be the best-selling global B-car.
Ford is also the only automaker with three vehicle nameplates in the global top 10 – Focus at number 1, F-Series at number 4 and Fiesta at number 5 – based on the latest available Polk new vehicle registration data.
That would position Ford as the leader – if year-end data holds course – in two of the global market’s most critical segments. And the B- and C-car segments are posting significant growth in the U.S., as well.
Jim Farley, Ford’s executive vice president, Global Marketing, Sales and Service and Lincoln, said Global Focus new registrations totaled 737,856 through September, making it the world’s number-one selling vehicle nameplate. Fiesta new vehicle registrations totaled 560,061 for the same period, according to Polk.
“Focus and Fiesta represent the best of our One Ford plan,” Farley said, referring to the Detroit maker’s strategy of shifting from regional products to models that can be sold around the world with minimal changes needed to meet local regulations and consumer demand.
“In just three years, Ford has transformed our global small car lineup and started winning over customers worldwide with vehicles that are not only fun-to-drive but also fuel-efficient – largely thanks to our award-winning EcoBoost engines,” he said.
Despite the move to a globalized product strategy, there are a few exceptions, most notably the big F-Series pickups. While there are select overseas markets, such as the Middle East, where the full-size truck line is sold, the F-Series remains primarily a North American model. For most global markets Ford has concentrated on the latest-generation Ranger, a midsize pickup it does not plan to offer in the U.S.