The Battle of Worldwide Budget Sales continued today. Less than a week after Ford touted the Focus as the world’s best-selling nameplate, Toyota is saying not so fast.
The debate over the best-selling car in the world has gone back and for between Ford and Toyota for a few years now with Toyota claiming the Corolla has been the top dog. However, Ford has countered that Toyota pads its numbers with variants of the Corolla that really bear little resemblance to the maker’s entry-level model.
However, this year may be different.
Citing R.L. Polk registration data, Ford claimed it sold 1,097,618 million Focuses, but Toyota squeaked out a small victory over Ford with the Corolla by 906 units in 2013. That’s a straight Corolla count, if you will. If you add in the all of the versions of the Corolla, it looks a veritable landslide of 1.22 million units.
The 5% year-over-year increase confirms the Corolla’s perennial popularity among loyal customers in approximately 150 countries and regions around the world, the company boasted in a release.
“The Corolla stands as the international face of Toyota and touches millions of people across the globe every day,” said Bill Fay, Toyota division group vice president and general manager. “Being the world’s best-selling car speaks volumes about the satisfaction and loyalty our customers feel about the Corolla and Toyota.”
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The Corolla benefitted from a redesign this year to give it a little boost whereas the Focus is only now getting a new look. However, despite running with the same old car, the company saw sales jump 8.1% thanks to strong demand in China.
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The 2015 Focus sedan is a mid-cycle refresh, which means it retains the underlying platform, as well as the same doors and roof. However, it gets updated front and rear fascia, a new hood and front fenders. There are also new LED accent lights and taillamps. The bolder look is more in line with that of the well-reviewed Ford Fusion midsize sedan.
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So with a new Focus online, everyone can expect a new round of posturing from the two makers at about this time next year.
