Nationwide Vehicle Contracts takes a look at the most popular car models in different countries around the world.
Isn't it interesting when you get a glimpse of how people live across the world? They live under different laws, eat different food, and even drive different cars.
Car manufacturers come from all corners of the world and have success in some markets more than others. For example, Maruti Suzuki is popular in India but is practically unheard of anywhere else.
So, what are the most popular car manufacturers in different countries? From Europe to Asia, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts looks at the most popular car manufacturers across the world.
The UK - Ford
Unlike some of the other countries on this list, the UK has no mainstream car manufacturer coming from the country. As a result, American manufacturer Ford is the most popular car brand in the UK, with 4.16 million cars on UK roads as of 2021.
Ford's popularity in the UK is because of its ability to make affordable and reliable cars that are perfect for driving on UK roads. UK roads are traditionally narrow, so the ideal cars to drive are small and nippy hatchbacks, such as the 1970s Ford Cortina and the recent Ford Fiesta.
These cars appeal to all UK drivers thanks to their price and practicality, reflected in the sheer amount of sales they have generated. Currently, the Ford Fiesta is the most common car on UK roads, with 1.54 million registrations.
France - Peugeot
France is a country with a great motoring heritage, with the first organised automobile competition being held there all the way back in 1894. One of the competition's winners was Peugeot, today's most popular manufacturer in France.
In 2022, 245,600 Peugeot cars were registered in France, with the 206 taking up an impressive 88,812. In terms of overall registrations, Peugeot beat fellow French manufacturer Renault by 10,000 registrations in 2022.
Peugeot has been a focal point in the French economy for some time now, producing their first car in 1889, making them the world's second oldest car manufacturer. Their most popular car, the 206, arrived in 1998 and sold over eight million models by 2008.
Germany - Volkswagen
It's no shock to see that the most popular car manufacturer in Germany is Volkswagen, which translates into English as 'the people's car company'. In 2022, 2.6 million Volkswagen cars were registered across Germany, with the Golf taking the top spot with 84,282 registrations.
What's more impressive is that the three most popular cars in Germany in 2022 are all Volkswagen. The Golf takes the top spot, followed by the Tiguan and T-Roc. This is some accolade considering the strength of the German car market housing manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
Set up in 1937, Volkswagen set out to provide affordable and reliable cars for the German people, and that's exactly what they've done. They've maintained the largest market share in Europe for over two decades, emphasising their popularity not just in Germany but across the globe.
USA - General Motors
Ford? No. Tesla? No. The most popular manufacturer in the States is General Motors. Accounting for around 17% of the American automotive industry, General Motors sells its cars under four core brands; Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac.
These brands have a deep-rooted relationship with motoring in America and are possibly some of the most traditional American brands today.
Although the most popular manufacturer, none of the four brands above took the top spot for the most popular car in America in 2021. Japanese manufacturer Toyota takes the top spot with the RAV4, selling a whopping 400,000 units.
China - SAIC Motor Corporation
China arrived on the world stage as a heavyweight in the automotive industry in 2009 when it became the largest producer of cars in the world, accounting for 32% of worldwide car production. Their most popular manufacturer is the state-owned SAIC Motor Corporation, which produced a massive 6.9 million cars in 2017.
They produce cars under a range of brand names, including Maxus and MG, and their products have also been sold under brands such as Chevrolet, Skoda, Volkswagen, and Wuling. However, the most popular car in China in 2022 was the BYD Song, selling over 450,000 models.
Unlike others on this list, China is still officially a communist country, so almost all major car manufacturers are state-owned. This allows the manufacturers to pump out cars at an impressive rate, making China ones to watch in the next few decades.
India - Maruti Suzuki
India has the third largest automobile market in the world, supplying their bustling population with cars and the iconic tuk-tuk. The most popular manufacturer is Maruti Suzuki, which has a ridiculous 42% share in the Indian passenger car industry. In 2022, their most popular model was the Wagon R, which sold over 217,000 models.
Maruti was set up in 1981 and was initially a government-owned manufacturer that signed a joint venture with Suzuki to import cars into India's closed market. After the liberalisation of their economy in 1991, Suzuki increased their stake in Maruti by 50% and began to be the majority car manufacturer in India.
The Indian car market is undoubtedly behind its Asian and European counterparts, but there are definite signs of improvement.
Japan - Toyota
Alongside Germany and China, Japan is the third heavyweight in terms of the automotive industry. Home to brands such as Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki and Mazda, Japan's car industry stretches to all corners of the world. For the Japanese themselves, it's Toyota they turn to for their transportation needs.
Toyota sold around 1.25 million vehicles domestically in 2022, dominating the market and almost doubling what runner-up Suzuki sold. They also claimed the top two spots for car models sold, with the Yaris and Corolla selling 169,000 and 131,000 units.
The Japanese market is quite unique in that all the best-selling brands are of Japanese origin. Japan's ten leading vehicle manufacturers excluded any foreign manufacturers, emphasising Japanese people's preference to drive homemade cars.
Russia – AvtoVAZ
Russia isn't known for their great cars, but as the biggest country in the world, Russians arguably require transportation more than anyone else. Looking back to official 2016 statistics, the most popular manufacturer in Russia is AvtoVAZ, which owns the country's most popular car brand, Lada.
AvtoVAZ is owned by the Renault-Nissan alliance and accounts for 33.5% of the market share of the Russian car industry. Their most popular car is the Lada Granta, which sold nearly 55,000 models during the first nine months of 2022.
Are you surprised by any of the above? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts produce a range of blogs on various topics such as How To Deal With The Pressures Of City Driving and Real-World Manufacturers in Video Games.
Originally posted: 8th March 2023
