2018 (Full Year) International: Global Top-Selling Car Models

The Ford F-Series, Toyota Corolla, and Honda Civic were the top-selling car models worldwide in 2018.

2018 Ford F150 © Ford Mo Co
2018 Ford F150 © Ford Mo Co

In 2018 (full year), the Ford F-Series pickup was again the world’s best-selling passenger vehicle model with sales of just over a million units globally. The Toyota Corolla remained the top-selling passenger car in the world with sales increasing to 934,000 cars. The Honda Civic replaced the Volkswagen Golf as the third most-popular car model in the world in 2018 with sales up by 2% to 813,000 cars. The Toyota RAV4 was the fourth best-selling car model globally in 2018 and the world’s favorite SUV. Toyota was the global top-selling car brand in 2018.

Best-Selling Car Models Worldwide in 2018

According to JATO, the following were the 25 top-selling car models worldwide in 2018:

2018 Top-Selling Car Brands and Models Globally 2018
© JATO

Top Ten Best-Selling Car Models Globally in 2018

According to JATO, the Ford F-Series maintained its position as the world’s best-selling vehicle. It was the only vehicle to register more than 1 million sales. This was due to the enormous popularity of the model in the US, where 84% of its global volume was recorded.

The Toyota Corolla also maintained its position in the rankings, where it was once again the second best-selling vehicle in the world, as the industry anticipates the arrival of its next generation.

In contrast, the Volkswagen Golf, which occupied the third position in 2017, fell down the rankings to 7th place in 2018, as it posted the biggest drop in the global top 10. The Golf felt the effects of the diesel crisis in Europe, as well as the age of its current model, with its next generation Golf 8 only due to reach the European market during the second half of 2018. However, the Golf remained the top-selling car in Europe and Germany in 2018.

The Honda Civic instead occupied the third spot, as it was boosted by increased demand in China.

The Toyota RAV4 outsold the Nissan X-Trail/Rogue to become the world’s best-selling SUV and fourth best-selling car. The X-Trail/Rogue was hampered by falls in demand in the US, where volume was down by 11%, and in Europe, where volume was down by 31%, as it also felt the effects of having an older model, having first been introduced to the market in 2013.

The VW Golf dropped from third to seventh in 2018 and was followed by the larger Volkswagen Passat with global sales down by a more moderate 2%.

Sales of the Chevrolet Silverado were slightly weaker in 2018. Like the Ford F Series, this large pickup is mostly sold in the USA.

Sales of the aging Honda HR-V / XR-V / Vezel were slipping but the small SUV remained popular enough to maintained a top-ten position.

In contrast to the X-Trail, its counterpart the Nissan Qashqai/Rogue Sport saw the highest increase in the top 20, as its sales increased by 13%. This was largely due to its popularity in the US, where sales increased by a huge 130%. Conversely, the Ford Escape/Kuga lost ground and recorded the highest drop in the top 20.

2018 marked a good year for the Nissan Sylphy/Almera, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota Hilux, Jeep Compass, Toyota C-HR, Hyundai Creta, Ford Ecosport, Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Cavalier, Mercedes A-Class and Suzuki D-Zire. Further down the rankings, it was also a good year for the Hyundai Kona, Volkswagen T-Roc, Changan CS55, Volkswagen Atlas/Teramont, Baojun 360, Hyundai ix35, BYD Song Max, Tesla Model 3, Skoda Karoq, Geely Vision X3, Baojun 530, Buick Regal, Citroen C3 Aircross and Peugeot 5008 SUV.

Worldwide Car Sales per Brand in 2018

About the author:

Henk Bekker

Henk Bekker is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience in online writing. His best-selling cars website has been reporting car sales statistics since 2008 with classic car auction prices focusing on the most expensive automobiles sold at public auctions in the past decade. He also owns the travel websites European-Traveler.com and Lake Geneva Switzerland. Henk holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School and an MSc in Finance from the University of London.