Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: World May 2013 Roundup: Europeans Buy More Local

Finally the much anticipated Worldwide May 2013 Roundup is here! First a bit of overview of the largest markets with a very contrasted picture this month: China (+9%), the USA (+8%) and Brazil (+10%) are all up significantly while Japan (-9%), Germany (-10%) and Russia (-12%) all have full brakes on.

If last month the Toyota RAV4 was under the spotlight, in May we witness an interesting trend across a few European countries: whether it is a coincidence or not is something that will become clearer as the year goes by, but it would appear that European consumers have been very patriotic this month…

This is something that traditionally happens when times get tough, a natural and sometime ‘subliminal’ reaction to purchase local in a view to support the homegrown industry, which nowadays often isn’t actually the case: more and more ‘local’ models are actually produced abroad…

In Italy, the Top 5 best-selling models are 100% Italian for the first time in 16 years: the Fiat Panda leads, followed by the Fiat Punto, Fiat 500, Lancia Ypsilon and Fiat 500L. In Czech Republic, Skoda manages to place its entire range (7 models!) inside the Top 10 for the first time in history: the Octavia is on top with 8.3% market share, ahead of the Fabia at #2 and 7.9%, the Rapid at #3 and hitting its best market share so far at 4.7%, the Superb at Citigo at Yeti at #9 and Roomster at

In Romania, we have the same phenomenon with Dacia: for what could well be the first time in the history of the brand, Dacia monopolises the podium at home, placing the Logan at #1 with 14.4% share, the Duster #2 at 6.5% and the Sandero at #3 with 2.9%, the nameplate’s highest position in 4 years. With the Dokker at a record 5th place and 2.7% share, Dacia also places 4 models in the Top 5 for only the second time ever after last January…

Lastly in Ukraine, local carmaker ZAZ places 3 models in the Top 5: the Sens at Vida at #4 and Lanos at #5. While this may have happened in the past, it is the first time ZAZ manages this feat since the creation of BestSellingCarsBlog in 2010… To be noted, there are also only 11 foreign models in the German Top 50 this month and one in the French Top 10. So there is clearly a trend, the next few months will tell us whether this was just a coincidence or the start of a longer-term shift towards local carmakers as European new car sales continue to contract…

In India, the Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire (sedan) leads the ranking for the first time ever and becomes only the 5th vehicle to ever rank #1 in India in over 60 years! The Maruti Alto had been #1 in India each and every month since July 2004 except April 2012 when the Maruti Swift took the lead (that’s 105 of the last 106 months!), the Maruti 800 led the Indian market from 1985 to 2004 and the Hindustan Ambassador did so from around 1950 until 1984.

In the US, with 71,604 sales the Ford F-Series hits is up a mammoth 31% year-on-year, crosses the 70,000 monthly units milestone for the first time since March 2007, hits its best May figure since 2005 and its best month overall in almost 7 years, since August 2006 when it sold 76,804 units… Notice also the Ford Escape delivering its best-ever monthly volume at 29,123 units. Note that in Canada the Ford F-Series delivers its 2nd highest monthly volume ever at 12,740 units while the Dodge Ram is at a best-ever 8,284 sales.

In a Russian market in decline for the third month in a row (after 34 consecutive months of year-on-year gains!), the VW Polo breaks into the Top 5 for the first time, the Lada Largus enters the Top 10, while in Brazil the Ford Fiesta hits its highest ranking in over 8 years at #4.

In France, the Citroen C4 hits its highest ever ranking at a position it last held over 6 years ago in February 2007, while the Nissan Qashqai lodges its 2nd ever month within the Top 10 after last March at #10 and its first month as the best-selling foreign model. It now equals the 2 months the Toyota Yaris spent inside the French Top 10 in January and March 2007.

In other news, for the second time in history after last March, a foreign model tops the LCV sales charts in France and once again it is the Fiat Ducato, the Ford Ecosport misses the Argentinean pole position for only 17 units, the Honda Amaze breaks into the Indian Top 10 for the first time at #8 with 6,036 sales…

…the two all-new French compact SUVs are starting to make waves: the Renault Captur is up to #13 in France and #15 in Slovenia while the Peugeot 2008 is up to #27 at home in France, the Nissan Juke breaks into the Spanish Top 10 for the first time ever at #9, the VW Up! confirms it has now nailed a second country in the world after Denmark by topping the sales charts in the Netherlands and reinforcing its 2013 year-to-date lead there…

In Ireland, Dacia, launched in the country last January, is already #14 brand ahead of Peugeot, Mazda, Citroen and Honda (!), the all-new Renault Symbol already tops the sales charts in Algeria, the Fiat 500L is up to #11 in Romania, making it its best overseas country so far and Bentley is the #10 brand in Singapore.

Finally, a bit of (great) news: thanks to Irina at AKAB we welcome a new country to my blog BestSellingCarsBlog’s monthly models sales charts updates: Kazakhstan, a market up 72% so far in 2013 after gaining…114% in 2012!

See the last 12 months’ worth of World roundups here:

World April 2013 Roundup: Toyota RAV4 means business

World March 2013 Roundup: Don’t take this the wrong way, but…

World February 2013 Roundup: Nissan Qashqai pumps up the jam

World January 2013 Roundup: Low-cost range brings Renault back

World Full Year 2012 Roundup: Last Year’s Top 5 highlights

World December 2012 Roundup: Has the Chinese invasion started?

World November 2012 Roundup: When Hyundai cracked Brazil

World October 2012 Roundup: China, Japan and Austria in focus

World September 2012 Roundup: Ford Focus shines in China

World August 2012 Roundup: Subaru XV topples almighty Golf in Switzerland

World July 2012 Roundup: Geely CK writes history in Ukraine

World June 2012 Roundup: Hyundai Santa Fe and Ford Focus shine

World May 2012 Roundup: GM and Toyota Etios make headlines

Matt Gasnier, based in Sydney, Australia, runs a blog named Best Selling Cars, dedicated to counting cars all over the world.