Ford is slowly but surely placing an emphasis on smaller, compact cars, and it appears the move has paid off. The automaker's Ford Focus finished 2012 as the world's best-selling car, beating out the Toyota Corolla for the top spot.
More than 1,020,400 models of the Ford Focus were sold across the world last year, which is more than 17 percent higher than Toyota's numbers, NBC News reports. There was a 40 percent increase in the demand for the vehicle in the U.S. as well as a slight uptick in the number of models sold in China. It also performed well in Europe, where the compact car has been a top seller for some time.
"The U.S. is moving towards smaller vehicles like the Focus, like the Escape," Erich Merkle, a sales analyst at Ford, told CNN. "I don't think there's ever been a time globally when the U.S. [market] has been more like that of the rest of the world."
To stay in touch with the market's desire for smaller cars, Ford has started highlighting models like the Focus and Fiesta more than ever before. The addition of special features, improved vehicle maintenance and constant updates keep the automobiles current and appealing, and people all over the world are drawn to the options.