The top selling car in every country - latest update

Travel broadens the mind, so join us on a world tour to find out which are the most popular cars in each of the 195 countries that make up the global map.

Local preferences and geography play their parts, and there are plenty of other idiosyncrasies that make each model a big hit in certain markets. Using data from national automotive bodies, Indigo and car manufacturers, we’ve now received full-year sales for 2017. The prices are in local currency as well as British Pounds and US Dollars at current exchange rates.

We start with the world's largest car markets and work our way through to the smallest - which is your country's favourite?

CHINA: Wuling Hongguang – 533,950 sales – from 60,000 CNY (£6900/US$9000)

China may be the prize market for many premium brands, but the country’s number one seller is the Wuling Hongguang. It’s a low-cost people carrier built in partnership with SAIC and GM. A spacious cabin makes it very popular, though performance is lower down the order thanks to small capacity, tax-friendly, engines. Sales are down from 650,000 units in 2016.

The China car market as a whole grew 2.5% to 24.2 million units in 2017 versus 2016.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – Ford F-Series – 896,764 sales – from US$27,380 (£20,775)

When talking new vehicle sales in the USA, there’s only one game in town and it’s called the Ford F-Series. This pick-up has been heading the rankings for 35 years and shows no signs of letting up thanks to a wide range of engines and body options. It’s also a lot of car for the money to appeal to cost-conscious buyers.

Although the overall US market dipped 2% year-on-year, F-Series unit sales rose 9%, helped by the successful introduction of the new Super Duty variant.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – Toyota Camry – 387,081 sales – from US$23,495 (£17,825)

Look at passenger car figures for the USA and the Toyota Camry comes out as the clear leader. It’s been doing this for many years and proves the saloon shape can still appeal in the face of SUVs and crossovers. The Camry is built in Kentucky at Toyota’s largest factory in the world.

Despite the market direction away from sedans, sales were only very marginally down on 2016, and it’s had a strong start to 2018, helped by the fact that its all-new Honda Accord rival is rather expensive. With Ford retreating from the sedan market, it should leave plenty of sales for the stayers.

JAPAN: Honda N-Box – 218,478 sales – from 1,385,640 Yen (£9100/US$12,700)

Japanese buyers are nothing if not fickle followers of fashion, so the Toyota Prius has been ditched in favour of the Honda N-Box as the best seller in 2017. The N-Box is a cute kei car – just 3395mm (134in), yet the cabin is very spacious and stylish, and you can even order one with all-wheel drive.

Japan’s market as a whole rose 5% year-on-year in 2017.

Germany: Volkswagen Golf– 178,643 sales – from €17,850 (£15,835/US$20,700)

Despite its tribulations in recent times, Volkswagen remains the biggest name in Germany and the Golf is the number one seller in its homeland. However the current model is near the end of its life, and the market knows it – hence sales are down a hefty 24% year-on-year, though not enough for it to lose its top spot.

The market as a whole grew 4%.

India: Suzuki Swift – 392,414 sales (est) – from 499,000 Rupee (£5350/US$7470)

It’s a sign of India’s growing middle class that Suzuki’s Swift now outsells the small, cheaper Alto. The Swift has chalked up more than double the Alto’s sales in 2017 and offers a more spacious, comfortable and better built experience, and all from a price that’s still affordable.

In 2017, the India car market exceeded that of the UK for the first time ever, growing 9% over 2016.

United Kingdom (UK): Ford Fiesta – 96,454 sales – from £13,165 (US$17,350)

For the eighth year in a row, the Ford Fiesta keeps its feet on the top step of the sales podium, helped by the arrival of a new model in the summer of 2017. The Ford supermini’s momentum refused to falter and it even managed to put more distance between itself and closest rival, the Vauxhall Corsa. However, because of the model change briefly restricting supply, total sales for the year are down from 120,525 in 2016. Runners-up in the UK in 2017 were the VW Golf (74,605 units) and the Ford Focus (69,903 units).

Impacted by tax changes and lower consumer confidence, the overall market declined 5% versus 2016 to 2.9m units.

France: Renault Clio – 148,515 sales – from €13,900 (£12,325/US$16,130)

Gallic pride dictates a homegrown product leads the sales charts and the Clio has been doing so for a while. Getting the better of its Peugeot 208 and Citroen C3 class rivals only adds to the esprit de corps felt by La Regie and its Clio-driving owners. Sales are up sharply from the 112,151 units sold in 2016 – not bad for a car first launched in 2013.

The overall market grew 5% in 2017.

Brazil: Chevrolet Onix – 188,664 – from 41,990 Real (£9700/US$12,800)

Brazil is large in size and population, but its favourite car is a small one called the Chevrolet Onix. Part of this car’s popularity stems from it being built in Gravatai in the north-east of Brazil. It’s also cheap and deals with the traffic-choked streets of cities better than most larger cars.

The market as a whole grew 9% to 2.2m units in 2017.

Italy: Fiat Panda – 150,357 sales – from €11,340 (£10,100/US$13,200)

Well, what else was going to top the partisan Italian’s best-sellers list but a Fiat? The question of which one is answered by the no-nonsense Panda that has managed to increase its sales 19% in the face of stiffer competition and some buyers opting for crossovers. So, the lure of a small Fiat remains strong in Italy, even though this model was first introduced back in 2011, and closely related to its predecessor first launched in 2003.

The Italy market as a whole grew at a healthy 9% clip in 2017, to 2.14m units.

Canada: Ford F-150 – 155,290 sales – from $24,499 CAD (£17,700/US$23,170)

Honda Civic – 64,552 sales – from $16,690 CAD (£10,000/US$13,100)

There’s a clear split in the Canadian market, with the Ford F-Series pick-ups the runaway favourite new set of wheels. No wonder when it’s remarkably cheap. Best-seller for passenger cars is the Honda Civic, which is offered in hatch, sedan, coupe and Type R versions.

The Canada market grew 5% in 2017 to 2.04m units.

South Korea: Hyundai Azera – 132,080 sales – 30.55 Won (£20,245/$28,260)

Hyundai’s Azera has found considerable popularity in its home market thanks to generous cabin space and a cushily comfortable ride. It comes with 2.4-litre four-cylinder or 3.0 V6 motors, though performance is also directed more towards refinement than outright pace in this mid-size saloon.

The market as a whole dipped 3% in 2017.

Russia: Lada Granta – 94,976 sales – from 323,910 Rubel (£3756/US$5240)

Russia’s favourite car in 2017 was the home-built Lada Granta. Its stupendously low price has helped in part, but government encouragement to buy local has also proved important to its success. A vast 460-litre boot makes it practical and Lada has even contested the WTCC series in the race version.

After a difficult few years impacted by low natural resources prices, the Russian economy is on the mend and its car market too – it grew 12% year-on-year to 1.6m units.

Mexico: Nissan Versa – 93,041 sales – from 181,300 (£7200/US$9400)

There’s a very good reason the Versa saloon has won the top sales pitch in Mexico: taxi drivers. Nissan has targeted this audience with the Versa that could almost have been made for them. This clever marketing campaign has paid off by putting the second place Chevrolet Aveo some 10,000 sales behind.

The Versa’s sales were up a bit on 2016, though the overall market declined 5% to 1.53m units.

Spain: SEAT Leon – 35,272 sales – from €16,020 (£14,280/US$18,820)

Come on, did you really think any other brand was going to win in Spain? Well, it was a lot closer than SEAT would like as the Leon only just pipped the Volkswagen Golf for top place, and much of that success was down to buoyant sales in the car hire business in Spain’s holiday destinations.

The market as a whole grew 9% in 2017 to 1.42m units.

Australia: Toyota Hilux – 47,093 sales – from €43,000 AUD (£25,000/US$33,000)

“Unbreakable” is how Toyota markets its Hilux in Australia and it sums up this pick-up perfectly. In a country with vast swathes of empty Outback, the Hilux’s reputation for longevity sees it regularly on top of the sales podium and Aussie’s regard it as the default choice for travelling longer distances.

The Australia car market grew marginally to 1.16m units in 2017.

Indonesia: Toyota Avanza – 116,311 – from Rp1.95m (£9825/$13,720)

The Avanza’s runaway success in Indonesia is easier to understand when you know this slightly gawky looking people carrier is locally built and cheap to buy. It’s a joint venture with Daihatsu and the Avanza is based on the Auris platform, so you get 1.3 and 1.5-litre petrol engines in this practical seven-seater.

Turkey: Fiat Egea – 47,704 sales – from 62,400 Turkish Lira (£12,225/US$16,100)

The Egea is a unique name to the Turkish market, though other territories may well recognise it as the Tipo. It’s built in Turkey’s own factory in Bursa that’s run by Fiat and local firm Tofas. This helps keep the price affordable and makes the Egea very popular with the local taxi trade.

The Turkey car market as whole shrank 3% in 2017 to 956,194 units.

Argentina: Volkswagen Gol – 44,847 – from 258,155 Peso (£9770/US$13,646)

Volkswagen has resumed its place at the top of Argentina’s new car sales league with the Gol, which occupied the spot unchallenged from 1987 to 2014. It was briefly unseated by the Toyota Hilux, but a recent facelift and improved safety equipment have brought buyers back to this Polo-derived hatch, saloon and pick-up range.

New economic policies under a new government has strongly boosted consumer confidence, seeing the Argentina car market grow 29% year-on-year to 885,092 units in 2017.

Thailand: Isuzu D-Max – 133,794 sales – from 502,000 Baht (£11,400/US$15,900)

In the ding-dong battle of pick-up trucks for sales supremacy in Thailand, the Isuzu D-Max is back on top after the Toyota Hilux won out the previous year by just 435 sales. A lower entry price and broad range helps, as well as the D-Max being manufactured in Thailand. The Thai car industry is the largest in Southeast Asia, producing nearly 2 million vehicles in 2017.

Thailand’s domestic market grew 14% to 687,002 units in 2017.

Belgium: Volkswagen Golf – 14,413 sales – from €20,220 (£17,800/US$23,500)

Belgians have been loyal to the Volkswagen brand for many years and they’re not about to give up their love of the Golf just yet. It’s the best seller here, though the BMW X1 has proved to be a surprise hit and now occupies second place, though it still trails the Golf by some margin.

For a small country, its car market is a fair size, growing 4% to 625,137 units in 2017.

Malaysia: Perodua Axia – 74,564 sales – from 23,965 Ringgit (£4355/US$6000)

As Malaysia’s largest car maker, it’s no shock to find Perodua builds the country’s most popular car in the shape of the Axia. It’s very well equipped for the low asking price and comes with keyless entry, push button starter and full infotainment connectivity. It’s cheap, but it sure isn’t sparse.

The local market shrank marginally on 2016 in 2017.

Poland: Skoda Fabia – 19,406 sales – from 37,590zt (£7795/US$10,880)

A jump in sales by 25% in 2017 explains why the Skoda Fabia has usurped its Octavia sister as Poland’s best-selling car of 2017. A wider explanation is cautious Polish buyers looking to downsize due to economic uncertainties across Europe, though they prefer to stick to the trusted Skoda brand.

The market overall grew 12% in 2017 to 549,641 units.

Saudi Arabia: Toyota Camry – 34,889 sales – from 85,050 Riyal (£16,470/US$22,640)

The near unburstable reliability of the Toyota Camry has won it many sales around the world and now it’s toppled the Hyundai Accent to become Saudi Arabia’s best seller.

Hit by low oil prices and an anti-corruption drive, the Saudi car market as a whole shrank 24% in 2017 to 544,721 units, seeing it fall five places in the global league table.

South Africa: Toyota Hilux – 36,422 sales – from 243,200 Rand (£12,890/US$16,990)

The South African new car market may have declined in 2016, but the Toyota Hilux carries on as normal to be the biggest seller and suffering very little from the shrinking sector. Just as importantly for the Japanese firm, it also put more clear air between itself and nearest rival, the Ford Ranger.

The market grew 2% in 2017.

Netherlands: Renault Clio – 11,782 sales – from €15,490 (£13,775/US$18,000)

50 cars was the winning margin for the Renault Clio to sneak the best-selling spot from the Volkswagen Golf. The affordable French supermini has found favour since the Dutch government abolished its tax benefits for low emissions cars, so buyers have headed back to the economical petrol supermini.

The market as a whole grew 7% in 2017 to 488,529 units.

Philippines: Toyota Fortuner – 39,811 sales – from 1,921,000 Peso (£27,000/US$37,100)

Toyota retains its iron grip in new car sales in the Philippines, but the baton has passed from the Vios to the Fortuner. This large SUV’s blend of comfort and go-anywhere ability make it ideal for the mixed terrain of this country and its buoyant tourist hire car market.

The market as a whole grew a very healthy 18% in 2017, to 467,756 units.

Sweden: Volvo XC60 – 24,088 sales – from 359,000 Krona (£30,100/US$41,985)

Volkswagen’s tenure at the top of Sweden’s sales chart proved predictably short-lived. After the end of V70 production, Volvo briefly lost out, but its stylish new XC60 has it back on form and selling more than the Golf ever managed in a single year. Proof, if it were needed, of how much Swede’s love their Volvos.

The market overall grew 2% to 433,128 units.

Taiwan: Toyota Corolla – 39,887 sales – from 656,000 New Taiwan Dollar (£16,525/US$21,780)

The Toyota Corolla, or Altis as it’s often referred to in Taiwan, comes from a local factory and that helps account for its enduring success in this country. It also goes some way to explaining why the second and third steps of the podium are filled by Toyota’s RAV4 and Yaris models.

The market was virtually unchanged in unit size over 2016.

Austria: Volkswagen Golf – 14,244 sales – from €19,790 (£17,400/US$23,000)

Volkswagen has had a hard time recently in the environmentally-conscious Austrian market, but the Golf retains its number one status. It accounts for one in 20 new cars sold here and many are switching to plug-in hybrid models despite them costing twice as much as a base model.

The market was up a healthy 10% over 2016 in 2017, to 393,255 units.

Chile: Chevrolet Sail – 10,138 sales – from 4.3m CLP (£5225/US$6840)

With an average wage of around US$860 in Chile, pricey 4x4s are too expensive, so the Chevrolet Sail is its most popular model. It’s helped by its affordable price tag and it also comes with a surprisingly decent specification for a budget car, as well as being cheap to run.

The market was up 18% year-on-year to 360,231 units.

Switzerland: Skoda Octavia – 10,052 sales – from 22,070 CHF (£16,100/US$22,450)

The sensible Swiss have gone crazy. They’ve abandoned the Volkswagen Golf, the epitome of common sense, to push the Skoda Octavia into the number one slot. Of course, it helps the Skoda is based on the Golf platform and the Octavia estate is cheaper to buy. They’re not so mad, after all.

The total market shrank slightly in 2017 to 344,894 units.

Czech Republic: Skoda Octavia – 27,051 – from 407,900 Koruna (£14,175/US$18,500)

It would be a poor show if Skoda didn’t score a direct hit in its home country. No such worries there as the Octavia dominates the top slot and has done for years. It’s backed up by other Skoda models taking five out of the top 10 sales slots, so the Czechs are certainly a loyal bunch.

The Czech market grew 4% to 290,249 units in 2017.

Israel: Kia Picanto – 11,765 sales – NIS64,900 (£12,970/$18,110)

Despite reduced sales of the Picanto in 2017, down 12% from the previous year, Kia has consolidated its position at the top of the new car sales chart. The Picanto is popular for its compact size that helps in densely packed urban areas and most come equipped with air conditioning to cope with the summer heat.

The Israel car market shrank 2% in 2017 to 281,570 units.

United Arab Emirates (UAE): Nissan Patrol – 21,148 – – from 229,000 Dirham (£45,300/US$62,250)

For the first time in eight years the top selling car in the UAE isn’t a Toyota. In a market that fell sharply by 11% in 2017, Nissan grew its market share and the cheaper Patrol helped to usurp its Toyota Land Cruiser rival. No surprise that a large, luxurious SUV is the most popular car in this country of heat and desert.

Portugal: Renault Clio – 13,902 sales – from €13,690 (£12,225/US$16,100)

Old rivalries die hard on the Iberian Peninsula, so rather than buy cars from Spain, the Portuguese choose the Renault Clio from France as their number one car. And it’s not just the Clio that exemplifies the friction between the two states as second and third sales spots also go to French models.

The overall market grew 8% to 261,061 units in 2017.

Denmark: Peugeot 208 – 9922 sales – from 129,990 Krone (£15,500/US$20,300)

The Danish new car market is dominated by small cars and leader of the pack is the Peugeot 208. It fends of challenges from its 108 stablemate and Volkswagen’s Up and Golf, so the Danes clearly have a passion for this soft-riding, easy-going supermini that not even the French can rival.

The market as a whole shrank marginally by 1% to 257,634 units.

Pakistan: Toyota Corolla – 55,452 sales – from 1.76m Rupee (£12,680/US$16,700)

Toyota has a long-standing arrangement with the Indus Motor Company to build its Corolla locally in Pakistan. This gets around the hefty import premiums charged on foreign cars and keeps the Corolla in four-door saloon format at the head of the sales charts year after year.

The market as a whole grew 18% to 237,845 units in 2017.

Vietnam: Toyota Vios – 22,260 sales – from 513m Dong (£17,065/US$22,575)

The Vietnamese car market can be summed up in small cars and big SUVs, and the victor from all of that is the Toyota Vios. Based on the Yaris platform, this saloon model takes one in 20 sales in this country to keep its arch rival, the Kia Morning, in second spot. All Vios have a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a manual or the more popular CVT gearbox.

The Vietnam market as a whole fell 13% to 237,406 units.

Colombia: Renault Sandero – 21,500 sales – from 33m Peso (£8250/US$10,800)

Colombians like something that will keep them marching on and the Sandero is just the ticket. Rugged build and simple mechanics make it reliable, while the comfortable, spacious interior offers practicality. Little wonder this car makes up almost 10% of all new car sales in this country.

The market as a whole shrank by 6% to 233,318 units in 2017.

Norway: Volkswagen Golf – 11,620 sales – from 281,400 Krone (£26,250/US$34,300)

Norway has new car market dominated by eco-friendly models. The Volkswagen Golf is the country’s best-seller because more than half of this model sold here are either the e-Golf or GTE, with the former being the most popular in this German hatch’s range in Norway.

The market overall edged up 2% to 194,468.

Morocco: Dacia Logan – 13,212 sales – from 74,900 Dirham (£6020/US$7870)

Morocco’s historic ties with France have helped Renault’s position as market leader and the Gallic firm’s Dacia division holds the number one slot in model sales with the Logan. Partly it’s down to keen pricing, but there’s also a dedicated Taxi model for all those pro drivers looking to swap out of decrepit old Mercedes and Peugeots. Renault-Nissan’s factory in the country produced a record 273,176 vehicles in 2016, making it Africa’s largest car plant.

The Morocco car market grew 3% to 168,591 units.

Peru: Toyota Yaris – 12,600 sales – from 53,917 Sol (£12,565/US$16,560)

Peru may be a country of vast plains and high mountains, but it’s a small car that’s conquered the peak of the sales chart. The Toyota Yaris can be had in hatch and saloon forms, and both come with a level of reliability that sees it account for almost one in 10 new car sales here.

The market grew 6% in 2017 to 163,668 units.

Ireland: Volkswagen Golf – 5252 sales – from €20,895 (£18,275/US$25,500)

The Irish market is very distinct from its UK near neighbour and this is ably demonstrated by the Volkswagen Golf taking top sales spot in 2017. It ousted the Hyundai Tuscon, even though Golf sales were down 6% in Ireland in that year, but tax rules make the VW more appealing than may others.

The market overall was 8% down to 155,551 units in 2017.

New Zealand: Ford Ranger – 9430 sales – from NZ$42,140 (£22,180/US$28,995)

In a country that doubles as a backdrop to The Lord of Rings, you need something that can deal with big landscapes. This is where the Ford Ranger comes into its own and scores its second year in succession as New Zealand’s top choice ahead of the Toyota Corolla.

The market overall grew 13% to 150,453 units.

Oman: Toyota Land Cruiser – 21,300 sales – from 10,600 Rial (£21,000/US$27,450)

Whichever way you look at it, the Toyota Land Cruiser has it sewn up in Oman. The best-seller is the Pick-Up with its square-rigged old school looks, but close on its heels is the Land Cruiser SUV and the Hilux is in there too with strong sales. No wonder Toyota accounts for almost 55% of the total Omani market.

The market as a whole fell 7% to 148,039 units in 2017.

Egypt: Chevrolet T-series– na sales – from 240,200 Egyptian Pound (£10,400/US$13,600)

Where once camels were the freight carries of this desert country, now the Chevrolet T-series pick-up does much of the heavy lifting and carrying. It’s about as attractive to look at as a dromedary, but it’s also as hard-wearing and it can pack up to 2.7-tonnes into its rear load bed.

After a tough 2016 which saw sales fall 21%, things got even worse for the Egypt car market in 2017, with sales falling 37% to 133,872 units.

Finland: Skoda Octavia – 5700 sales – from €21,884 (£19,400/US$25,400)

With a history of Flying Finns in rallying, you might expect a forest-bred all-wheel drive performance machine to find favour, but it’s the sensible Skoda Octavia that captures this nation’s hearts. Maybe not so surprising when speed limits are enforced with considerable vigour.

The market overall was virtually unchanged at 131,796 units in 2017.

Romania: Dacia Logan – 17,223 sales – from €6950 (£6200/US$8170)

Romania’s new car market has been booming and with it sales of the domestically produced Dacia Logan have soared and kept in top spot. Even so, 2016 was a bit of a slow year for the Logan as many buyers sat on their hands in anticipation of a facelifted model due the following year.

The car market in Romania continues to perform strongly, growing 12% to 121,679 units in 2017.

Hungary: Suzuki Vitara – 8785 sales – from 4,590,000 For (£13,090/US$17,110)

The Suzuki Vitara has been riding a wave of rising sales in Hungary and this one model accounts for around 5% of the country’s total new car market and Suzuki has a 10% share overall. That’s impressive but perhaps understandable given the extremes of weather and terrain that can be found here.

After a strong 2016, the car market had another strong year, with 20% growth to 116,221 units.

Kuwait: Toyota Prado – 11,185 sales – from 10,300 Kuwaiti Dinar (£26,000/US$34,000)

With their love of large 4x4s to cope with the country’s terrain, the Kuwaitis have taken the Toyota Prado to their hearts. It outsells all of its rivals and has been the number one choice in this country for six years on the bounce to put the Mitsubishi Pajero and Nissan Patrol in the shade.

Slovakia: Skoda Octavia – 5337 – from €15,300 (£13,375/$18,655)

Like several of its east European neighbours, Slovakia has a fondness for the Skoda brand. As a result, the Octavia is the number one seller here, assisted by a keenly affordable price. In the small Slovakian market, the Octavia accounts for one in every 20 new cars sold.

The market grew 17% to 104,279.

Algeria: Renault Symbol – 20,000 sales – from 1,474,500 Dinar (£9642/ US$12,777)

France’s historic links with Algeria persist as the Renault Symbol is this country’s top seller. It’s also built locally, which helps its popularity and Algeria’s economy. Based on a Clio floorpan and very similar to the Dacia Logan saloon, the compact Symbol is offered with 1.2- and 1.6-litre petrol engines.

The market fell 21% to 101,266 units in 2017.

Ecuador: Chevrolet D-Max– na– from US$26,990 (£20,500)

The proximity of Ecuador to its Brazilian neighbour goes a long way to explaining Chevrolet’s dominance in this country as Chevys are built in Brazil. The tough D-Max is related to the Isuzu of the same name and shares it solid separate chassis that makes it ideally suited to Ecuador’s punishing rural roads.

The Ecuador car market rocketed 62% to 100,713 units, spurred on by the removal of import quotas.

Singapore: Honda Vezel – 10,000 sales approx. – from S$115,999 (£64,850/US$85,475)

The Honda Vezel is unique in being the only car to top a sales chart when not officially sold in that country. In Singapore, swingeing taxes make personal imports hugely popular, accounting for a fifth of new car sales. When you compare the Vezel with its identically H-RV on price in Singapore, it’s no wonder the import wins.

The market was up 2% to 95,568 units in 2017.

Greece: Toyota Yaris– 5508 sales – from €12,000 (£10,645/US$13,935)

The Toyota Yaris is a big hit in Greece, dominating its segment and ruling the overall sales chart by a significant margin. That’s enough to put Toyota in pole position for overall sales and the figures are helped by strong demand from the car hire sector.

With its economy badly hit by the Eurozone crisis, things are on the up now, with the Greece car market growing 12% to 94,710 units.

Ukraine: Kia Sportage – 2736 sales – from 499,000 Hryvnia (£14,285/US$18,820)

Kia nearly doubled its Ukrainian sales tally in 2016 and a great deal of those cars were Sportage models, helping the crossover achieve top-selling status. It sold almost three times as many units the previous year and pushed the Dacia Logan into second place.

The Ukraine car market is on a tear, with sales growing by a third in 2017.

Puerto Rico: Toyota Yaris – 5643 sales - $17,995 (£12,900/$17,995)

The Toyota Yaris is the top-seller in Puerto Rico but not in a form that would be familiar to European eyes. The droop-nosed saloon that finds favour in this South American country is famed for its durability and being able to cope with craterous rural roads, but then so it should for its hefty price tag.

Sales fell 3% to 85,706 units in 2017.

Slovenia: Renault Clio – 3656 sales – from €11,390 (£10,150/US$13,380)

Volkswagen has the biggest market share in Slovenia, but the Renault Clio is the best-seller. This will come as no shock to Slovenians as the French supermini has been dominating their new car list for the past 19 years despite competition from the VW Polo.

The market was up 13% in 2017.

Croatia: Renault Clio – 2492 sales – from 141,786 Kuna (£9205/US$12,850)

The Renault Clio has taken over from the Volkswagen Golf as the most popular car in Croatia, though only by a couple of hundred sales. Given the overall small number of new car registrations here, that’s still a significant proportion and the Clio is aided by is considerably lower entry price than the Golf.

The car market grew a useful 16% to 59,197 units in 2017.

Panama: Kia Rio – 4290 sales – from 15,500 Balboa (£11,750/US$15,500)

The Panamanian new car market has grown strongly in recent years and with it the Kia Rio has become the country’s best-seller. There’s a choice of 1.4- and 1.6-litre petrol engine, both with six-speed manual or auto ’boxes, and you can have hatch or the more popular saloon body styles.

The Panama car market fell 15% to 56,906 units in 2017.

Uruguay: Chevrolet Onix – 4038 sales – from 475,390 Peso (£12,140/US$16,690)

The simplicity of the Chevrolet Onix has found this supermini-sized hatchback plenty of fans in Uruguay and explains why it has topped the charts. It’s also affordable and cheap to run, even though it’s only offered with a 1.4-litre petrol engine and six-speed automatic gearbox.

The market as a whole surged up 26% to 55,710 units in 2017.

Qatar: Toyota Land Cruiser – 8750 sales – from 200,000 Rial (£41,650/US$54,900)

Like so many other of the Gulf states, Qatar is in love with the Toyota Land Cruiser. Its blend of luxury, comfort and all-wheel drive ability to cope with desert conditions makes it ideal for this challenging environment. All of this means it makes up around 12% of total new car sales in Qatar.

Impacted by worsening relations with its Gulf neighbours, the car market collapsed 26% to 54,280 units in 2017.

Luxembourg: Volkswagen Golf – 1859 sales – from €17470 (£15,550/US$20,300)

Land-locked Luxembourg loves the Golf and has retained it as the number one new car choice for several years. It beats off the Renault Clio and Audi A3 and many owners cite its ability to cover long distances in comfort as a big plus, which they take advantage of to visit neighbouring countries more often than other Europeans.

Sales grew 6% in the Duchy to 42,186 units in 2017.

Lebanon: Toyota Prado – 4366 sales – from US$59,950 (£45,900/US$59,950)

If you want to get with the in-crowd in Lebanon, the Prado is the way to do it. This big, burly and slightly bug-eyed SUV does everything very well thanks to its all-wheel drive transmission, comfort, space and luxury equipment. It’s also extremely durable to deal with the heat and dust of the region.

The Lebanon car market surged 36% to 52,120 units in 2017.

Costa Rica: Hyundai Accent – na sales – from 12,732,000 Colon (£16,360/US$22,500)

The Hyundai Accent has taken over as the favourite passenger car in Costa Rica, though the Toyota Hilux stays as a big seller outside of urban areas. The Accent comes as a saloon in this country as buyers prefer the style and security of an enclosed boot.

The overall market fell 13% to 49,415 units in 2017.

Kazakhstan: Toyota Camry – 3190 sales – from 9,070,000 Tenge (£20,800/US$27,200)

It says a lot about the attitude of Kazakhstani drivers that their favourite cars are the Toyota Camry followed by the Lada 4x4. Both are tough and built to last, but Toyota has come to dominate this country and its cars make up one in every four sales in this small market.

The market overall grew 5% to 46,984 units in 2017.

Bolivia: Suzuki Vitara – na – from 135,000 Boliviano (£14,800/US$19,500)

If Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid wanted to evade the chasing posse in Bolivia today, they’d do it in a Suzuki Vitara. Not only is the compact SUV well suited to the poorly maintained roads in many parts, its popularity means it blends right in to any street scene in this country.

Bahrain: Toyota Prado – xx sales - 12,500 Dinar (£25,000/US$33,000)

Not only does Toyota top the Bahraini sales charts with its Prado-badged Land Cruiser, it also occupies the next five places in the league of best-selling cars in this country. Comfort and equipment rank highly for buyers, but economy less so in this oil-rich nation and that explains why only petrol engines are offered.

The local market had another tough year, with sales down 23% to 38,260 units.

Bulgaria: Dacia Dokker – na – from 18,990 lev (£8600/US$11,350)

The Dacia Dokker is about as practical and versatile as it gets for this sort of money. Bulgarians love this Renault Kangoo van-based people carrier, especially as many still retain smallholdings that make this sort of do-it-all machine perfect for every occasion.

Belarus: Volkswagen Polo – 3445 sales – from 20,500 BR (£7900/US$10,500)

Belarussians love their Volkswagen Polos enough to make this the country’s top selling new car, though Renault has a larger overall market share. However, when the VW supermini accounts for one in 10 new cars sold, its dominant position is all but assured.

The local market zoomed up 27% to 34,911 units.

Laos: Toyota Hilux – 2824 sales – from US$21,200 (£16,200/US$21,200)

For a country that’s still run as a communist state, drivers in Laos are very keen to get their hands on this big 4x4. It helps that Toyota’s Hilux is ideally suited to the rough roads and potholes of many routes in Laos. Add in its ability to carry large quantities of goods and people and it’s a clear winner.

Sales overall were down 14% in the local market to 31,899 units.

Estonia: Skoda Octavia– 1439 sales – from €15,300 (£13,550/US$17,700)

Estonians favour a car that can deal with the extremes of climate and conditions this northern European country experiences, so that’s why the Skoda Octavia is its best-seller. Big on build quality and low on running costs, the Skoda is also a big hit with the taxi drivers of Estonia.

Local market overall sales grew 7% to 29,213 units in 2017.

Serbia: Fiat 500L – 1706 sales – from €11,740 (£10,470/US$13,800)

The Fiat 500L might seem like an odd choice of best-seller in Serbia, but when you learn this model is built there it all makes sense. The Kragujevac factory turns out 500Ls for all of Europe and domestic prices are very keen, which furthers its practical appeal to cost-conscious Serbs.

The local market grew 10% to 29,006 units in 2017.

Azerbaijan: Ravon Nexia R3 – 907 sales – from 23,870 Manat (£10,178/US$14,000)

Lada’s dominance of Azerbaijan’s tiny new car market has come to a crashing end as it slips to third spot behind the Ravon Nexia R3 and Hyundai Accent. The Ravon is the best-seller and its performance is all the more impressive considering it was only launched during 2017.

Ravon is produced by GM Uzbekistan, a joint venture company between General Motors, the Uzbek government, and OJSC UzAvtosanoat (75%). The Nexia R3 is based on the Chevrolet Aveo.

The local market grew 8% in 2017 to 26,204 units.

Lithuania: Fiat 500 – 3488 sales – from 43,000 Litas (£10,670/US$13,950)

Despite its proximity to both Russia and Germany, the Lithuanians snub both of its large neighbours motoring products to choose the Fiat 500 as their number one car. It helps the Italian bambino motor is cheap to run and suited to narrow city streets, and it’s popular with car hire firms.

The market overall rocketed 36% to 25,865 units.

Guatemala: Toyota Hilux– na– from 147,704 Quetzal (£15,365/US$20,100)

Squeezed in at the heel of Mexico, Guatemala is a very hilly place, so it’s obvious that a hardcore 4x4 will win many fans in this country. So, say hello to the Toyota Hilux that has won legions of fans here and comes in a variety of shapes from basic pick-up to luxury SUV.

The market overall dropped 5% to 25,620 units in 2017.

Iceland: Toyota Yaris – 2000 sales (est) – from 2.33m Krona (£17,180/US$22,460)

Iceland’s new car market has bounced back from a barely alive 2500 new cars in 2009 to more than 16,000 in 2016. The Yaris notches up around 15% of the total, though this is more due to the large rental market that makes up more than half (52%) of all new car sales in this remote country.

The market grew over 15% to total 21,204 units in 2017.

Latvia: Nissan Qashqai– 803 sales – from €17,500 (£15,600/US$20,400)

Latvia is a country that likes its crossovers. The Nissan Qashqai is the favourite and it wrestled the title from the Kia Sportage. Even so, sales figures are modest as the entire Latvian new car market doesn’t quite scrape past 20,000 units in the year, though it shows how dominant the Qashqai is.

The market overall shrank 9% to 18,971 units in 2017.

Cyprus: Hyundai Tuscon – 582 – from €30,900 (£27,030/US$37,740)

The new car market in Cyprus in 2017 was less than 13,000, so the Hyundai Tuscon accounts for around 4% of that and places it at number one. It’s also displaced the Volkswagen Golf thanks to its ground clearance to deal with the islands rugged roads, and it’s also popular with car hire firms for tourists.                                   

The market overall grew by 9% to 15,101 units in 2017.

Brunei: Toyota Vios – na – from 22,603 Brunei Dollar (£12,660/US$16,700)

The Sultan of Brunei may be famous for his extravagant car collecting habit, but most Bruneians prefer the more down to earth charms of the Toyota Vios. This Corolla-based saloon comes with a humble 106bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine, yet it can still crack 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds, so maybe its popularity lies here.

Namibia: Toyota Hilux – 3440 sales – from NA$244,123 (£12,830/US$16770)

Pick-up trucks are all but the only vehicles in Namibia’s top 10 best sellers. Other than an honourable mention for the Volkswagen Polo, the utilitarian charms of pick-ups wins out and the biggest winner of all is the Hilux that outsells its nearest Ford Ranger rival by more than three to one.

The overall market collapsed 36% in 2017 to 10,956 units.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Renault Clio – 547 – 20,300 BHCM (£9262/US$12,730)

The Renault Clio is the first car to break the dominance of Volkswagen Group products in a decade, unseating the Skoda Octavia from the number one spot and, prior to that, the VW Golf. Not only has the Clio managed this, it improved sales by a whopping 29% in 2017.

The market grew 22% to 10,803 units in 2017.

Macedonia: Dacia Duster – 270 sales – from 734,080 Denar (£10,600/US$13,850)

The Duster’s modest sales of 270 in a full year may not seem like much, but that’s a doubling of its performance in 2015. It’s more than enough to put the Dacia at the top of the listings in Macedonia, where the Duster beats off competition from Volkswagen’s Golf and Passat to take the top spot.

Afghanistan: Toyota Corolla – na sales – from 750,000 Afghani (£8500/ US$11,100)

The ever-dependable Toyota Corolla is Afghanistan’s favourite choice of car. They prefer it as a saloon to the hatch we get in Europe and it’s only offered with a 134 1.8-litre petrol engine and four-speed auto. Poor Afghan roads means even the rugged Corolla only gets a one-year warranty.

Albania: Volkswagen Golf – na – from 2.4m Lek (£16,200/ US$21,200)

Albanians have a soft spot for the Volkswagen Golf, which puts it top of new car sales in this country just ahead of the Opel Astra. That position was boosted by the police force taking delivery of a large number of e-Golfs as patrol cars that would lower their fuel bill and carbon footprint.

Andorra: BMW X5 – na – from €61,150 (£53,600/US$71,000)

Andorra’s tax-haven status means its 80,000 inhabitants are a well-heeled bunch. That explains why BMW big SUV tops the car sales charts for the principality squeezed on to the top of the Pyrenees. It’s also a popular location for winter sports, which also helps with sales of large 4x4s.

Angola: Suzuki Alto 800 – na – from 720,000 Kwanza (£3270/US$4340)

Given Angola’s tough terrain that stretches from the coast to mountains and across deserts, the Suzuki Alto 800 is not the first car you’d think of for travelling here. However, the 800cc Alto is very cheap to buy and simple to service, so it just nudges the Fiat Panda 4x4 off the top spot.

Antigua and Barbuda: Honda Fit – na – no price data

The main industry on Antigua and Barbuda is tourism and this explains why the Honda Fit, or Jazz as it’s called in the UK, is the number one choice. Car rental companies love the compact Honda and so do their customers because of the spacious interior, low running costs and reliability. The perfect hire car.

Bhutan: Maruti Alto – na – from 485,490 Ngultrum (£5318/US$9065)

The blip that saw the Nissan Leaf in top spot in Bhutan has settled and top spot now belongs to the Maruti Alto. Costing a fraction of the Leaf’s list price, the diminutive Alto is liked for its rugged simplicity and ease of maintenance in a country with few garages.

Botswana: Toyota Hilux – na – from 345,000 Pula (£24,800/US$33,000)

Botswana is a very flat country, so why the love affair with the Toyota Hilux? Simple: around 70% of the land is made up of the Kalahari Desert. So, this is a place where you’ll often need all-wheel drive and you’ll always need an SUV you can rely on to start and go when you need it.

Burkina Faso: Toyota Hilux – na – from 18,450,00 West African Francs (£25,000/US$33,000)

Tucked away in land-locked West Africa, Burkina Faso is flat but hard country to traverse so the Toyota Hilux is the go-to car for most. New car sales are small and Toyota dominates with this 4x4 pick-up, with many kept running when most countries would think them only fit for scrap.

Burundi : Toyota Corolla – na – from 27,000,000 Burundian Francs (£12,000/US$15,700)

While many other African countries prefer the Hilux, Burundi’s love affair is with the Corolla. Much of these sales are because of the huge number that serve as taxis in every town and city, often packed to the roof with passengers and good. Just as well the Corolla is built to be tough.

Cameroon: Toyota Hilux– na– from 18.5m CFA (£25,000/US$33,000)

The car market in Cameroon is heavily slanted towards SUVs and pick-ups, so no surprise the Toyota Hilux sells so well here, as it does in many parts of Africa. Not only that, with new car sales totalling less than 7000 in 2016, the Hilux accounted for one in four cars sold in 2016.

Kosovo: Skoda Rapid – 230 sales – from €15,890 (£14,150/US$18,500)

The sales figures here tells you all you need to know about the size of the Kosovan new car market. The Rapid takes a lead with only 230 sales in total during 2016 from 3000 new cars delivered overall during the year. This car and the Dacia Sandero were the only ones to get into triple sales figures during 2016.

Lesotho: Toyota Fortuner – 270 sales – from 444,500 Rand (£23,300/US$30,450)

If a Hilux is a bit too basic and a Land Cruise too pricey, you’ll be after a Fortuner. Built on the Hilux chassis, drivers in Lesotho lap it up as this 4x4 can deal with broken roads but still deliver decent comfort. Most choose the 2.8-litre turbodiesel for its grunt, though there’s also a sweet-sounding 4.0-litre V6 petrol.

Liechtenstein: Volkswagen Tiguan – na – from €26,975 (£23,690/US$32,560)

It’s a sign of the times that even in conservative and very small new car markets likes Lichtenstein the march of the crossover is unstoppable. So, it’s goodbye to number one spot for the Volkswagen Golf and hello best seller for the Tiguan, though sales number in the hundreds rather than thousands.

Moldova: Dacia Logan – 348 sales – from €6880 (£6120/US$8000)

The Moldovans are keeping it local with their number one pick as the Dacia Logan is made just over the border in Romania. Keen pricing and the Logan’s versatility have helped it to stay in this leading position for 11 years on the trot in the country’s sub-5000 units new car market.

Venezuela: Toyota Hilux – 585 sales – from na Boliviano (£na/US$na)

The Venezuelan market may have shifted its loyalties from Ford to Toyota for its favourite car, but it’s stuck with a pick-up as the top seller. The Hilux manages a win with just 585 sales as the new car sector in this country has shrunk hugely in the past decade. Rampant inflation and a shrinking economy does not make for a healthy car market.