Ford Focus, the best-selling vehicle nameplate in the world in 2012, has retained the title for the first half of 2013, a report said.

In addition, Ford Fiesta ranks as the fourth best-selling vehicle – making Ford the only brand to have two nameplates among the global top five best-sellers, according to Ford analysis of Polk global vehicle registration data.

Ford Focus grew 20 per cent in the first half of 2013 from the same period last year, to 589,709 vehicle registrations, driven primarily by increasing demand from customers in China and other Asian countries.

Focus in China is up 137 per cent from 2012, to a total of 202,380 vehicles, making China the single biggest global market for the car with one-third of Focus sales.

Through September, Ford has reported Focus sales are up 193 per cent in Indonesia, 72 per cent in both the Philippines and Vietnam, and 42 per cent in Thailand.

Ford Fiesta joins Focus among the five global best-sellers, and earns the top spot as the best-selling subcompact car globally, with 356,434 units registered in the first half of 2013.

“Fiesta is off to a terrific start, and Focus just keeps getting better – especially in China,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president, global marketing, sales and service and Lincoln. “This is One Ford at its best: great-looking vehicles with great fuel economy, leading quality, technology and fun-to-drive personalities.”

Combined, global registrations of Ford’s small cars – Fiesta and Focus – totalled 946,143 vehicles for the first six months of the year, representing an 8 per cent increase. – TradeArabia News Service