The vehicles making the list are mostly compact and midsized vehicles that are sold in multiple markets around the globe with minimal changes. In some instances, the vehicles listed below are marketed under different names like the Hyundai Elantra which is sold as the Avante in South Korea. The Wuling Sunshine, while not familiar to those in the US, is a small van produced by a joint venture with General Motors. It is used extensively throughout China for hauling people and cargo and sold close to 1 million units in 2011. Together, these models accounted for 9,418,000 units or about 13% of global light duty vehicle sales for 2011.

Sales of the Top 12 Vehicles Worldwide, 2011
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Supporting Information

Top 12 Global Models Sold in 2011
Sales RankingModelGlobal Sales
1Toyota Corolla1,020,000
2Hyundai Elantra*1,010,000
3Wuling Sunshine**943,000
4Ford Focus919,000
5Kia Rio815,000
6Ford Fiesta781,000
7Volkswagen Jetta745,000
8Toyota Camry726,000
9Chevrolet Cruze691,000
10Volkswagen Golf648,000
11Volkswagen Passat565,000
12Honda Civic555,000

* Known as the Avante in Korea.
** Sold in China as a General Motors joint venture.
Source: Forbes.com on msnbc.com "The worlds's most popular cars: Some new faces"

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