The People’s Choice

Automotive writers and magazines love to bestow awards on cars, but the best reward is that from the sales charts. Manufacturers would like to see their cars vindicated and appreciated by the people who matter the most—the buyers. Tastes and needs vary across boundaries; one nation’s econobox is another’s luxury car. Which particular model makes its way to the number one spot in each country can tell us something about their citizens’ motoring habits, their economic capability, and even their mindset. We play armchair auto-anthropologist and attempt to decipher a country’s culture through its choice of cars.

Philippines
Best-selling vehicle: Toyota Innova
Market share: 19% of light commercial vehicles

When the Toyota Innova started rolling off the assembly line in 2005, company officials seemed unfazed that they were just about to kill off a lucrative nameplate with something completely untried. Just months later, their confidence proved to be justified. Despite losing the de facto “Mega-Taxi” franchise, the replacement for the Toyota Tamaraw became even more popular. More than 14,000 Innovas leave the showrooms every year, claiming nearly a fifth of commercial vehicle sales.

Innova presumably stands for innovative, and there’s no better adjective for a car that single-handedly made the AUV category obsolete. The Toyota’s modern powertrains, interior, and driving dynamics decimated the competition—and at reasonable prices, too. Even the single-box exterior design looked upmarket, particularly with the right set of alloy wheels. The Innova carries up to eight passengers, or just one and a truckload of balikbayan boxes. For Filipinos who love to travel as an extended family, this was the ideal solution. Tough body-on-frame construction and decent floodwater-fording capability provide a measure of security.

Simply put, there is no better family car for the money, and since family reigns supreme in the Philippines, this is the vehicle of choice for most of us.

Thailand
Best-selling vehicle: Isuzu D-MAX
Market share: 34.5% of light commercial vehicles

Thailand has been touted as the Detroit of Asia, and indeed it manufactures the most vehicles in the region. The country loves its pickups, selling more than half a million of them to all parts of the world. It’s not because they idolize George W. Bush. The government focused on the pickup segment as the one to compete in, orienting the tax structure to favor these light trucks.

The king of the heap is the Isuzu D-MAX, introduced in 2004. If you thought the Innova was dominant, just look at the D-MAX’s share; more than one in three commercial vehicles sold bears that brand name. Thais use their pickups to do double-duty as passenger cars, and the D-MAX’s spacious, comfortable cabin is a huge advantage. Its rugged frame and frugal diesel engine are the icing on the Pad Thai.

U.S.A.
Best-selling vehicle: Ford F-150
Market share: 4.8%

America’s wide open spaces, long distances, and generously proportioned citizens favor large vehicles. One of the largest still reigns supreme as far as most Americans are concerned: the Ford F-150 pickup.

Ford, the company that started to put the world on wheels, may be in the doldrums in the passenger car segment, where it’s been overtaken by Toyota, but in trucks, the Blue Oval is still number one.

It’s a similar story as Thailand’s, only on a bigger scale. The F-150, reworked from the ground up in 2003, sells nearly a million copies every year. It has a cavernous interior, trim worthy of an executive car, and the most number of variants and options. As a lot of Americans use their pickup to transport fertilizer, corn, or plumbing supplies, then later drive off to the movies or Starbucks. The F-150 feels equally adept at either task. That’s why Americans, from farmer Sam to George W. himself, are behind the wheel of one of these trucks.

When gasoline was still cheap, the F-150’s standard V8 engine was its main asset, allowing the truck to haul and tow up to several tons of cargo. Now that the gas prices are skyrocketing, the writing may be on the wall for this entire segment. Perhaps a diesel transplant from the Everest might be in order.

Japan
Best-selling vehicle: Toyota Corolla
Market share: 4.7 %

For car lovers, Japan is a wondrous place filled with mythical beasts like the Skyline GT-R, Honda NSX, and Toyota Supra. In reality, its narrow roads, tight parking spaces, and exorbitant taxes favor kei cars, sub-600 cc econo cars that come in all shapes.

When that reality kicks in, it’s a sure bet that buyers will turn to something safe and secure. Despite the availability of quirky alternatives like mini-breadvans and cube-like conveyances, the plain, vanilla choice still wins out: the Toyota Corolla. Open a dictionary, and it’s likely to have a drawing of a Corolla under “economy sedan.” Lately, it’s added size, comfort, and even a bit of style to its repertoire. The Corolla’s refined ride and soothing interior help to keep at bay the frenetic pulse of Tokyo or Osaka.

Japan’s tight regulations practically force car owners to replace their cars after three years of ownership. That also plays into the Corolla’s hands, as these cars are known to need only fuel and air to run forever. Three years is a blink of an eye. In twenty-seven years, the Corolla has been toppled from the top spot only once, by the Honda Jazz. The year after that, the new version was once again number one.

Germany
Best-selling vehicle: VW Golf
Market share: 6.5 % of passenger cars

The Fatherland is yet another of automobile-dom’s legendary kingdoms. The famed autobahn must be filled with AMG Mercedes, BMW M5s, and Porsche Carreras. It’s true that you will see your fill of these, but what you will mostly find is a humble hatchback, the VW Golf.

What the Corolla is to Japan, the Golf is to Germany. Refined repeatedly through decades and many iterations, the car’s mission is to provide decent, comfortable transportation for a reasonable price. The Golf has an evil twin called the GTI, with 200 turbocharged horses under its hood, but we found even the basic 1.6 liter version to be sufficient for the autobahn. Its sophisticated suspension clings onto the banked off-ramps like a Rottweiler.

With its straightforward, timeless style, the Golf goes beyond class barriers. It could be a housewife behind the wheel, or a bank president. So heil the true volks wagen, the Golf.

Kazakhstan
Best-selling vehicle: Skoda Octavia (probably)
Market share: Glorious

What would Borat drive? Probably a horse and buggy. If he had to go to the city, he just might pick the Skoda Octavia. Statistics are sketchy, but the brand seems to be the preferred one in many of the former Soviet Republics.

The Czech automaker was once synonymous with “tin can,” but under Volkswagen it has flourished into a world-class automaker. The Octavia is a sedan based on the—you guessed it—the VW Golf. As a result, it’s refined, well-built, and reasonable priced. It even has a standard iPod input. Mr. Sagdiyev may not find a sexy time with this car, but he also can’t go wrong with this one. High-five!

India
Best-selling vehicle: Maruti Alto
Market share: 19.9% of passenger cars

As an emerging auto market, India has enormous potential, perhaps bigger than China. As of now, though, roads are infamously rutted and chaotic. Enter the Maruti (aka Suzuki) Alto. Philippine motorists may be too proud to drive a car that’s smaller than a suitcase, but Indians seem to have no reservations about it. Its subcompact size and simple construction imply frugal operation and easy maintenance. The car seems to be built to take a beating and keep on rolling, if its durable predecessors are anything to go by.

Powered by its India operations, Suzuki is one of Japan’s fastest-growing automakers. If they can convince Indians to trade up to a Swift, then perhaps they and their customers will find true happiness.

China
Best-selling car: VW Jetta
Market share: 4.7 % of passenger cars

China’s economy is growing at a roaring pace, acting as an engine for the entire world. Its roads are not quite paved with gold, but the rolling stock on the roads speaks of ample wealth. Visit a booming area like Shanghai or Beijing and BMW 7 Series, Bentley Flying Spurs and Mercedes S-Class sedans will dance in your eyes. (And we’re not even in Hong Kong yet.) Please don’t bother with cheap models like the 3 Series, unless you really can’t afford anything else. SUVs are not too popular, as they connote farm work and manual labor.

Yet for many folks, a car is still a dream purchase. When many of them achieve that goal, they buy a model that is in plentiful supply and yet looks and performs well: the VW Jetta.

The Jetta is the sedan version of the Golf. If it works for the finicky Germans, why not for the Chinese? Jettas are assembled locally under a joint-venture company. Based on their driving behavior, Chinese motorists don’t seem to know much about road rules, let alone car maintenance. It’s as if the whole country should have “Caution: Student Driver” stenciled across their taillights. The Jetta is nimble enough to evade wayward motorists and pedestrians, and it has powerful brakes. It certainly won’t hurt that it’s wearing a German badge. In the Middle Kingdom, a German by way of Shanghai rules.

It is no surprise that safe, practical models are the primary choices of people around the world. The cars listed here are among the cheapest models available in each country, with the exception of wealthy America. Their enormous sales volumes and standardized production mean massive profits to their companies. These are the workhorses that allowed Toyota to develop the Supra, VW to hand-build the Bentley Continental, and Ford to produce the GT. They may not be glamorous, fast, or pretty, but they keep the world on wheels.

By Jason K. Ang