According to Polk’s global new vehicle registration data for the full-year of 2012, the Ford Focus ranks as the best-selling vehicle nameplate in the world. Automotive data and trends forecasting supplier show that sales of the compact car totaled 1,020,410 cars worldwide.

With China registration up 51 percent last year, Ford‘s “global car” recorded market gains in China as well as the United States. To better understand, this means more than 1 in 4 Ford Focus vehicles sold worldwide went to China; meanwhile sales in the U.S. were up 40 percent in 2012.

The Fiesta, another global Ford,with 723,130 registrations last year,  earned the tops spot as the best-selling subcompact car globally. Ford’s registrations of small cars – Fiesta and Focus – totaled 1,743,540 units in 2012, according to Polk.

“Focus and Fiesta represent the culmination of our One Ford global product strategy,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president, global marketing, sales and service. “Since its launch in China in late March of last year, Focus sales continue to strengthen, with the car now ranking as the best-selling passenger car in China in 2012 for the first time ever,” Farley added.