Corolla best-seller as Japanese dominate

These are the powerhouse car models that are household names across the globe and are mostly designed and built by Japanese firms – namely Toyota, Honda and Nissan.

Remarkably, seven of the top 10 best-selling models globally are Japanese, topped by the Toyota Corolla, now in its 12th generation.

Japanese manufacturers own the title to ‘world car’ – a concept that they can claim to have perfected (and possibly invented).

It’s a warning shot to European companies, as staples like the Volkswagen Golf don’t even make the top 10.

There is competition on the horizon for the Japanese, though, in the shape of electric cars.

The American Tesla Model 3, for example, has hopped into the number-five slot in the space of only four years, while the cheapas-chips Wuling Hongguang Mini EV from China has joined the list.

The growing demand for electric cars suggests that others will follow in future, especially as the Chinese look outward.