World's best selling cars; Swift ranks 20

If you look at the 30 best selling cars last year, Toyota has six cars in the list - more than any other manufacturer. In fact, Toyota has three cars in the top five.

Hyundai, Honda, Chevrolet and Volkswagen come second with four cars each.

Competing with the cars from big auto companies, Swift and Swift Dzire have made its way into the top 20 list. Both are clubbed as one, as Dzire is the same car with a boot.

Let’s take a look at the best selling cars of 2012.

Source: Focus2move

Renault Clio/Symbol

Rank: 30

Units sold in 2012: 439,565

Launched in 1990, Clio has made its mark on the history of Renault, with 11.5 million units sold in more than 115 countries. It is currently in its fourth generation.

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Toyota RAV4

Rank: 29

Units sold in 2012: 448,565

RAV4 was the first compact crossover, that was launched in Europe and Japan in 1994. The vehicle was designed for consumers wanting a vehicle that had most of the benefits of SUVs - such as increased cargo room, higher visibility and the option of full-time four-wheel drive - along with the maneuverability and fuel economy of a compact car, according to Wikipedia.

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Chevrolet Aveo/Sonic

Rank: 28

Units sold in 2012: 455,000

The car was first manufactured by GM Daewoo in 2002. The car is marketed in about 120 countries under brands such as Chevrolet, Daewoo, Holden, Pontiac, Suzuki, and ZAZ.

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Kia Rio/Pride/K2

Rank: 27

Units sold in 2012: 456,542

The subcompact car is now in its third generation. It was a replacement for Pride and the Avella.

It’s manufactured by Kia Motors, which is the second largest auto manufacturer in South Korea and an affiliate of Hyundai Motors.

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Honda Accord

Rank: 26

Units sold in 2012: 465,236

The car is manufactured since 1976 and has been one of the best selling cars in the US. It has also received many awards and accolades for its reliability.

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Hyundai ix35

Rank: 25

Units sold in 2012: 469,956

The South Korean manufacturer has been making this compact SUV since 2004. It is also known as Hyundai Tucson and Hyundai JM (Joyful Mover).

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Honda Fit/Jazz

Rank: 24

Units sold in 2012: 470,532

The car has been in production since 2001. The name "Jazz" is used in Europe, Oceania, the Middle East, Africa, Australia and most parts of Asia, while the name "Fit" is used in Japan, China and the Americas. Jazz shares its platform with Honda City.

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Chevrolet Silverado

Rank: 23

Units sold in 2012: 485.236

This is the latest full-size pick up truck from General Motors. It has been in production since 1999.

When the new generation trucks were introduced 2007, it won North American Truck of the Year award and was Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year.

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Hyundai Sonata

Rank: 22

Units sold in 2012: 498,555

First manufactured in 1985, this mid-size car is still in production. From the sixth generation onwards, it is known as the i45 in the Australian, Singaporean, New Zealand and Colombian markets.

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Opel/Chevrolet Corsa/Classic

Rank: 21

Units sold in 2012: 498,565

This supermini is sold under various brands name such as Vauxhall, Chevrolet, and Holden. It was first launched in 1982 by the German auto manufacturer Opel.

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Suzuki Swift/Dzire

Rank: 20

Units sold in 2012: 511,235

The car first started selling in Japan in 2000. Prior to being called Swift, it was sold as Suzuki Cultus in many export markets.

Swift Dzire, launched in India in 2008, came in as a replacement of Maruti Esteem.

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Opel Astra/Buick Excelle

Rank: 19

Units sold in 2012: 544,200

The car, manufactured by Opel, is in production since 1991. It is branded as Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom and the Buick Excelle XT in China.

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Honda CR-V

Rank: 18

Units sold in 2012: 605,322

The crossover is in production since 1995. The full-form for 'CR-V' varies according to geography, according to Honda literature. In the UK, is expanded as Compact Recreational Vehicle and in Japan the literature states it as Comfortable Runabout Vehicle.

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Toyota Hilux

Rank: 17

Units sold in 2012: 615,321

This series of compact pickup trucks started production in March 1968. Updated last in 2005, it is now in its seventh generation. It received a facelift in 2008 and 2011.

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Honda Civic

Rank: 16

Units sold in 2012: 625,365

It was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door model, followed by a three-door hatchback that September. This model is in its ninth generation today.

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Hyundai Accent

Rank: 15

Units sold in 2012: 662,369

The first Hyundai Accent was sold in 1994. The car is presently in its fourth generation and received the last update in 2010.

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Nissan Tiida/Versa

Rank: 14

Units sold in 2012: 671,425

The car was introduced in 2004 to replace Nissan Sunny in Japan. The second generation of Nissan Tiida was unveiled in 2011.

It is called Versa in US which stands for "versatile space".

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Volkswagen Passat

Rank: 13

Units sold in 2012: 674,524

The Volkswagen Passat is a large family car marketed by German automaker Volkswagen through six design generations since 1973.

It is also called as Volkswagen Quantum, Volkswagen Santana, and Volkswagen Carat.

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Toyota Yaris/Vitz/Vios

Rank: 12

Units sold in 2012: 695,865

The Toyota Yaris is a subcompact car produced by Toyota since 1999. It is in it third generation now.

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Volkswagen Polo

Rank: 11

Units sold in 2012: 705,232

The Polo was first introduced in 1975, and as of 2011 has been produced over five generations with intermittent facelifts.

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Volkswagen Golf

Rank: 10

Units sold in 2012: 745,652

The Volkswagen Golf is a subcompact car manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across seven generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates, according to Wikipedia. Some of those include Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico.

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Ford Fiesta

Rank: 9

Units sold in 2012: 749,552

The Ford Fiesta is a supermini car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1976, now in its sixth generation.

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Volkswagen Jetta

Rank: 8

Units sold in 2012: 753,235

The small family car is in production since 1979. Jetta was originally adapted by adding a conventional trunk to the Golf hatchback. Since the original version, the car has grown in size and power. Jetta is now in its sixth generation.

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Chevrolet/Holden Cruze

Rank: 7

Units sold in 2012: 775,623

Originally, Suzuki manufactured and sold the car as a sub-compact hatch in Japan under joint venture with GM. Since 2008, the name refers to globally developed compact sedan.

It is also called Daewoo Lacetti Premiere and Holden Cruze.

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Ford F-Series

Rank: 6

Units sold in 2012: 784,520

The F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company which has been sold for over six decades. It was the best-selling vehicle in the United States for 17 years and also best selling pick up truck for 37 years.

Introduced in 1948, the truck is now in its twelfth generation.

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Toyota Camry

Rank: 5

Units sold in 2012: 795,442

The Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size car manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world.

The name "Camry" is an Anglicized phonetic transcription of the Japanese word kanmuri, meaning "crown”, according to Wikipedia.

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Hyundai Elantra

Rank: 4

Units sold in 2012: 818,562

First produced in 1990, Hyundai Elantra is now in its fifth generation. The car is also known as Hyundai Avante.

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Toyota Prius/Aqua

Rank: 3

Units sold in 2012: 895,456

The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback. The Prius first went on sale in Japan in 1997 and was subsequently introduced worldwide in 2000.

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Ford Focus

Rank: 2

Units sold in 2012: 1,012,400

The Ford Focus is a compact car that’s been selling since 1998. In the first half of last year, the Focus had surpassed the Toyota Corolla to become the world's best selling automobile but lost some ground later.

The Focus has been considered one of the 50 greatest cars of the past fifty years by British magazine CAR.

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Toyota Corolla

Rank: 1

Units sold in 2012: 1,054,000

Introduced in 1966, the Corolla managed to become the best-selling car worldwide by 1974, and has been one of the best-selling cars in the world since then.

Toyota reached the milestone of 40 million Corollas sold over eleven generations in July 2013, according to Wikipedia.