Tesla electric crossover became the world's most popular car in 2026
Tesla Model Y topped the global ranking of best-selling cars for January-July 2026. Sales of the electric crossover increased by 19.6% compared to the same period last year, allowing it to surpass Toyota Corolla.
This is evidenced by data from the analytics company Focus2Move, which compiles the global ranking based on registrations of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in 162 countries.
In second place was Toyota Corolla, whose sales decreased by 6% over the year. The third position was taken by Ford F-Series with a drop of 9.5%.
Toyota RAV4 declined even more noticeably. The model, which took fourth place, lost 25.6% of sales compared to January-July last year. Rounding out the top five best-selling cars in the world is Honda CR-V with a drop of 2.4%.
Top 10 best-selling models in the world
| Place | Model | Change over year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla Model Y | +19.6% |
| 2 | Toyota Corolla | -6.0% |
| 3 | Ford F-Series | -9.5% |
| 4 | Toyota RAV4 | -25.6% |
| 5 | Honda CR-V | -2.4% |
| 6 | Toyota Camry | +4.4% |
| 7 | Chevrolet Silverado | -5.2% |
| 8 | Hyundai Tucson | +1.3% |
| 9 | Kia Sportage | +2.4% |
| 10 | Volkswagen Tiguan | +6.8% |
Thus, among the ten global bestsellers, the largest growth was shown by Tesla Model Y. Sales also increased for Volkswagen Tiguan, Toyota Camry, Kia Sportage, and Hyundai Tucson from the top ten models.
At the same time, Toyota remains the most widely represented brand in the upper part of the ranking: three of its models made it to the top 10 - Corolla, RAV4, and Camry.
Separately, Focus2Move notes the strengthening of Model Y's position in the crossover and SUV segment. Over seven months, the gap between Tesla and Toyota RAV4 in global SUV sales reached approximately 200 thousand vehicles. At the same time, the global SUV segment as a whole grew by only 0.9%.
The ranking also demonstrates the continued rise of crossovers in the global car market: seven out of ten most popular models belong to SUVs, crossovers, or pickups.
Based on materials from: Focus2Move
