A study by Quickco revealed that Toyota is the most “Googled” automotive brand on the Internet in 2016, with the Japanese brand topping charts in as many as 74 countries. Malaysians on the other hand, prefer the Honda brand – a sentiment shared among Canadians, Thais and Brazilians.
In terms of global sales volume, Toyota trails behind Volkswagen by a whopping 100,000 units, but by popular vote it came out on top in the United States, Australia, China and many parts of Africa. BMW ranked second in 51 countries (a significantly major feat) while Hyundai came in third in 17 countries.
The study also revealed that home advantage is rather irrelevant. Take for instance South Korea and Japan, where the median scale tips in favour of BMW. Only Sweden, France, Germany, and Italy had their local brands topping the charts in their country of origins – Volvo, Renault, BMW, and Fiat respectively. Interestingly in Niger, Bugatti was the most searched car brand in the country.
The fact that Honda became the most searched brand in Malaysia (after discounting homegrown brands Proton and Perodua for their lack of global presence) in 2016 comes as no surprise, really. With a broadening range of good looking products that are competitively priced and decently equipped, Honda seems to be winning big time in Malaysia. They have, for the second consecutive time, outsold Toyota in the non-national make and did so without having a commercial vehicle in its stable!
