????福特汽車公司正宣揚其緊湊型汽車福克斯（Focus）是全球最暢銷的車型——這種說法即便有待商榷，但也不算吹噓。不過，豐田馬上反駁稱其卡羅拉（Corolla）品牌才是真正的冠軍。

????這兩款車型之間的銷量差距并不是很大。哪一款的銷量更高可能與車型命名方式以及銷量記錄方法有關——而除了汽車公司的營銷高管外，這類神秘的問題不會有任何人感興趣。

????而且，關鍵是福特終于找出了如何打造和推銷世界級汽車的重要途徑。福特苦苦摸索了數十年才摸到門路，而早已精通此道的豐田憑此已將自己打造為行業巨頭，并從巨大的規模效益中攫取巨利。

????汽車行業高管喜歡宣稱自己是市場領導者，其實原因有兩點：一是自稱你的車型是特定市場細分部門最暢銷的，可以吸引購買者。二就是目空一切的狂妄。一位拒絕透露身份的汽車行業高管稱：“口水戰和自我中心主義四處橫行。”他指出，“對任何汽車生產商，不應該將目標定為行業最大，更不應該為了達到這個目的而出賣靈魂，例如高額刺激措施”以及折扣，使得汽車銷售利潤很低甚至為零。

????根據市場調查公司R.L. Polk在全球80個國家通過追蹤汽車牌照登記情況得到的數據，福克斯在2012年的銷量為1,020,412輛。福特駐密歇根州迪爾伯恩的銷售分析師艾里奇?默克爾表示，“這是對我們產品的有力證明，也足以回饋對福克斯感興趣的人們。我們不會為了賣車無所不為，而是希望買車的人真正對這款產品有熱情。”目前在售的車型是第三代，一段時間內它會與另一個歐洲版本使用同一名稱，盡管兩款車并不相同。這個策略調整發生在艾倫?穆拉利2006年就任首席執行官之后，他堅持采用“一個福特”（One Ford）方式，盡可能地發揮福特的全球效應。

????到目前為止，穆拉利的策略非常奏效，推動了福特的運營和財務表現大幅改善。分析師默克爾指出，在所有市場采用同一名稱意味著：商業全球化時代，一位中國商業女性可能在美國出差時租用一輛福克斯，體驗良好的話，回國之后她會尋求同一產品。

????而豐田方面，據公司駐加利福尼亞州托倫斯發言人麥克?米歇爾斯透露，2012年豐田在全球售出了116萬輛卡羅拉，將使該車成為最暢銷的緊湊型汽車。但是他指出，從R.L. Polk的數據看，卡羅拉的銷量只有30萬，原因尚不清楚。

????麥克承認在部分國家，豐田公司統計為卡羅拉的某些汽車，可能被R.L. Polk列為其他車型進行統計，例如卡羅拉Axio和Altis。他說，Axio和Altis就像在美國的SE和SL型號，其目的是顯示不同的檔次，比如汽車配置。

????在R.L. Polk負責市場預測業務的副總裁安東尼?普拉特發布的一份聲明中，該公司表示“本周早些時候福特援引的Polk數據是精確的，依據的是單一使用福特福克斯品牌的汽車銷量。”他還表示，這些數據來自于80個國家；豐田則表示卡羅拉的銷售覆蓋130個國家。

????中立分析師也認為：對福特來說，福克斯一直是成功的產品，擁有相當不錯的口碑，并對全球買家都具有吸引力。同樣，卡羅拉也是豐田的常青產品，一次次幫助豐田從質量、法律和政治困局（更不用提2011年的海嘯）中復蘇。

????如果要問這兩款緊湊型汽車福克斯和卡羅拉誰是真正的冠軍，這個問題本身就問錯了。（財富中文網）

????譯者：秋閑

????Ford Motor Company can't be faulted for bragging that it sells more of a single car model, the compact Ford Focus, than any automaker in the world -- even if the claim is debatable, given Toyota's rebuttal that its Corolla compact is the true champ.

????The number of cars separating the two models isn't that large. Which one sold more probably relates to model-naming nomenclature and to scorekeeping convention, arcane subjects of little interest to anyone but automotive marketing executives.

????Besides, the key point is that Ford (F) finally -- and importantly -- has figured out how to build and market a world car. That proficiency, which eluded Ford for decades, is what helped make Toyota (TM) a powerhouse and reap the financial benefits from vast efficiencies of scale.

????Auto executives like to brag about market leadership for two reasons: The claim that your model is the best-seller in a particular category could attract others to buy it for just that reason. Second reason: Hubris. "Trash talking and egos run amok," said one auto executive who declined to be identified. "Biggest shouldn't be the goal for any automaker, and you shouldn't have to sell your soul to get there, for example, big incentives" and discounts to move cars at little or no profit.

????According to R.L. Polk, which tracks registrations in 80 countries globally, Focus notched sales of 1,020,412 in 2012. Erich Merkle, Ford's sales analyst in Dearborn, Mich., said "it's a testament to our product, to the large number of people who are interested in Focus. We don't do everything to sell every last vehicle we can, we want owners to be passionate." The current model is in its third generation and for a time shared the name with a European version that was a different vehicle. That strategy changed following the arrival of Alan Mulally as CEO in 2006, who insisted on a "One Ford" approach to take advantage of global scale whenever possible.

????Mulally's strategy has worked brilliantly so far, leading to vast improvements in Ford's operating and financial results. Merkle points out that naming the car the same in all markets recognizes that global commerce means a Chinese business woman might well rent a Focus on a trip to the U.S. -- and look for it when she returns home.

????Toyota, according to Mike Michels, a spokesman in Torrance, California, sold 1.16 million Corollas worldwide in 2012 -- which would seem to make Corolla the best-selling compact car. But R.L. Polk numbers fail to reflect 300,000 Corolla sales, he said, for reasons that haven't been clarified.

????He acknowledges that some vehicles Toyota counts as Corolla might be counted as separate models in some countries, such as Corolla Axio and Corolla Altis. He says "Axio" and "Altis" are like SE and SL designations in the U.S., an indicator of trim level, i.e. what features are included.

????In a statement released by Anthony Pratt, vice president of forecasting for R.L. Polk, the company said "Polk data reported by Ford earlier this week is accurate based on the single nameplate Ford Focus." He also said the data is compiled from 80 countries; Toyota says its Corolla is sold in 130 countries.

????Neutral analysts agree that Focus has been a home run for Ford, with strong critical reviews as well as global appeal among buyers. Likewise, the Corolla's enduring appeal symbolizes Toyota core strength, helping it to rebound from a variety of quality, legal, and political difficulties – not to mention the 2011 tsunami.

????Asking which of the two compacts, Focus or Corolla, is the true sales champ is to ask the wrong question.