Toyota Remains World's Biggest Carmaker in 2015
car&bike Team
1 min read
Jan 28, 2016, 03:47 PM
Toyota still rules as the world's biggest carmaker after the Japanese company beat scandal-hit Volkswagen (VW) and US rival General Motors (GM) in 2015, posting global sales of 10.15 million vehicles last year.
Toyota broke GM's decades-long reign as the world's top carmaker in 2008 but lost it 3 years later to the US firm, as Japan's earthquake-tsunami disaster dented production and disrupted the supply chains. However, in 2012, it once again overtook its Detroit rival and has remained on top since, despite slowing sales in its home market where a weak economy has taken a bite out of demand.
Also Read - Toyota Considers Buying Out Daihatsu
Toyota's overall sales - which include its Daihatsu and Hino brands - edged down 0.8 per cent from a year ago.
Volkswagen, affected by an emission cheating scandal involving its diesel cars, said it logged sales of 9.93 million vehicles worldwide in 2015, while Chevrolet and Cadillac maker GM reported a figure of 9.8 million.
In the first half of the year, the German giant was in pole position, outpacing Toyota as it rode the momentum in emerging economies. But then it posted its first drop in annual sales for more than a decade, as it was hammered by a massive emission scandal.
Also Read - Probe Reveals 'Cheat Device' Was Open Secret in Volkswagen's Engine Department
Volkswagen sank into its biggest crisis over stunning revelations in September that it had fitted 11 million of its vehicles with devices designed to dodge pollution tests.
Also Read - Volkswagen Emission Scandal: New Catalytic Converter Could Fix US Cars, Says CEO
The US government has said it was suing VW for $20 billion in civil penalties over the scandal.
Toyota's rival Nissan said on Wednesday that its global sales hit a calendar-year record 5.42 million units, up 2.1 per cent from 2014.
Toyota's announcement comes despite the firm struggling to recover its reputation for safety after the recall of millions of cars around the world for various problems, including an exploding air bag crisis at supplier Takata.
At least 10 deaths globally and scores of injuries have been linked to the faulty airbags fitted in cars made by some of the world's leading auto giants.
Toyota, maker of the Camry sedan and Prius hybrid, had stopped building new plants for several years, and turned its focus to quality rather than sales volume.
The company is also overhauling its production methods, vowing to slash development costs to try to offset any downturn in the market and squeeze more productivity out of existing plants.
Toyota is pushing further into the fast-growing market for environmentally-friendly cars, especially in China where officials are struggling to contain an air pollution crisis.
(With inputs from AFP)
Toyota broke GM's decades-long reign as the world's top carmaker in 2008 but lost it 3 years later to the US firm, as Japan's earthquake-tsunami disaster dented production and disrupted the supply chains. However, in 2012, it once again overtook its Detroit rival and has remained on top since, despite slowing sales in its home market where a weak economy has taken a bite out of demand.
Also Read - Toyota Considers Buying Out Daihatsu
Toyota's overall sales - which include its Daihatsu and Hino brands - edged down 0.8 per cent from a year ago.
Volkswagen, affected by an emission cheating scandal involving its diesel cars, said it logged sales of 9.93 million vehicles worldwide in 2015, while Chevrolet and Cadillac maker GM reported a figure of 9.8 million.
In the first half of the year, the German giant was in pole position, outpacing Toyota as it rode the momentum in emerging economies. But then it posted its first drop in annual sales for more than a decade, as it was hammered by a massive emission scandal.
Also Read - Probe Reveals 'Cheat Device' Was Open Secret in Volkswagen's Engine Department
Volkswagen sank into its biggest crisis over stunning revelations in September that it had fitted 11 million of its vehicles with devices designed to dodge pollution tests.
Also Read - Volkswagen Emission Scandal: New Catalytic Converter Could Fix US Cars, Says CEO
The US government has said it was suing VW for $20 billion in civil penalties over the scandal.
Toyota's rival Nissan said on Wednesday that its global sales hit a calendar-year record 5.42 million units, up 2.1 per cent from 2014.
Toyota's announcement comes despite the firm struggling to recover its reputation for safety after the recall of millions of cars around the world for various problems, including an exploding air bag crisis at supplier Takata.
At least 10 deaths globally and scores of injuries have been linked to the faulty airbags fitted in cars made by some of the world's leading auto giants.
Toyota, maker of the Camry sedan and Prius hybrid, had stopped building new plants for several years, and turned its focus to quality rather than sales volume.
The company is also overhauling its production methods, vowing to slash development costs to try to offset any downturn in the market and squeeze more productivity out of existing plants.
Toyota is pushing further into the fast-growing market for environmentally-friendly cars, especially in China where officials are struggling to contain an air pollution crisis.
(With inputs from AFP)
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