All the sales statistics for 2016 are finally in, and they tell quite a story. Yes, Toyota is no longer the world’s largest automaker in terms of global sales, losing its crown to Volkswagen.
After four years on top, the Japanese giant had to settle for second place in 2016, according to Automotive News.
The automaker’s global sales tally (with a little help from the Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino brands) increased by just 0,2% to 10,2 million vehicles in 2016. The Volkswagen Group, meanwhile, saw sales hit 10,3 million vehicles (which represents a 3,8% increase), finally claiming the crown.
The VW Group enjoyed particularly strong growth in China, managing to snatch the global sales crown from Toyota despite still dealing with the fallout from its diesel emissions scandal.
Toyota held the title of world’s biggest automaker from 2008 to 2011, with General Motors briefly reclaiming the crown in the latter year. But the Japanese automaker hit the front of the pack again in 2012, staying ahead of all competitors until 2016.
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