Toyota Takes Top Spot in Global Car Sales

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By Jacob Maslow

Toyota has once again claimed the top spot in global car sales for 2015.

After reviewing annual sales, Toyota announced that it has sold 10.5 million vehicles globally in the year, putting it just above General Motors and Volkswagen.

Volkswagen came in close behind Toyota, selling 9.9 million vehicles. It is unclear how the VW emissions scandal that rocked the automaker earlier this year impacted the final sales number. GM trailed slightly behind, with its official 2015 number coming in at 9.8 million on growing US demand and a strong position in China.

Toyota also announced that they are considering taking full control of Daihatsu Motor Co, of which they currently control 51%. Daihatsu is a smart car maker based in Japan. Daihatsu shares did not move in response to the announcement, but Toyota shares traded up 3% yesterday.

There have also been rumors that Toyota will cooperate with Suzuki Motor Co on fuel-saving and safety technology in India. Suzuki is a market leader in the 1.2 billion strong nation and shares rose more than 10% in response. Both companies, however, have denied the rumors for now.

So Toyota continues to dominate the global motorcar market. This represents seven out of eight years which Toyota has held the crown, only faltering in 2008 when a massive earthquake rocked Japan, shutting down the Toyota factory temporarily.

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