The automotive world has a new best-selling brand.
In the last five years, the Volkswagen Group held the position of being the world’s best-selling automaker. But in 2020, it ceded the crown to the erstwhile leader, Toyota.
Toyota overtook Volkswagen Group’s 9.31 million sales with 9.53 million sales, including those of its subsidiary Lexus. For the VW Group, the numbers include last year’s sales from several other brands such as Audi, Porsche, and VW.
However, despite reclaiming the number one spot, Toyota’s sales record an 11.3% decline compared to 2019. On the other hand, VW’s numbers saw a drop of 15.2%. This marks the first time both automakers saw a year-on-year decrease since 2015.
The reason is the same for all brands—the coronavirus pandemic—although, with the current landscape, it appears Toyota has suffered less than the others.
The third-quarter of 2020 is arguably the worst for Toyota. But a strong showing in the fall in both the US and China, two of the company’s biggest markets, turned the tide around. RAV4 went out to be Toyota’s highest seller in America, even going as far as having another production line to meet the demand for the RAV4 Hybrid.
VW, which enjoys more popularity in Europe, suffered a bigger loss due in part to the continent’s 24% decline in car sales compared to the US’ 15%. But this doesn’t mean Toyota has the top position secured. Both manufacturers, along with other brands, are expected to bounce back this year. And while Toyota expects to maintain its spot this 2021, market prediction puts VW back in number 1 starting 2022 through 2025.
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