Toyota retains No. 1 spot in 1st half global sales for 5th year
NAGOYA, July 30 Kyodo - Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday that its group sold 5.16 million vehicles worldwide in the first half of 2024, outselling German rival Volkswagen AG to retain the top spot in global sales for the fifth straight year.
But its global sales in the January-June period, including those of its small-car manufacturing unit Daihatsu Motor Co. and truck-making subsidiary Hino Motors Ltd., fell 4.7 percent from a year earlier due to production halts stemming from a series of quality scandals and sluggish sales in China.
Volkswagen sold 4.35 million vehicles in the same period, down from 4.37 million a year earlier, according to the German company.
Toyota group's global production fell 9.8 percent to 5.07 million vehicles in the first six months, the automaker said.
The group's domestic sales slumped 32.0 percent to 823,595 vehicles as Daihatsu temporarily suspended production after it was found that safety test data had been rigged.
The small-car specialist resumed operations at all of its domestic assembly plants in early May after a halt at its factories in December.
Toyota also halted some domestic production during the half-year period, admitting that it conducted vehicle tests in ways not specified by the government. A recent recall of the popular Prius hybrid car also pushed down the figure.
Overseas sales rose 3.1 percent to a record 4.34 million vehicles, thanks to robust demand in North America and Europe, Toyota said.
The automaker saw a 14.6 percent increase in North America for the Toyota and upscale Lexus brands as its hybrid cars are increasingly seen as a better alternative to expensive electric vehicles. Europe booked a 10.2 percent rise, lifted by brisk sales of hybrid versions of the Corolla and RAV4.
However, Toyota is struggling in China, with sales there logging a 10.8 percent drop. Price competition is intensifying, with local automakers growing their lineup of affordable electric vehicles.
In the first half, Toyota and Lexus sold a combined 4.89 million vehicles in the world, with Daihatsu and Hino selling 210,910 and 59,273, respectively.
The Toyota group plans to sell 10.95 million vehicles for the year ending March next year, down 1.3 percent from a year earlier. In May, the company said it will prioritize addressing internal issues such as the quality scandals rather than pursuing volume this fiscal year.
Japan's eight major automakers sold a total of 12.04 million vehicles globally for the first half of this year, up 0.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the companies.
Their combined global production fell 5.5 percent to 11.86 million units, impacted by an industry-wide vehicle certification cheating scandal involving Mazda Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., and Suzuki Motor Corp., in addition to Toyota and Daihatsu.
==Kyodo
