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Market Insight: Toyota’s global lead grows
Matt Brogan
2026-02-09
TOYOTA Motor Corporation is the world’s best-selling vehicle brand for a sixth consecutive year, growing its lead over the Volkswagen Group with a total production figure of 11,322,575 units, including 675,285 from Daihatsu (up 25.8 per cent), 110,483 from Hino (down 12 per cent), and 882,231 from Lexus (up 3.6 per cent).
Combined, the figures represent an increase of 4.8 per cent year-on-year, or an additional 516,168 vehicles.
Second-placed Volkswagen Group (Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Cupra, Lamborghini, MAN, Porsche, Scania, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial) slipped 0.5 per cent to 8,983,900 units.
Hyundai Motor Group held onto its podium spot, selling 7,274,262 vehicles last year, of which 4,138,389 were produced by Hyundai (including Genesis luxury cars) and 3,135,873 by Kia. Combined Hyundai and Genesis volume was roughly lineball with 2024 while Kia was up 1.5 per cent.
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance shipped a combined 6.34 million vehicles (down 2.5 per cent), ahead of General Motors on 6.18 million units (lineball with 2024).
Volkswagen (passenger cars) sold 4,730,600 units globally (down 1.4 per cent) ahead of Audi with 1,623,600 units (down 2.9 per cent), Skoda with 1,042,900 units (up 12.7 per cent), Seat/Cupra with 586,300 units (up five per cent), Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles with 393,700 units (down 3.6 per cent), Porsche with 279,400 units (down 10.1 per cent), Lamborghini with 10,700 units (up 0.6 per cent), and Bentley with 10,100 units (down 4.8 per cent).
Naturally, and in consolidating data from local agencies, online analytical site Focus2Move found Japan-based Toyota sold more vehicles across Asia than Germany-based Volkswagen, which gathered the majority of its sales from across the European Union.
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) sold 1,182,551 units across Europe (up 1.4 per cent) against 3,939,000 units (up 4.5 per cent) for Volkswagen Group (VAG) (up 4.5 per cent).
In the North American market, TMC shifted 2,929,600 units (up 7.3 per cent) against just 946,800 units (down 10.4 per cent) for VAG.
This trend was reversed in the Latin American region, with TMC sold 472,049 units (down 3.2 per cent) against VAG with 663,000 (up 11.6 per cent).
Understandably, as the rise of Chinese marques takes hold, TMC and VAG sales were flat and falling across the People’s Republic, with the former selling 1,780,396 units (up 0.3 per cent) and the latter 2,693,800 (down eight per cent).
For the APAC region, both TMC and VAG reported a considerable uptick in sales, growing 7.2 per cent (to 3,982,317 units) and 8.5 per cent (to 320,400 units) respectively.
Middle East and African market sales likewise grew, with TMC posting an improvement of 5.5 per cent in the region (to 865,119 units) and VAG 10 per cent (to 420,800 units).
Closer to home, Toyota remained Australia’s best-selling automotive brand for a 23rd consecutive year, selling 2339,863 units across the 2025 calendar year (down 0.6 per cent YoY) to end with an 18.8 per cent market share (down 0.7 percentage points).
On top of that figure, Toyota brands Lexus and Hino also enjoyed steady sales, with Lexus notching up a total of 14,561 units (up 6.7 per cent) and Hino 4711 units (down 7.2 per cent).
Conversely, the Volkswagen brand sold 28,970 units in Australia across there 2025 calendar year, giving the German importer a 2.2 per cent market share.
Other Volkswagen brands saw mixed performance Down Under with Audi accumulating 16,014 unit sales across 2025 (up 4.4 per cent), Bentley 150 units (down 18 per cent), Cupra 2830 units (up 21 per cent), Lamborghini 272 units (down 0.4 per cent), MAN trucks 350 units (down 16.7 per cent), Porsche 5133 units (down 27 per cent), Scania trucks 1207 units (down 17.3 per cent), Skoda 4808 units (down 4.1 per cent), and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles 593 units (down 27.1 per cent).
2025 Toyota Motor Company versus Volkswagen Group sales*:
|
Brand
|
Global sales
|
Variance
|
Australia sales
|
Variance
|
|
Toyota
|
9,654,576
|
+3.7%
|
239,863
|
-0.6%
|
|
Volkswagen
|
4,730,600
|
-1.4%
|
28,970
|
-20.6%
|
|
Audi
|
1,623,600
|
-2.9%
|
16,014
|
+4.4%
|
|
Skoda
|
1,043,900
|
+12.7%
|
4,808
|
-4.1%
|
|
Lexus
|
882,231
|
+3.6%
|
14,561
|
+6.7%
|
|
Daihatsu
|
675,285
|
+25.8%
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
Seat/Cupra
|
586,300
|
+5.0%
|
2,830
|
+21.0%
|
|
Volkswagen Commercial
|
393,700
|
-3.6%
|
593
|
-27.1%
|
|
Traton (MAN/Scania)
|
305,600
|
-0.5%
|
350/1,207
|
-16.7%/-17.3%
|
|
Porsche
|
279,400
|
-10.1%
|
5,133
|
-27.0%
|
|
Hino
|
110,483
|
-12.0%
|
4,711
|
-7.2%
|
|
Lamborghini
|
10,700
|
+0.6%
|
272
|
-0.4%
|
|
Bentley
|
10,100
|
-4.8%
|
150
|
-18.0%
|
|
Bugatti
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
*Data sourced courtesy of Focus2Move