Toyota claimed the title of the world’s best-selling automaker for the first time in 2020. Six years later, the Japanese manufacturer remains at the top.
According to the website Motor 1, Toyota and its subsidiaries Lexus, Daihatsu, and Hino sold a total of 11,322,575 units in 2025, an increase of 4.6% compared to the previous year.
The Volkswagen Group, which finished second on the podium, delivered fewer than 9 million vehicles worldwide last year.
With these figures, the German group posted a decline of 0.5%, with its main brand, Volkswagen, down 1.4% to 4.73 million vehicles. Audi also recorded a drop of 2.9%, to 1,623,551 units.
According to Reuters, Toyota’s growth was driven mainly by sales in the U.S. and Japan, which together accounted for more than two-fifths of the parent company’s sales.
Above all, the numbers show that Toyota managed to stay on track despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and the rise of Chinese automakers.
Global automakers have been warning that they face billions of dollars in losses due to tariffs, prompting them to raise prices, shift production to the U.S., or cut output.
For 2026, Toyota is well positioned to post another strong sales year with the arrival of a new Hilux and an affordable Land Cruiser FJ. In addition, the sixth generation of the RAV4 will be joined by a more affordable version, the Wildlander, for the Chinese market.
VW is also moving to catch up with, or even surpass, its Japanese rival, as it prepares to launch the ID. Polo as a new entry-level electric vehicle in Europe.
The larger ID.3 and ID.4 models are expected to receive a new update in 2026, and the ID. Era 9X, recently unveiled for China, marks the brand’s debut in electric vehicles with a range extender.
While Toyota and the VW Group continue to battle for first place, Hyundai and Kia are gaining ground globally. The South Korean duo grew 0.6% year over year, reaching a combined total of 7.27 million vehicles, securing the final spot on the podium.
Photo: Toyota. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
