Toyota Motor Corp. has defended its 2013 crown as the world’s biggest automaker for another year, in 2014. Toyota sold 10.23 million vehicles globally to keep a narrow lead over the Volkswagen Group who have been aggressively chasing for the global no.1 position all last yar. However Toyota also forecast their sales in 2015 to slump about 1% to 10.15 million on the back of slowing demand in Japan and emerging markets.
It would be the first time sales have fallen since 2011, when Japanese automakers were broadsided by the killer Japanese earthquake and tsunami that derailed production and sales.
Toyota sales, including deliveries from its Daihatsu mini-car subsidiary and Hino truck-making affiliate, climbed 3% to 10.23 million vehicles in calendar year 2014. Volume exceeded 10 million units for the first time at Toyota. The total edged the 10.14 million vehicles sold by VW, which also crossed the 10 million-unit mark for the first time in 2014. General Motors Co., the biggest U.S. automaker, finished third in last year’s sales race, with global volume rising 2% to 9.92 million vehicles.
