Toyota renounces top global sales spot to Volkswagen in 2016

Toyota Motor‘s four-year run as the world’s top-selling automaker has now ended as the Japanese company stated on Monday its global sales for 2016 dropped compared to Volkswagen‘s.

Toyota stated international sales throughout its Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu minicar and Hino Motors brands rose 0.2 percent to 10.18 million in 2016 from 2015. This was lower than the 10.3 million sold by Volkswagen, which published record high global sales regardless of its emissions scandal.

Toyota’s total global sales were supported by a 5.5 percent increase in domestic sales for the Toyota brand following new releases for models including the Prius, while abroad sales dropped 0.6 percent as demand relieved in North America, the Middle East and Africa.

Toyota had been the world’s top-selling automaker on a yearly basis since 2012, approximates international sales to increase to around 10.23 million automobiles in this year.