Volkswagen lost the lead in global car sales to Toyota after claiming the first place three months ago, as the German car producer is getting used to negative consequences of a widening emissions-cheating scandal.
On Monday Toyota said it sold 7.49 million vehicles in 2015 through September, eclipsing the 7.43 million that Volkswagen reported earlier in October. However, deliveries dipped 1.5 percent for both Toyota and Volkswagen.
The numbers include less than two weeks of sales reporting by Volkswagen
after it admitted to forging diesel engines with devices that
deceived regulators about pollution levels.
Through the first six months, the German carmaker was in front of Toyota in global sales, but it’s now readying repairs to 11 million vehicles worldwide and has stopped sales of diesel models in several markets as it fixes its engines. The business is also facing a slowing demand in China, its largest market, with its namesake brand declining 7.4% in the first nine months.
Analysts now predict Toyota to stay the leader for this year, while VW may be facing sales difficulties in Europe and the U.S. Moreover, the Chinese market is not coming back soon.
Toyota is now getting ready to begin deliveries of its updated Prius hatchback.
After nearly seven years without redesigning, the automaker is promising to issue a
sportier ride for its top-selling hybrid, an improvement in fuel
economy of about 10 percent and an even bigger boost for an Eco version
of the model.
Sales will start in Japan before the year-end.
Toyota expected to hire 1,400 workers
more at factories in Japan to expand production of the new Prius and its
updated Land Cruiser sport utility vehicle, Bloomberg reported referring to people with knowledge of the matter.
The Prius will
help boost Japan exports, since it is one of the top-selling models within Toyota's lineup produced exclusively in the company's home market. The company is also expecting that improved acceleration
and added safety features will elevate demand for the $80,000 Land Cruiser,
its most expensive SUV.
