Tokyo - Toyota regained the crown as the world's top selling
automaker in 2012, posting record-high sales and beating rivals General Motors
and Volkswagen.
Toyota said on Monday it sold 9.75 million vehicles
group-wide around the world last year, a record for the 75-year-old Japanese
automaker and up 22.6% from a year ago.
The result was in line with the company's December forecast,
and put it back in the No. 1 spot, which it lost in 2011 when it was hit by a
wave of negative publicity after a recall crisis in the United States, and a
disrupted supply chain following an earthquake in Japan and floods in Thailand.
Toyota held the global sales crown from 2008 through 2010,
but fell to third place in 2011 behind GM and Volkswagen.
GM sold 9.28 million vehicles in 2012, up 2.9% from a year
ago, while Volkswagen sold 9.07 million vehicles, up 11.2%.
Toyota aims to sell 9.91 million vehicles group-wide
globally in 2013, up 1.6% from 2012.
The Toyota group also includes sales at Daihatsu and Hino
Motors. Toyota-only sales hit a record-high 8.72 million vehicles, up 22.8% on
a year ago.
Toyota's domestic rival Nissan said on Monday it sold a
record 4.94 million vehicles globally in 2012, while Honda sold 3.82 million
vehicles, up 19%.
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