Toyota Ranks Top in Global Auto Sales for 3 Years in Row

Nagoya, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)--The Toyota Motor Corp. <7203> group took the top spot in global vehicle sales for the third straight year in 2022, data showed Monday.

The group's global sales, including those at the leading Japanese automaker and domestic subsidiaries Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Ltd. <7205>, fell 0.1 pct from 2021 to 10,483,024 units, down for the first time in two years, due to semiconductor shortages and the fallout of the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to Toyota's announcement Monday.

Still, the Toyota group saw its sales exceed 10 million units for the second straight year, beating the Volkswagen AG group, whose sales in 2022 decreased 7.0 pct to 8,262,800 units.

While the Toyota group's production and sales dropped sharply in Japan, where the share of its vehicle models utilizing many semiconductors is high, its overseas sales were solid, mainly in the rest of Asia. Its overseas production and sales both hit record highs.

The Toyota group's global vehicle production expanded 5.3 pct year on year to 10,610,604 units in 2022, up for the second successive year, chiefly because a rise in production abroad reflecting capacity growth in North America and Asia more than offset weak output at home.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]