VW rolls over Toyota in vehicle deliveries globally in the first 6 months of 2015

Volkswagen has beaten out Toyota as the largest vehicle manufacturer by units delivered in the first half of 2015. Toyota sold 5.02 million vehicles through the end of June, VW reported 5.04 million unit sales, putting it in line to achieve its worldwide sales target three years early.

General Motors, the third biggest, delivered 4.86 million vehicles in the first six months of this year, down 1.2 percent over the same period last year. VW's sales increased in its domestic market and in the rest of Western Europe by more than 6 percent, while Toyota in Europe climbed 5.7 percent during the period.

VW sales in China, fell 3.9 percent to 1.74 million, while Toyota boosted sales by 10 percent to 512,800 vehicles. In the United States, Toyota's deliveries rose 5.6 percent, while the VW, Audi, and Porsche brands combined increased sales by 2.4 percent.

Both Toyota and VW struggled in Japan during the first half, as a consequence of last year's sales-tax increase. Deliveries fell 8.2 percent for the Toyota and Lexus brands and 13 percent for Daihatsu, while VW sales plunged 17 percent for VW.

Automotive analysts expect the race between the two automotive giants will be a very close one. The global auto industry faces a sinking market in China, little strength in Russia, and weakness in some Southeast Asian and South American markets. Overall deliveries in the US rose just 4.4 percent during the first half of the year, the smallest gain since the recovery began.

Ref: Bloomberg