The Japanese retain their top position in 2013 as well with Toyoto topping the sales chart for the second consecutive year. A little overtaking took place for the second position with German major Volkswagen having sold more units than their major US competitor General Motors. Volkswagen recorded a total sales of 9.73 million units in 2013 through all their subsidiaries present in different segments. These include mass market products, luxury cars and commercial vehicles. Losing their second position to VW, General Motors sold a total of 9.71 million units in 2013.
Toyota and its subsidiaries Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino Motors collectively sold 9.98 million units gaining top position second time consecutively. Volkswagen witnessed huge growth in the Chinese market especially through their Audi and Porsche brands. However the German carmaker couldn’t defeat GM in their home country. In fact its sales fell 7 percent in 2013 in the US. But that only leads Volkswagen to become more aggressive for the upcoming years and plan more SUV’s for the American market. It has set a target of a million units in the US alone by 2018 and will be investing about $7 billion for the next five years.
To defend its numero uno position in the US, General Motors has announced 15 new models for the current year. The Chevrolet trucks and GMC models are favourite among Americans for their hefty looks. In the global scenario, GM ruled the charts straight from 1931 to 2007 when Toyota overtook it in 2008. The Japanese carmaker held that position for the next two years only to lose it to GM again. For the races ahead in future, Volkswagen aims at becoming the top car manufacturer by 2018. Even in the luxury space where GM is making its presence felt through its Cadillac brand, Volkswagen’s Audi has already gained its popularity long ago.
