Toyota Group Remains Top Auto Seller in 1st Half of 2023

Jiji Press

14:00 JST, July 28, 2023

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)—The Toyota Motor Corp. group ranked top in global vehicle sales in the first half of 2023, according to data released by the leading Japanese automaker Friday.

The group retained the top spot for the fourth straight year on the first-half basis.

Its global automobile sales, including those by subsidiaries Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Ltd., rose 5.5 pct from a year earlier to 5.41 million units, exceeding 4.37 million units sold by Germany’s Volkswagen AG group in the first six months of this year.

The Toyota group’s rosy sales were supported by the popularity of the Camry and the RAV4 in North America, and of the Yaris and the Corolla in Japan.

Global sales of Toyota alone in January-June surged 12.1 pct to a record 4.89 million units, surpassing 4.64 million units set in the first half of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The climb was due to an easing in semiconductor shortages and production cutbacks reflecting the pandemic.

Toyota was able to boost auto output by implementing measures, such as increasing production lines, at plants in North America, Europe and Asia.